Histology of Nervous

Tissue
Biol 65
The Nervous System
Nervous System

Central Nervous Peripheral Nervous

System System

Somatic Nervous Autonomic Nervous

Brain Spinal Cord
System (Voluntary) System (Involuntary)

Parasympathetic Sympathetic
Nervous System Nervous System
(Calming) (Arousing)
 Neurons – Cells of the nervous system
• Three Main regions
• Dendrites
• conduct impulses to cell body
• Cell Body
• Axon
• Conducts impulses away from cell
body
• Two important physiological properties
• Irritability
• Ability to respond to stimuli and
convert stimulus into nerve
impulses
• Conductivity
• Ability to transmit impulses to
other neurons, muscles, or glands
• Classified according to function
• Sensory
• Conduct impulse to the spinal
cord and the brain
• Motor
• Conduct impulses away from the
spinal cord and brain to muscles
and glands
• Interneurons
• Conduct impulses from sensory
neurons to motor neurons
Nerve Impulses – Self-propagating wave of
electrical disturbance that travels along the surface of a
neuron membrane

• Resting Membrane Potential (RMP) – The voltage that

exists across the plasma membrane of a neuron due to
charge differences between the inside of the cell and the
outer environment
• Produced by Na+/K+ ATPase actively transporting 3
Na+ out of the cell for every 2 K+ into the cell
• Motor neuron RMP= -70 mV, Muscle cell RMP= -90
mV
 The Action Potential – Rapid reversal to
membrane potential in response to stimulus

• A stimulus (threshold stimulus = -55mV) triggers the

opening of sodium channels in the plasma membrane of the
neuron
• Depolarization
• Inward rush of Na+ ions leaves a slight excess of
negative charge outside a stimulated point;
movement of membrane potential towards 0 (less
negative)
• Repolarization
• K+ rushes out, movement of membrane potential
back towards RMP (more negative)
• Hyperpolarization
• Excess K+ rush out due to gates on K+ channels,
sluggish to close; movement of membrane potential
to a point more negative than RMP
• Refractory Period
• Period during which a neuron is not responsive to a
threshold stimulus
Action Potential
 The Synapse – Functional junction or point of close
contact between two neurons or between a neuron and an effector cell

• Presynaptic membrane
• Terminal ends of axons of
the presynaptic neuron
where chemical
compounds called
neurotransmitters are
released into the synaptic
cleft
• Postsynaptic membrane
• Tips of dendrites on the
postsynaptic neuron
housing receptors specific
for neurotransmitters
released into the synaptic
cleft, opening ion channels
thus stimulating impulse
conduction
Neurotransmitters
• Acetylcholine (Ach) – muscles and
memory
• First neurotransmitter to be ID
• Endorphins – inhibit pain conduction
• Catecholamine – emotions, sleep
• Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
• Fight-or-flight response
• Epinephrine (adrenaline)
• Fight-or-flight
• Dopamine
• Serotonin
Reflex Arcs – Nerve impulses conducted from receptors to
effectors over neuron pathways; can be visceral or somatic reflexes

• The Basic Reflex Arc

• Receptor – site of stimulus
• Sensory (afferent) neuron – transmits afferent
impulses to CNS
• Integration (interneuron) – within CNS
• Motor (efferent) neuron – transmits efferent
impulses from CNS
• Effector – the muscle fiber or gland responding
to efferent impulses
• Monosynaptic – sensory neurons synapse in spinal
cord with motor neurons; simplest reflex arcs
consisting of only two neurons
• Polysynaptic – sensory neurons synapses in spinal
cord with interneurons that synapse with motor
neurons; reflex arc consisting of three or more
neurons
Reflex Arc