Neurones

13 May 2013 19:00

Sensory Neurone Carries impulses from sensory cells to CNS. Cell body - contains nucleus and cell
organelles within the cytoplasm.

nucleus

Axon terminal

Dendrites body.

conduct

Node of Ranvier

Axon - transmits
impulses away from the cell body.

impulses towards the cell

Myelin Sheath made from Schwann cells

Relay neurone Joins sensory neurone to motor neurone dendrites

Axon terminal

Motor neurone Conducts impulses from CNS to effector

Axon terminal

Biology Topic 8 Page 1

Sensory Neurones Relay Neurones Motor Neurones Cell body and Found within the CNS Dendrites and cell dendrite are outside body located in spinal of the spinal cord. cord. Axon outside Cell body in dorsal spinal cord. root ganglion. Carries impulses Interconnects sensory Conduct impulse from from sensory cells to neurone to motor CNS to effector CNS. neurone (Muscle or gland). Long dendrites and Short dendrites, short Short dendrites and short axon or long axon. long axons

Schwann cells wrap their cell membrane around the axon many times in a spiral to form a thick insulating lipid layer called the myelin sheath.

Myelin sheath acts as an electrical insulator along most of the axon, preventing any flow of ions across the membrane.
The gaps called nodes of Ranvier occur in the myelin sheath at regular intervals and these are the only place where depolarisation can occur.

Impulse effectively jumps from one node to the next. This is much faster than a wave of depolarisation along the whole membrane. This jumping conduction is called saltatory conduction.

Biology Topic 8 Page 2