Role of the Neuron KKDP3 Flashcards
Neuron:
An individual nerve cell that is specialised to receive, process and/or transmit information. They carry information in the form of an action potential to the appropriate part of the nervous system, or interpret the message and enable the response.
Dendrite:
Receives messages from pre-synaptic neuron; dendrite spines have special receptor sites, which receive specific neurotransmitters.
Soma:
Contains nucleus and nutrients that keeps the neuron alive and controls whether the neuron will be activated.
Axon:
Conveys the neural impulse away from the soma to the axon terminals.
Myelin Sheath:
Layer of fatty tissue around the axon. Speeds up neural transmission and protects the axon by preventing interference from other neurons.
Axon Terminals:
Contains terminal buttons (synaptic knobs), which contain sacs at the tip of the axon terminal that releases neurotransmitters.
Synaptic Gap:
The empty space between neurons.
Synapse:
The region that contains the axon terminals of the pre-synaptic neuron, the synaptic gap and the dendrites of the post-synaptic neuron.
Communication within Neurons:
- Information received on the receptor sites on dendrites
- Message sent to the soma and the action potential is generated
- Message travels along axon as an action potential
- Electrical message reaches the axon terminals.
Interneuron:
Communicates between sensory and motor neurons
Communication between Neurons:
- Neural impulse reaches axon terminals of the pre-synaptic neuron
- This causes neurotransmitters to be released from the terminal buttons into the synapse
- The neurotransmitters are picked up by the receptor sites on the dendrites of the post-synaptic neuron.
- Neurotransmitters that do not bind to the receptor sites are absorbed back into the terminal buttons by the pre-synaptic neuron, a process called reuptake.
Communication within Neurons is a _ message:
Electric
Communication between Neurons is a _ process:
Chemical
