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Neurons & Synapses

Chapter 5

By
Dr Farzana Majeed
Associate Professor of Physiology

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Learning Objectives
• Understand basic structure of neurons
• Enlist different parts of neuron and explain
their functions
• Classify the types of neurons
• Explain Wallerian degeneration and
regeneration
• Properties of Nerve

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 Neurons
• Neurons are basic structural & functional
units of nervous system.
• Human nervous system is composed of
one trillion (1012) cells.
Functions:
Reception of sensory stimuli.
Generation of action potentials.
Transmission of nerve impulses to other
neurons or effectors.
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Parts of a Neuron

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Differences b/w Dendrites & Axons
Dendrites Axons
• One or more • Always one
• Shorter • Longer
• Highly branched like the • Not branched like a tree
branches of a tree but may give few
• Nissl granules present branches called
collaterals
• Transmit signals
towards soma • Absent
• Transmit signals away
from the soma

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Nuclei
These are collection of nerve cell bodies inside the
CNS.
Ganglia
These are collection of nerve cell bodies outside the
CNS.
Glial cells
These are cells which provide support & nourishment
to nerve cells & their fibers. They include fibrous &
protoplasmic astrocytes micro glial cells and
oligodendrocytes.
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Histological classification of
Neurons

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Physiological Classification

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1.Motor or effector or efferent neurons to muscles &
glands.
2.Sensory or receptor or afferent neurons, which
receive sensory impulses like touch, pressure, pain,
temperature, light, taste, smell, sound
3.Interneuron's or internuncial neurons or
connecting neurons.
They connect sensory with motor neurons.
Functionally they may be excitatory or inhibitory.

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Soma or
Nerve
Cell Body

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 Soma or Nerve Cell Body
Contains one or two nuclei.
nuclei
Cytoplasm contains usual organelles like:

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Organelles in Soma

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Organelles include
Mitochondria, Ribosomes, E.R.,G.A, Lysosomes.
Centrosome, microtubules, Neurofibril
(Neurofilaments).
Nissl bodies or granules or chromatin bodies.
Melanin in soma neurons (substantia nigra).
Soma have copper iron or zinc with age.
A pigment accumulates in the neurons which is
yellow in color called lipofuscin (senility pigment)

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 Nissl Bodies:
Present in the dendrites and
cytoplasm except in the axon
hillock and axon.
axon
 They are composed of
(RNA & polysomes)
and represent
ribosome’s.
 They are stained with

basic dies. 18
Chromatolysis:
Breakdown and
disappearance of
nissl granules is
called
chromatolysis.
Causes:
1. When axon is cut.
2. When neuron is
injured or fatigued
or subjected to
certain poisons or
ischemia.
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Functions of soma:
1. Synthesis of axoplasm.
2. Synthesis of proteins concerned with
synaptic transmission.
Nerve cell body is the most vital part
of the neuron if it is destroyed by
toxin, by anoxia or by virus
(poliomyelitis), the neuron dies.

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 Axoplasm
Axoplasm is continuously formed in the
soma flow at the rate of 1.5mm/day.

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Axoplasm contains
1. Proteins.
2. Nerve growth factor
3. Tetanus toxin.
4. Neurotropic viruses (rabies and
poliomyelitis).
5. Even some used up vesicles for recycling.
In axoplasm are also neurofibrils
(neurotubules & neurofilaments).
It also contains ER & mitochondria.

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Axon: • Also called axis cylinder or NF.
• Arises from axon hillock.

Its first 100micron meter is unmyelinated even in myelinated NF,

is highly excitable and is called initial segment, because it is
thickly populated with Na+ channels.
Terminal button or synaptic knob containing neurotransmitter
granules or vesicles.

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Types of nerve fibers:

Afferent nerve fibers (from periphery to

CNS).
Efferent nerve fibers (from CNS to
periphery).
Isolated N.F

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Histological Classification of NF Based on
Myelination

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 Myelination of Nerve Fibers
In PNS many Schwann cells provide myelination to a
sing NF. Myelin sheath acts as insulator.
In the CNS one oligodendrocyte myelenates many
nerve fibers.
Importance of myelin sheath:
It acts as insulator .
Importance of Schwann cells:
They are essential for regeneration of nerve fiber. As
Schwann cells are absent in the CNS so, if there is
degeneration of optic nerve it will not regenerate
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Properties of Nerve
Fibers

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1. Strength – Duration Curve
Two factors control final strength of stimulus
•Voltage of current applied
•Duration of the stimulus
Its obvious that low voltage stimulus will be applied
for longer duration to produce action potential and
vice versa
By varying these two factors and plotting a curve will
give us strength duration curve.

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1. Strength – Duration Carve
A. Rheobase: Rheobase is the minimum strength
of the stimulus which is just sufficient to produce
action potential.
C. Chronaxie: It is the time interval when double
the strength of rheobase stimulus is applied
D. Utilization time: The
time required for
rheobase stimulus to
produce action
potential is called
utilization time.
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Tissues which are more excitable will have shorter
chronaxie & vice versa.
Nerve fibers are more excitable than muscle
fibers.

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2. Electrotonus

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The electrical stimulation of a nerve fiber is done
by a pair of electrodes consisting of an anode &
a cathode. If direct current (DC) is passed
through the electrodes, than the current enters
the fiber at the anode and leaves at the
cathode. It produces hyperpolarization at
anode & hypo polarization at cathode & when
it reaches critical level action potential produce
at cathode.

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3. All or none law:
This law applies to a single nerve fiber. According
to this law if there is sub threshold stimulus is
applied there will be no response.
If threshold stimulus is applied to a nerve fiber
there will be full response.
If supra threshold stimulus is applied there will be
no increase in the amplitude of action potential.

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 4. Refractory period:
After application of an effective stimulus there is
time period during which second action potential
will not be produced by application of second
stimulus.
Refractory period is less in large diameter nerve
fibers & vice versa.
Due to property of refractory period action
potentials are produced intermittently e.g. if ARP
is 0.5ms than the frequency of impulses along a
nerve fiber will be 2000/sec.

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Functional Classification of Nerve
Fibers
Erlanger & Gasser gave this classification which is
based on electro physiological properties that is
conduction velocity & after – potentials.
According to this classification nerve fibers are
classified into three
• Type A
• Type B
• Type C

.
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Numerical classification of nerve
fibers

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