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NEURONS

The document discusses neurons, their structure and function. It describes the different types of neurons and their roles. It also explains how neurons communicate through electrical and chemical signals to transmit information in the nervous system.

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22 views18 pages

NEURONS

The document discusses neurons, their structure and function. It describes the different types of neurons and their roles. It also explains how neurons communicate through electrical and chemical signals to transmit information in the nervous system.

Uploaded by

devyanipant340
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NEURONS

Overview of the Nervous system


● The nervous system is divided into two parts: Central Nervous
system (CNS), and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
● The CNS consist Of the brain and spinal cord and is the one
involved in decision making
● The PNS consist of nerves and other sensory organs which are
outside the central nervous system. It includes sensory neurons,
which carry signals into the CNS and senses changes in our
environment and motor neurons that carry signals outside the
CNS, and also control our actions
What Are Neurons?
● Information Processing and information transmitting
element of the body
● The neurons communicate the messages among each
other to pass to make it reach Central nervous system,
that responds to the message with the decision
● Messages are communicated in the form of electrical
signals or chemicals known as neurotransmitters
● They come in all shapes and sizes, the most common
being multipolar neuron, found in Central Nervous
system
Types Of Neurons
Three broad types of neurons classified according to
their functions.

1. sensory neurons: responsible for our senses


such as smell, taste, hearing etc.
2. motor neurons: help to control our actions.
3. Interneurons: help communication between
sensory and motor neurons
Common Structure And Function
Of Neuron
Four basic regions of Neurons:

1. Soma: cell body of neuron which contains the nucleus that has the genetic
information
2. Dendrites: A tree like structure which receives information (neurotransmitter)
from the other parts of neurons through terminal buttons
3. Axon: It is a long tube like structure through which the nerve impulse, also
known as action potential travels through it from the cell to the terminal
buttons. It is covered with a protective layer called mylein Sheath
4. Terminal buttons: Once axon reaches terminal buttons, it secretes a special
chemical from it called Neurotransmitters, which are passed to the other cell.
Once released, it either excites the receiving cell to release or not release
action potential.
Synaptic Transmission
● Presynaptic Neuron: releases neurotransmitters into synaptic cleft
● Post Synaptic neuron: one that receives the neurotransmitters from the
presynaptic neuron
● Synaptic Cleft: Junction, where two neurons communicate with each other
● In synaptic transmission, the presynaptic neurons release the
neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft, from where they bind to the receptors
in the postsynaptic neurons
● These neurotransmitters then can either cause an increase in the activation of
the postsynaptic cell or the chances of decreasing it
● There are neurotransmitters that deviate away from this process, called
diffusion
● Others are broken by enzymes and sent back to Presynaptic cell to make
more neurotransmitters
Action Potential/Nerve Impulse
● It is a electrical charge like lightning strike, that flows from one part of the
neuron which travels through the path of axon towards the end of the terminal
button
● It happens during Depolarisation, when the cell membrane changes from
positive to negative as sodium ions tend to move inside the cell, increasing the
positive charge( about +40 mv), which results in nerve impulse. It need to
reach a certain threshold, to reach the full positive charge, otherwise it won’t
happen
● Then repolarisation happens, where Potassium ion channels then open, in
order to flow out of the cell causing an end to nerve impulse
● After this the nerves impulse end up moving out of the axon down towards the
synapse
● The nerve after this goes through Refractory period in which other nerve
impulse cannot be generated before maintaining resting potential
Conclusion
References
1. Brain Basics: the life and death of a neuron. (n.d.). National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/public-education/brain-basics/brain-basics-life-and-death-neuron#:~:text=Neurons
%20are%20nerve%20cells%20that,were%20ever%20going%20to%20have.
2. Nervous System - Javatpoint. (n.d.). www.javatpoint.com. https://www.javatpoint.com/nervous-system
3. Libretexts. (2021, September 4). 11.4: nerve impulses. Biology LibreTexts.
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Human_Biology
4. Human_Biology_(Wakim_and_Grewal)/11%3A_Nervous_System/11.4%3A_Nerve_Impulses
5. Refractory periods. (n.d.).
https://content.byui.edu/file/a236934c-3c60-4fe9-90aa-d343b3e3a640/1/module5/readings/refractory_periods.html#:~:text=By%
20definition%2C%20the%20refractory%20period,returns%20to%20a%20resting%20state.

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