Neurons and Neuroglia

Dr Shahzana Khalid
DPT,MS(OMPT)
Neurons

 Neurons are excitable cells that are specialized for the reception of stimuli
and the conduction of the nerve impulse( don’t undergo replication in
matured individual)
 Nervous tissue is composed of 2 main cell types: neuron & glial cells
 Cell body
 Dendrite
 Axon
 Can be as small as 5 µm or as large as 135 µm in diameter
 Can extend over a distance of more than 1 m.
 Neurons can be classified morphologically based on the number, length, and
mode of branching of their neurites.
 T h e r e are many, many different types of neurons but most have certain structural and functional
characteristics in common.

Cellbody (soma)
One or more specialized, slender processes (axons/dendrites)
An input region (dendrites/soma)
A conducting component (axon)
A secretory (output) region (axon characteristics in common):
Three types of neurons

 Sensory neurons -long dendrite, short axon and carry messages from
sensory receptors to the central nervous system
 Motor neuron -long axon, short dendrite and transmit messages from the
central nervous system to the muscles (or to glands)
 Interneuron -found only in the central nervous system where they connect
neuron to neuron
Functional
a-Sensory neurons.
1.Primary sensory neurons. Outside CNS
2.Secondary neurons. Lie in CNS
3.Tertiary neurons. Lie in thalamus.
b-Motor neurons.
A. Upper motor neurons i.e. corticoneuclear & corticospinal
B. Lower motor neurons i.e. cell bodies lie in brain stem/spinal cord
A. Autonomic neurons
a. Preganglionic neurons in brain & spinal cord
b. Postganglionic neurons outside CNS.
 Unipolar neurons
 Bipolar neurons have an elongated cell body, with a single neurite emerging
from each end.
 Multipolar neuron have a number of neurites arising from the cell body.
Neurons may also be classified according to size.
 Golgi type I neuron have a long axon that can stretch 1 m or more in length.
 Golgi type II neurons have a short axon that terminates in the neighborhood of
the cell body or is entirely absent.
The Nerve message
A n unequal distribution of ions and electrical charges between the two sides of
the membrane.

Passage of ions across the cell membrane passed the electrical charge along
the cell.
Action potential begins at one spot on the membrane, but spread to
adjacent area of the membrane, propagating the message along the
length of the cell membrane.
Action Potential
 The plasma membrane is the site for the initiation and conduction of the
nerve Impulse.
Resting Membrane Potential
A neuron at rest is negatively charged: −80 mV, due to differences in the
concentrations of ions inside and outside the cell.
Outside-positive , inside-negative charge
passive efflux of K+ is much greater than the Influx of Na+.
Action potential
When nerve cell is excited (stimulated), rapid change in membrane permeability
occurs
Na+ ions influx increases into the cell cytoplasm from the tissue fluid that
produces action potential.
threshold potential is usually around -50 to -55 mV
 Hypopolarization
 Depolarization
 Repolarization
 Hyperpolarization
 Hypopolarization is the initial increase of the membrane potential to the
value of the threshold potential. The threshold potential opens voltage-gated
sodium channels and causes a large influx of sodium ions. This phase is called
the depolarization.
 During depolarization, the inside of the cell becomes more and more
electropositive. upto +40mV
 voltage-gated potassium channels open, which causes a large potassium
efflux, decreasing the cell’s electropositivity. This phase is
the repolarization phase,
 Repolarization always leads first to hyperpolarization, a state in which the
membrane potential is more negative than the default membrane potential.
But soon after that, the membrane establishes again the values of membrane
potential.
Absolute refractory period.

For a short time after the passage of a nerve impulse along a nerve fiber, while
still depolarized, a second stimulus, however strong, Is unable to excite the nerve.

The conduction velocity of a nerve fiber is proportional to the cross-sectional

area of the axon,
• thicker fibers conduct more rapidly
• large motor fibers (a fibers), the rate is high as 70 to 120 m/s;
• the smaller sensory fibers have slower conduction rates

• Saltatory conduction
NEUROGLIA
 5 times numerous than neurons. These are non neural ,nonexitable cells
that form a major components of nervous tissues, supporting, insulating,
nourishing the neurons.

I n CNS-
 oligodendrocytes
 astrocytes
 ependymal cells
 Microglia

I N PNS-
 Stellite cells surround neurons in spinal cord & autonomic ganglia
 Neurolemma(Schwann cells)
Synapses
 The site where two neurons (or a neuron and a skeletal muscle or gland cell)
come into close proximity and functional intereuronal communication occurs
is referred to as a synapse.

 The apposed surfaces of the terminal axonal expansion and the neuron are
called the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes, respectively, and they
are separated by a synaptic cleft measuring about 20 to 30 nm wide.
 Neurotransmitter substance is released into the synaptic cleft

 The following chemical substances act as neurotransmitters

 acetylchollne, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, glycine,
serotonin, GABA, enkephalins, substance P, and glutamic acid.

 Note that all skeletal neuromuscular junctions use only ACh as the
transmitter, whereas synapses between neurons use a large number of
different transmitters.