HISTOLOGY LAB: NERVOUS TISSUE Flashcards
What are the two main components of nervous tissue?
Neurons and neuroglia (glial cells).
What is the primary function of neurons?
Computation and communication (sensation and reactions to stimuli).
How do neurons communicate with target cells?
By being electrically active and releasing chemical signals.
Where can neurons be found?
In both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
What role do neuroglia (glial cells) play in nervous tissue?
They provide support for neurons, allowing them to perform their functions.
Define stimuli in the context of nervous tissue.
Anything that causes an action or response.
What is tropism?
A response to light.
What type of neuron has one process extending from the cell body?
Unipolar neuron.
Identify the type of neuron with two major processes (axon and dendrite).
Bipolar neuron.
What is a multipolar neuron?
A neuron with more than two processes (one axon and multiple dendrites).
What is a pseudounipolar neuron?
A neuron with two major processes that are fused, found in spinal and cranial nerve ganglia.
What is the role of the cell body (soma) in a neuron?
It serves as the life support center for the neuron.
What function do dendrites serve in neurons?
They receive messages from other cells.
What is the function of axons?
They pass messages (neural impulses) from one neuron to another or to an effector cell.
How does the myelin sheath affect neural impulses?
It covers the axon and speeds up the transmission of impulses.
