THE NEURON

REFRESHER
• The mammalian brain contains between 100 million
and 100 billion neurons, depending on the species.
• Each neuron consist of a cell body, dendrites and an
axon.
• Dendrites extend from neuron cell body and receive
messages from other neurons
• Synapses are the contact points where one neuron
communicates with another.
• When neurons receive or send messages, they
transmit electrical impulses along their axons. They
can range in length of an inch to three feet (about 1
meter).
 THE AXONS
• The axons are covered with myelin sheath
• The myelin sheath accelerates the transmission of electrical signals along the axon.
• This sheath is made of a specialized cell called glia.
• In the brain, the glia that make the sheath are called oligodendrocytes
• In the peripheral nervous system, they are known as Schwann cells.
• The brain contains at least 10x more glia than neurons.
• WHY: glia transport nutrients to neurons, clean up brain debris, digest part of dead
neurons and hold neurons in place.
NERVE IMPULSE
• Nerve impulse involve the opening and closing of ion channels
• They are selectively permeable- allow ions or small molecules to enter or leave
the cell
• The flow of ions create an electrical current that produce tiny voltage across the
neuron cell membrane
• The ability of a neuron to generate an electrical impulse depends on the
difference of charge between the outside and the inside of the cell.
HOW??
• When a nerve impulse begin, there is a reversal in the electrical potential on the
cell's membrane- the neuron switches from an internal negative charge to a
positive charge.
• This change is called action potential
• It passes along the axon's membrane at speeds up ( up to 700 miles per hour)
• So the neuron, can fire impulses multiple times in every second
• When the voltage changes reach the end of the axon, they trigger the release of
neurotransmitters- the brains chemical messenger
depolarization is a
change within a
cell, during which
the cell undergoes
a shift in electric
charge distribution,
resulting in less
negative charge
inside the cell.
 NEUROTRANSMITTERS AND
N E U R O M O D U L AT O R S

• Coming soon :D