Sensory neurons
detects changes in external or internal environment and sends info about it to CNS
Motor neurons
to muscles, organs and glands
interneurons
neuron with short axon or no axon at all in CNS
-receives input from and sends output to other neuron
Dendrites
inhibitory messages
cell body will NOT transmit message to axon
excitatory message
cell body will send the message down to axon and pass to other neurons
Cell body (soma)
support structure of cell are
endoplasmic reticulum, golgi ap. and mitochondria
nerve cells = neurons
basic unit of nervous system, composed of dendrites, soma and axon
o Each neuron receives inputs (dendrites)
o Integrates those inputs (soma)
o Distributes processed information (axon)
Organelles inside Neuron:
Mitochondria
energy production
Organelles inside Neuron:
Cell nucleus
contains genetic instructions
Organell inside Neuron:
Ribosomes
translate genetic instructions into proteins
Soma
receive additional synaptic contacts; inputs are combined and transformed in the cell body
->integration zone
Axon
leads away from cell body, transmits cell’s output information in the form of electrical impulses
->conduction zone
Axon terminals
Synaptic buttons; transmit neuron activity to other cell at synapses
-> output zone
Multipolar Neurons
many dendrites, single axon
Bipolar Neurons
single dendrite, single axon
-> common in sensory system
visual, hearing
Unipolar neurons
leak channels
– channels that are open all the time in order to let Na+ and K+ get through them
Voltage gated sodium channels
open when the membrane potential crosses a threshold value, Na+ gets through them inside the neuron
Voltage gated potassium channels
opens at +50mV (Depolarization peak); K+ get through them outside the neuron, are a little slower to close again
->Hyperpolarization
Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs)
increase likelihood of neuron to fire
-Brings a positive charge-> Causes partial
depolarization.
Inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs)
decrease likelihood of neuron to fire
-Brings a negative charge-> Causes partial hyperpolarization.
Ions that contribute to membrane potential
4
o Sodium ions (Na+)
o Potassium ions (K+)
o Chloride ions (Cl-)
o Negatively charged protein ions (A-)