LESSON 2

Neurons
Neurons
• The neuron is the information-
processing and information-
transmitting element of the
nervous system.
• Most neurons have, in one
form or another, the following
four structures or regions: cell
body, or soma; dendrites;
axon; and terminal buttons.
 Structure of an Animal Cell
• Membrane/ Plasma membrane
– surface of the cell
– separates the inside of the cell from the outside environment.
• Nucleus
– contains the chromosome
• Mitochondria
– is the structure that performs metabolic activities, providing the
energy that the cell uses for all activities.
• Ribosomes
– are the sites within a cell that synthesize new protein molecules.
• Endoplasmic Reticulum
– endoplasmic reticulum, a network of thin tubes that transport
newly synthesized proteins to other locations.
Structure of an Animal Cell
Parts of a Neuron
Dendritic spikes
Other terms associated with neurons

• afferent axon
– brings information into a structure;
• efferent axon
– carries information away from a structure.
• interneuron or intrinsic neuron
– cell’s dendrites and axon are entirely contained
within a single structure, the cell is an of that
structure.
Cell structures and axons
SUPPORTING CELLS

Supporting Cells of the Central

Nervous System
The most important supporting cells of the central
nervous system are the neuroglia, or “nerve glue.”

Glial cells surround neurons and hold them in place,

controlling their supply of nutrients and some of the
chemicals they need to exchange messages with other
neurons

There are several types of glial cells, each of which

plays a special role in the CNS. The three most
important types are astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and
microglia.
Astrocytes

Astrocytes provide physical support to neurons and clean

up debris within the brain. They produce some chemicals
that neurons need to fulfill their functions.
Oligodendrocytes and
Microglia
The principal function of oligodendrocytes is
to provide support to axons and to produce
the myelin sheath, which insulates most
axons from one another.

Microglia are the smallest of the glial cells.

Like some types of astrocytes, they act as
phagocytes, engulfing and breaking down
dead and dying neurons.
SUPPORTING CELLS

Supporting Cells of the Peripheral

Nervous System
In the central nervous system the oligodendrocytes
support axons and produce myelin. In the peripheral
nervous system the Schwann cells perform the same
functions. Most axons in the PNS are myelinated.

In the PNS a Schwann cell provides myelin for only one

axon, and the entire Schwann cell—not merely a part of
it—surrounds the axon.
THE BLOOD–BRAIN
BARRIER

A barrier exists between the blood and

the fluid that surrounds the cells of the
brain: the blood–brain barrier.

Some substances can cross the blood–

brain barrier; others cannot. Thus, it is
selectively permeable.
Why do we need Blood-
Brain Barrier?
 How does the Blood-brain
barrier work?
• The blood–brain barrier depends on the endothelial cells
that form the walls of the capillaries
• the barrier keeps out useful chemicals as well as harmful
ones.
• Water crosses through special protein channels in the wall
of the endothelial cells
• For certain other chemicals, the brain uses active transport,
a protein-mediated process that expends energy to pump
chemicals from the blood into the brain.