Neurons and Glial

cells
Presented by Alishba(2031)
Table of contents
01 02
Neurons and it’s functions Structure of neurons
Soma
Introduction Dendrites
Axon
Terminal buttons

03 04
Glial cells and functions Structure of glial cells
Introduction Astrocyte
Oligodendrocytes
Microglia
Schwann cells
What is nervous system??
● The nervous system is a complex pattern of nerves and cells that transmit the signals between the different parts of
the body. The nervous system is divided into two main parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral
nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord, while the PNS includes all the nerves that
connect the CNS to the rest of the body. The nervous system is responsible for controlling and coordinating all
bodily functions, including movement, sensation, thought, and emotion.

Now we will discuss the functional unit of nervous system which

is called “neuron”.
 01
Neurons
Introduction and
functions of neuron
 Introduction
The neuron (nerve cell) is the information processing and
information transmitting element of the nervous system.
They are tiny and complex. They are small cells that exist
throughout our nervous system by the billion.
• Functions:-
• A neuron is a cell specialized to receive process and
transmit information to other cells within the body.
• A typical neuron gathers information at one end and
transmits signals at the other.
• All behavior begins with the action of neurons.
Structure of neurons
01 Cell body(soma)
The cell body contains the nucleus
which contains the genetic information
that keep the cell
functioning.Soma,often circular in
shape furnishes the cell with nutrients.
It includes cytoplasm, outer membrane,
microtubules, mitochondria,axoplasmic
transport.
02
Dendrites
A branched, treelike structure attached
to the soma of a neuron; receives
information from the terminal buttons
of other neurons.
Axon
The long ,thin, cylindrical structure that
03 conveys information from the soma of a
neuron to it’s terminal button.
Cont…….

04 Terminal buttons
Axons end in swollen, bulb like structures called terminal
buttons. These provide the mechanism for getting the signals
across from the axon of one neuron to the dendrites or soma of
neighboring neuron.

Myelin sheath
05 It is a white fatty covering found on some axons that serve to
insulate and protect them while increasing the speed of impulse.
Internal structure of neuron
Types of neuron
—Multipolar neuron
A neuron with one axon and one dendrite attached to it’s
soma. They are usually sensory ;their dendrites detect
events occurring in he environment and communicate
information about these events to the CNS.

__Bipolar neuron
A neuron with one axon attached to it’s soma;the axon
divides, with one branch receiving sensory information and
the other sending the information into the CNS.

—Unipolar neuron
A neuron with one axon and many dendrites attached to it’s
soma.
Kinds of neurons
Sensory neurons:
They are called afferent neurons as they carry messages
in ;towards the CNS from cells in the periphery that are sensitive to light,sound,body position and like. Sensory neurons
transmit impulses received by receptors to the CNS.The receptors are specialized cells in the sense organs,muscles,skin
and joints that detect physical and chemical changes and translate these events into impulses that travel along the
sensory neurons.

Motor neurons:
They are called efferent neurons. They carry messages out; away from
CNS to the muscles and glands.

Interneurons :
The interneurons are in billions, which make many contacts with each
other before reaching a motor neuron. Interneurons are found only in the brain and spinal cord.
Glial cells and their
functions
The most important cells of the central nervous system
are the neuroglia or nerve glue. Glial cells surround
neurons and hold them in place; controlling their supply
of nutrients and some of the chemicals they need to
exchange messages with other neurons; they insulate
neurons from one another so that neural messages do not
get scrambled; and they even act as housekeepers,
destroying and removing the carcasses of neurons that
are killed by disease and injury.
Types of glial cells and functions
The first type of the glial cells is astrocytes. Astrocytes means “star cells. Astrocytes provide physical support to
neurons and clean up debris within the brain. They produce some chemical composition of the fluid surrounding
neurons by actively taking up or releasing substances whose concentrations must be kept within critical
levels.Finally,,Astrocytes are involved in providing nourishment to neurons
Evidence suggests that astrocytes receive nutrients from the capillaries, store them, and release them to neurons
when needed.(Magistretti,1996)
Astrocytes serve as the matrix that holds neurons in place. These cells also surround and isolate synapses, limiting
the dispersion of neurotransmitters that are released by the terminal buttons.
When certain neurons die,certainkinda of astrocytes take up the task of cleaning away the debris. When these
astrocytes contact a piece of debris from a dead neuron, they push themselves against it, finally engulfing and
digesting it.we call this process "phagocytosis”.
It there is a considerable amount of injured tissue to be cleaned up, astrocytes will divide and produce enough new
cells to do the task. Once the deaf tissue is broken down, a framework of astrocytes will be left to fill in the vacant
area, and a specialized kind of astrocyte will form scar tissue, walling off the area.
Oligodendrocytes
● The principal function of oligodendrocytes is to provide support to axons and to produce the myelin sheath which
insulates most axons from the one another, some axons ate not myelinated and lack this sheath .
● Myelin is produced by the oligodendrocytes in the form of a tube surrounding the axon. This tube does not form
continuous sheath rather it consists of a series of segments. The bare portion of axon is called a node of Ranvier,
the myelinated axon then resembles a string of elongated beads.
● Oligodendrocytes produces up to fifty segments of myelin. During the development of the CNS, oligodendrocytes
forms processes shaped something like canoe paddles. Each of these paddle shaped processes then wraps itself
many times around a segment of an axon and while doing so produces layers of myelin. Each paddle this becomes
a segment of an axons myelin sheath.

Microglia
● Microglia are the smallest of the glial cells. Like some types of astrocytes, they act as phagocytosis. But in
addition, they serves as a one of the representatives of the immune system in the brain, protecting the brain from
invading microorganisms. They are primarily Responsible for the inflammatory reaction in response to brain
damage.
 Schwann cells
● In the PNS Schwann cells perform the same function as oligodendrocytes in CNS. cell provides myelin for only
one axon, and the entire Schwann cell not merely a part of it surrounds the axon. In PNS the Schwann cells
performs the same function as oligodendrocytes performs in the CNS.

The blood –brain barrier

● Over one hundred years ago, Paul Ehrlich discovered that if a blue dye is injected into an animals bloodstream, all
tissues except the brain and spinal cord will be tinted blue.However,of the same dye is injected into the fluid filled
ventricles of the brain, the blue color will spread throughout the CNS(Bradbury,1979).
● This experiment demonstrates that a barrier exists between the blood and the fluid that surrounds the cells of the
brain this is called blood brain barrier.
● The presence of the blood brain barrier makes it easier to regulate the composition of he extracellular fluid .In
addition, many of the foods that we early contain chemicals that would interfere with the transmission of
information between neurons. The blood brain barrier prevents these chemicals from reaching the brain.
● The blood brain barrier us not uniform throughout the nervous system. In several places the barrier is relatively
permeable, allowing substances that are excluded elsewhere to cross freely
Types of glial cells

Astrocytes Oligodendrocytes
Astrocytes provide physical support
to neurons and clean up debris
01 02 Oligodendrocytes is to provide
support to axons and to produce the
within the brain. myelin sheath, which insulates most
axons from one another.

Microglia Schwann cells

They protect the brain from
invading microorganisms, They are
03 04 In Schwann cell provides myelin for
only one axon, and the entire
responsible for the inflammatory
Schwann cell not merely a part of
reaction in response to brain
it__surrounds the axon.
damage.
Difference between neuron and glial cells