neurons Flashcards
What is a dendrite
Long fibers where the neuron recieves the nerve impulse from other neurons
what is a soma
The body of the nerve cell. Most neuronal proteins are generated here
What is a axon
The long fiberous cable that sends impulses away from the cell towards another nerve cell
What is the node of ranvier
Parts of the Axon that arent covered by myelin , action potential can occur here
Axon terminal
The end of a synaptic knob
What is a Schwann cell
Serves as the muelinatin gcell for PNS. Support cells for peripheral neurons
What is a myelin sheath
- Protein wrapped around the Axon
- Acts as an insulator to prevent the signal from leaving the Axon
- Increases speed of conduction
What a synapse
The space between 2 neurons and is where neurotransmitters chemically pass one impulse to the next cell
What are they main types of Neurotransmitters
- dopamine
- acetylcholine
- epinephrine
- Serotonin
How does a nerve impuse travel from on cell to the next
- 1st neuron fires & sends a signal down the Axon to the axon terminal
- Once at the terminal The action potential causes the** Synaptic vessels** (vessels containing neurotransmitter) to bind with the pre-synaptic membrane
- one binded they release the neurotransmitter into the Synaptic cleft
- The neurotransmitter diffuses across the synapse and binds with its respecitve receptors on the dendrites
- if the impulse is excitatory the binding will trigger then next impulse and that action potential will travel down that nerve cell