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microglia
Neurons = Cell body (soma/perikaryon) + processes
(dendrites and axons)
Cell body
Location in CNS-gray matter, in PNS-ganglia
1. Axon hillock- a cone shaped region where axon arises
2. Large nucleus with prominent nucleolus
3. Abundant RER and ribosomes Nissl bodies - extend into dendrites but not into axon
hillock or axon
4. Numerous mitochondria
5. Large golgi apparatus
6. Cytoskeleton neurofilament, microtubules to provide structural and intracellular support
Dendrites
Arises from cell body and branches,
unmyelinated
Receive stimuli from other neurons or
external environment (sensory receptor) and
carry information (nerve impulses) to the cell
body
Axons
Aka nerve fibre, a neuron has one axon, most
are long and arise from cell body via axon
hillock
Myelinated or unmyelinated, transmit
information away from cell body to another
neuron or effector cell
Initial segment initial unmyelinated part of axon between the axon hillock and beginning of
myelin sheath, site which action potential is generated
Collateral branches arising at right angle from axon, end by dividing into small branches (terminal
arbor=telodendria), at the end of terminal arbor is axon terminal button/bouton (button-like
swelling)
Classification
of neurons
Functional
classification
Synapse sites where nerve impulses are transmitted from presynaptic cell
(neuron) to a postsynaptic cell (another neuron/muscle cell/cell of gland)
Classification
Axodendritic (axon and dendrites)
Axosomatic (axon and cell body)
Axoaxonic (axon and axon)
Components
Presynaptic membrane axon terminal/terminal button, contains synaptic
vesicles contain neurotransmitters
Synaptic cleft narrow space between presynaptic membrane and
postsynaptic membrane
Postsynaptic membrane part of plasma membrane of postsynaptic cell,
contains receptors which neurotransmitters bind to
Morphological
classification
Peripheral neuroglia
Neuroglia
Schwann cells produce myelin sheath in PNS, 1
forms myelin around 1 segment of 1 axon, thus 1
axon is covered by multiple Schwann cells
Satellite cells small cuboidal cells, surrounds
cell bodies of neurons in ganglia in PNS, forms
layer around cell bodies
Perivascular
feet
Central neuroglia
Astrocytes largest neuroglial cell, stellate in shape with numerous
long processes, to provide physical and nutritional support for
neurons. Two types: protoplasmic astrocytes in gray matter and
fibrous astrocytes in white matter.
-some have foot processes called subpial feet which form glial limiting
membrane (glial limitans) between the pia mater and the brain
forming barrier surrounding CNS
-some have foot processes called perivascular feet that cover
capillaries and help to maintain blood-brain barrier, control the
transfer of substances from blood to neurons
Oligodendrocytes to produce and maintain myelin in CNS, most
numerous glial cells in white matter with few processes compared to
astrocytes
Axon
myelination
Myelination in PNS
Myelination in CNS
-performed by oligodendrocytes
-performed by Schwann cells
A Schwann cell envelops a segment of an axon,
it wraps itself around the axon of >50 times
result in enveloping the axon in many concentric
layers of Schwann cell cytplasm and plasma
membrane
As wrapping continues, cytoplasm between the
concentric layers of plasma membrane is
squeezed out into the cell body of Schwann cell
(outermost parts), the overlapping concentric
layers of plasma membrane forms the myelin
sheath thus, myelin sheath actually composed
of many concentric layers of plasma membrane
of Schwann cell
small amounts of remnants of Schwann cell
cytoplasm trapped within the layers of myelin Schmidt Lanterman cleft
Gray matter
- contains many cell bodies of neurons, dendrites of neurons, beginnings and
endings of axons of neurons (very little myelinated axons) and neuroglial cells
and its processes (gray due to many cell bodies of neurons)
- Background between the cell
bodies is called neuropil which
consists of
White matter
Gray matters
Cerebral cortex gray matter on the surface of cerebrum
Basal ganglia masses of gray matter situated deep in the cerebrum, surround by the white matter
White matter deep to the cerebral cortex, made up of axons and neuroglial cells, axons can be
myelinated or unmyelinated, mostly are myelinated, three types of axons: commissural, association,
projection fibres
5 types of neurons
Pyramidal cell
Fusiform cell
Stellate cell (granule cell)
Horizontal cell
Martinotti cell
2 categories
Principal neurons their axons leave cerebral cortex, pyramidal and Fusiform cell
Interneurons their axons do not leave the cerebral cortex, the rest of neurons
Pyramidal cell
Cerebellum
Gray matter form
Cerebellar cortex gray matter on the surface of cerebellum
Deep cerebellar nuclei masses of gray matter situated deep in the cerebellum and is
surrounded by the white matter
White matter deep to the cerebral cortex and similar to cerebral white matter,
contains densely packed axons (mostly myelinated) and neuroglial cells, do not
contain the cell bodies