Neurons Flashcards
How many neurons in the nervous system?
10-100 billion
How many neurons does each neuron communicate with?
1000 neurons
What other cell is the brain comprised of and what do they do?
Glial cell - provide nutrients to neurons and structural support to nervous system
3 neuron functional levels are:
Motor
Sensory
Interneurons
Sensory neurons
Transmit sensory
Info from sensory receptor to brain for processing
Motor neurons
Transmits info from brain to muscles, organs with instructions on how to function.
Describe and sensory and motor neuron:
Very long - toe all the way to brain
Interneuron
Make up most of neurons in brain. Transmit info from one neuron to another
Neuron parts
Dendrite, cell body, nucleus
Which parts of the neuron receive information from other neurons?
Dendrites and cell body
Cell body function
Where all important processing of neurons take place
Can receive information from other neurons in the body
Nucleus function
Inside cell body
Contains DNA
Control house for how the neuron is structured and functions
Dendrites function
Received information from other neurons
Axon
Extends like an arm from cell body
Transmits electrical signal from cell body to terminal buttons
Terminal
Buttons
Where information is converted to other neurons
Myelin
Axon interspersed with myelin (white matter)
Unmyelinated parts of axon are caked?
Node of ranvier
Axon hillock
(Shoulder to axon)
Connects cell body to axon
Which areas carry out the function action potential
Nodes of ranvier and axon hillock
Action potential
Propagates electrical signal from axon hillock to allow information to be transmitted to the dendrites of next cell
Gap between terminal buttons of the neuron and dendrites of next neuron is:
Synapse
Unipolar neuron
One projection from cell body. Dendrites or axon
Neuron structures
Unipolar neuron
Bipolar neuron
Prototypical neuron
Pseudo-unipolar neuron
Bi polar neuron describe and fiction
Two projections
Function: visual system
Prototypical neuron
Multipolar neuron (many projections)
Most common type of neuron
Pseudo unipolar neuron
Only one projection but has both dendrite and axon (T shape)
Function: long sensory and motor neurons travelling the length of the body
Grey matter
Cell bodies and dendrites
What is an example of white matter in the brain?
Corpus callosum
Communication between hemispheres of the brain - comprised entirely of axons spanning from one part of the brain to the other, thus white matter
How does communication occur
A
B
C
A - all info from dendrites culminate in cell body to determine whether or not to transmit (electrical signal)
B - info from axon hillock to terminal buttons (electrical signal)
C - electrical signal in thermal buttons becomes chemical allowing communication across synapse
Ion
Molecule or chemical with a positive or negative charge
Cation
Positively charged ion