nervous tissue Flashcards
what is the perikaryon
the cell body of the neuron
what extends from the cell body of the neuron
an axon and dendrites
what are dendrites
highly branched tapering processes which end in either specialised receptors or form synapses with neighboring neurons they receive stimuli from
what are primary sensory neurons
those with dendrites that end in specialisaed sensory receptors
what is the function of dendrites
major sites of information input into the neuron
what do axons carry information from
perikaryon
what do axons carry information to
synapse
in which neurons are schwann cells found
in those of the peripheral nervous system
what is the function of schwann cells
envelop PNS axons to provide structural and metabolic support
what are small diameter axons
those of the autonomic nervous system and pain fibres
what envelops small diameter axons
the cytoplasm of schwann cells - meaning they are unmyelinated
what are large diameter fibres wrapped by
variable number of cocentric layers of the schwann cell plasma membrane to form a myelin sheath
what provides the myelin sheath to axons of the peripheral nervous system
many schwann cells
what provides the myelin sheath in the central nervous system axons
oligodendrocytes
how much of the axon can be covered by a single schwann cell
only a segment
what are nodes of ranvier
short intervals where the axon is not covered by myelin, found in between the schwann cells
what does the myelin sheath function to do
prevent the nerve action potential from being propagated continuously along the axon
how does action potential travel
by jumping from one node of ranvier to the next and so on