Nerve Cell

ZY - ERDS

Depatment of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara

2020

Prepared by: Zulham Yamamoto

 Tujuan Pembelajaran
Setelah mengikuti pembelajaran ini, mahasiswa diharapkan
mampu untuk:
1. Menjelaskan struktur neuron
2. Menjelaskan neuroglia
 Subpokok Bahasan
1. Cells of nervous system
2. Neuron
1. Perikaryon
2. Dendrit
3. Axon
4. Synapse
5. Neuromuscular junction
6. Free nerve endings
3. Neuroglia
Cells of Nervous System
Neurons: receptive, integrative
and motor function of the nervous
system

Neuroglial cells: supporting &

protecting neurons
Neuron structure
Cell body/
Perikaryon/Soma

Dendrites

Axon
Cell Body
Cell body
Cell body: contains of nucleus, surrounding
cytoplasma, exclusive of the cell processes.
 Ultrastructure of a neuronal cell
body. (From Lentz TL: Cell Fine Structure: An Atlas of Drawings
of Whole-Cell Structure. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 1971.)

Function: trophic center, receptive capabilities.

Rough endoplasmic reticulum: highly

developed parallel cysternae. Between the
cysternae  polyribosomes.

This cysternae + polyribosomes with appropriate

stains  basophilic granular areas, called as
Nissl’s bodies.

Mitochondria >>> in the axon terminal

 Dendrit/Axon

Cerebrum, Hematoxylin Eosin Cerebrum, Silver Impregnation

 Dendrits
• about 2 μm in length, approximately 5–7 in number,
• project directly from the soma and branch extensively
forming dendritic tree (tree-like arborization around
the neuron). Dendrites contain numerous ribosomes,
smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and
cytoskeletal structures, showing a high degree of
protein synthesizing activity in the dendrites
during signal transmission 
• have extensive connections with the axons in the form
of axodendritic synapses, which form an important
mode of communication between neurons. 
• They are the chief sensors of a neuron, in the sense
that the dendrites receive the incoming signals first.
• D= dendrit
• S= Dendrit spine
• MFB = unmyelinated axon
button
• MF = unmyelinated axon
Axon
• a cylindrical structure protrudes from soma; 1-25 µm in diameter  propagation of the impulse.
• Based on the presence or absence of the myelin sheath, axons are distinguishable into myelinated
and non-myelinated axons. 
• Each neuron has only one axon,
• Axon has branches (bifurcations). A collateral branch is an axonal protrusion over 10 µm in length.
– modulation and regulation of the cell firing pattern
– a feedback system for the neuronal activity.
• The terminal part of the axon and collaterals tapers progressively. These parts are called
telodendron and continue with the synapse (synaptic knob or button) which represents the
specialized structure that comes into contact with another neuron (soma, axon or dendrite), or
muscle fiber.
• Functions: Conduction of electrical impulses and Axonal transport
 Axons Vs Dendrites

• Shape. Dendrites are usually thin while axons typically maintain a constant radius
• Length. Dendrites are limited to a small region around the cell body while axons can be
much longer
• Structure. Substantial structural differences exist between dendrites and axons. For example,
only dendrites contain rough endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes, and the structure of the
cytoskeleton is different. Differences also affect the membrane as it contains mostly voltage-
gated ion channels in axons, whereas ligand-gated ion channels are present, especially in
dendrites.
• Functions. Dendrites usually receive signals, while axons typically transmit them. However,
all these rules have exceptions. Furthermore, axons generate and transmit all-or-none action
potential, whereas dendrites produce depolarizing (below the threshold of the action
potential) or hyperpolarizing (lowering the resting membrane potential) graded potentials.
 Axon Vs Soma
• No rough endoplasmic reticulum extends into the axon;
• The composition of the axonic membrane (axolemma) is
fundamentally different from that of the somatic membrane. These
structural differences translate into functional distinctions.
– In fact, since the absence of ribosomes does not allow protein synthesis, all
axon proteins originate in the soma.
– Furthermore, the particular structure of the membrane due to the presence
of specific protein channels allows information to travel along the course of
the axon. Again, depending on the location within the body, these structures
can be covered in sheaths of an insulating material known as myelin. 
Main types of neurons
Anatomically and based on the appearance of the
protoplasmatic protrusions
1. Multipolar:
• CNS
2. Bipolar:
• cochlear & vestibular ganglia,
• Retinal cells
• olfactory mucosa
3. Pseudounipolar:
• a single short process that extends from the cell body and then
splits into two branches in opposite directions; one branch
travels to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) for the sensory
reception, and the other to the CNS. These neurons have no
dendrites as the branched axon serving both functions.
• Dorsal root ganglia
Special Types of Neuron
Synapse
Synapse
• microscopic gaps that separate the axonic terminal
buttons of one neuron from receptors of another
neuron.
• When neurons communicate, they release chemicals
that must travel across this gap to stimulate the post-
synaptic receptors. 
• Other neurons
– axodendritic synapses (the most common)
– Axosomatic synapse
– axoaxonic synapses
• Motorik
– Neuromuscular junction
Neuromuscular junction
• a synaptic connection between the terminal end of a motor nerve and a muscle; athe site for the
transmission of action potential from nerve to the muscle. It is also a site for many diseases and a site of
action for many pharmacological drugs.
• Nerve Terminal: A myelinated motor neuron, on reaching the target muscle, loses its myelin sheath to form a
complex of 100-200 branching nerve endings. These nerve endings are called nerve terminals or terminal
boutons. The nerve terminal membrane has areas of membrane thickening called active zones. 
• Synaptic Cleft / Junctional Cleft: The space between the nerve terminal and the plasma membrane of muscle
is called synaptic/junctional cleft and measures ∼50 nm. It is the site where presynaptic neurotransmitters,
ACh is released before it interacts with nicotinic ACh receptors on the motor endplate. Synaptic cleft of NMJ
contains acetylcholinesterase enzyme, responsible for the catabolism of released ACh so that its effect on the
post-synaptic receptors is not prolonged.
• Motor End Plate forms the postsynaptic part of NMJ. It is the thickened portion of the muscle plasma
membrane (sarcolemma) that is folded to form depressions called junctional folds. The terminal nerve
endings do not penetrate the motor endplate but fit into the junctional folds. Junctional folds have nicotinic
ACh receptors concentrated at the top. These receptors are ACh gated ion channels. Binding of ACh to these
receptors opens the channels allowing the influx of sodium ions from the extracellular fluid into the muscle
membrane. This creates endplate potential and generates and transmits AP to the muscle membrane.
 Nerve Endings
• Sensory
– Free nerve endings
– Krauss end Bulb
– Pacinian corpuscle, etc.
• Part of pseudounipolar neuron
• Transmit sensory signal to dorsal
root ganglion and
spinothalamicus tract
 Neuroglia
Glial cells: 10 times abundant than neurons
Glial cells surround both cell bodies and their processes that occupy the interneuronal space

Oligode
ndrocyt
es

Schwann
Microglia
cells

Ependymal Astrocyte
cells s
 Oligodendrocytes & Schwann cell
• Oligodendrocyte
• Produces the myelin sheath that provides the electrical
insulation of neurons in CNS
• Schwann Cell
• Produce a myelin sheath that located around axons in
PNS
• Myelin sheath
• the concentric wraps of the plasma membrane of neuroglia
cells around the axon.
• oligodendrocytes myelinate multiple adjacent axons, while
Schwann cells myelinate only one axon. 
• the myelin sheath wraps the axons discontinuously as it is
interrupted at regular intervals called Ranvier nodes.
Astrocytes

Star-shaped cells with multiple radiating

processes

Astrocytes bind neuron to capillaries and to the

piamater.

Astrocytes with few long processes and located

in the white matter  fibrous astrocytes

Astrocytes with many shortbranched processes

and located in the gray matter  protoplasmic astrocytes
 Ependymal Cells & Microglia
• Ependymal cells:
cuboidal or low columnar epithelial cells,
lining the ventricles of the brain and
central canal of the spinal cord.

• Microglia:
small elongated cells with short irregular
processes.
 Satellite cells
• cover the surface of neuron cell
bodies in ganglia of the
peripheral nervous system.
• derived from the neural crest
(with Schwan cells) of the
embryo during development.
• control the microenvironment of
sympathetic ganglia  similar to
astrocytes.
 The Pulp

• The pulp is the neurovascular bundle central to each

tooth, permanent or primary.
• Autonomic Nerve Fibers
– Only sympathetic autonomics fibers are found in the pulp.
– These fibers extend from the neurons whose cell bodies are
found in the superior cervical ganglion at the base of the skull.
– They are unmyelinated fibers and travel with the blood
vessels.
– They innervate the smooth muscle cells of the arterioles and
therefore function in regulation of blood flow in the capillary
network.
• It comprises a central pulp chamber, pulp horns, and
radicular canals
• Cells found in the dental pulp include fibroblasts (the
principal cell), odontoblasts, defence cells like
histiocytes, macrophages, granulocytes, mast cells, and
plasma cells.
• The nerve plexus of Raschkow is located central to the
cell-rich zone
 The Plexus of Raschkow
• The plexus of Raschkow monitors painful
sensations
• There are two types of nerve fiber that
mediate the sensation of pain:
– A-fibers conduct rapid and sharp pain
sensations and belong to the myelinated group
• mainly of the A-delta type (90%)- (the rest are A-
Beta Fibres)
• are preferentially located in the periphery of the
pulp
• where they are in close association with the
odontoblasts and extend fibers to many but not all
dentinal tubules
– C-fibers are involved in dull aching pain and
are thinner and unmyelinated
• The C-fibers typically terminate in the pulp tissue
proper, either as free nerve endings or as branches
around blood vessels
1 - Odontoblast layer; 2 - Cell-free zone of Weil; 3 - Cell-
rich zone; 4 - Pulp core
 Sensory nerve fibers
• Sensory nerve fibers that originate from
inferior and superior alveolar nerves
innervate the odontoblastic layer of the
pulp cavity.
• These nerves enter the tooth through
the apical foramen as myelinated nerve
bundles.
• They branch to form the
subodontoblastic nerve plexus of
Raschkow which is separated from the
odontoblasts by a cell-free zone of Weil.
• Therefore, this plexus lies between the 1 - Odontoblast layer; 2 - Cell-free zone of Weil; 3 -
cell-free and cell-rich zones of the pulp Cell-rich zone; 4 - Pulp core
 References
• Dharani K. 2015. The Biology of Thought: A Neuronal Mechanism in the
Generation of Thought–A New Molecular Model. Academic Press.
• Muzio MR, Cascella M. 2020. Histology, Axon. In: StatPearls [Internet].
Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
• Omar A, Marwaha K, Bollu PC. 2020. Physiology, Neuromuscular Junction.
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing
• Hanani, M., Spray, D.C. 2020. Emerging importance of satellite glia in
nervous system function and dysfunction. Nat Rev Neurosci 21, 485–498.
• Illustrated Dental Embryology, Histology, and Anatomy, Bath-Balogh and
Fehrenbach, Elsevier, 2011, page 164.
• Antonio Nanci, Ten Cate's Oral Histology, Elsevier, 2007, page 91
Thank You