Structure and Function Flashcards
- are the most important part of the nervous system
neurons
- The brain is composed of independent cells
- Information is transmitted from cell to cell across tiny gaps (they don’t touch), called synapses
The neuron doctrine
input, integration, conduction, output
four functional zones
where neurons collect and process information, either from environment or from other cells
- Dendrites receive information from other cells
Input
where the decision to produce a neural signal is made
- The soma (or cell body) integrates the information it receives
Integration
where information can be electrically transmitted over great distances
- A single axon (or nerve fiber) conducts output information away from the cell body as an electrical impulse
Conduction
where the neuron transfers information to other cells
- Axon terminals at the end of the axon communicate activity to other cells
Output
a cone shaped area of the cell body that gives rise to the axon
Axon Hillock
a branch of an axon that also ends in terminals
Axon Collateral
the bidirectional movements of materials within an axon along microtubules
Axonal Transport
are large, have long axons, and stimulate muscles
Motor Neurons
have various shapes that best respond to specific environmental stimuli, such as light, odor, or touch
Sensory Neurons
have tiny axons and analyze input from one set of neurons and communicate with others
Interneurons
one axon, many dendrites; most common
Multipolar Neurons
one axon, one dendrite
Bipolar Neurons
a single extension branches in two directions, forming an input zone and an output zone
Unipolar Neurons
(20% of cells in your brain) assist neuronal activity by providing raw materials, chemical signals, and structure; they also participate in information processing
- Two types wrap around axons to provide a fatty insulation layer called myelin (increases the speed of the electrical signal; looks like blue balloons kinda)
Glial Cells
form the myelin sheaths in the brain and spinal cord
Oligodendrocytes
provide myelin to neurons outside the brain and spinal cord
Schwann Cells
The neurons of the cortex are arranged in six layers, each with distinct pattern of cell bodies or neuronal processes
neocortex
