Lecture 5

Functional Units of the

Nervous System
Cells of the Nervous System
 Cells of the Nervous System
Contentious debate in the early 1900s
Camillo Golgi
The nervous system is composed of a
network of interconnected fibers:
a nerve net

Santiago Ramn y Cajal

Nervous system is made of discrete cells
Neuron Hypothesis
Neurons are the units of brain function
 Neurons: The Basis of
Information Processing
Human nervous system contains more than 100 billion
neurons

Examining how one neuron works provides insight on how

other neurons work.

Specialized neuronal structures contribute to specialized

neuronal functions
 Neurons: The Basis of
Information Processing
Most behaviors produced by groups of hundreds or
thousands of neurons

Neurons continuously change their shape

Grow and shrink
Exhibit plasticity

The production of some new neurons takes place

throughout life and some behavior depends on new
neurons.

However, most CNS neurons are with you for life and
are never replaced
 Neurons: The Basis of
Information Processing
Three Basic Subdivisions

Dendrites
Gather information from
other neurons

Cell Body or Soma

Core region; contains
the nucleus
Integrates the
information

Axon
Carries information to
be passed on to other
cells
 Neurons: The Basis of
Information Processing
Basic Structure and Function

Dendritic Spines
Protrusion from a dendrite that greatly increases its surface area
and is the usual point of contact with axons of other cells

Axon Hillock
Juncture of soma
and axon where the
action potential begins

Terminal button
Knob at the tip of an
axon that conveys info
to other neurons; also called an end foot or axon terminal
 Neurons: The Basis of
Information Processing

Basic Structure and Function

Synapse
Gap between one neuron
and another neuron
Usually between an end
foot of the axon of one
neuron and a dendritic
spine of another neuron

Information Flow in a
Neuron

Dendrite Cell Body Axon End Foot

 Neurons: The Basis of
Information Processing
Types of Neurons
a) Sensory Neurons
Bring information to the central
nervous system

b) Interneurons
Associate sensory and motor activity
within the central nervous system

c) Motor Neurons
Send signals from the brain and
spinal cord to muscles
 Neurons: The Basis of
Information Processing
The Language of Neurons: Excitation and Inhibition

Each neuron receives thousands of excitatory and inhibitory signals

every second

Neurons sum these signals and respond accordingly: They

become active or not

From the simple yes-no language of neurons emerges enormous

possibilities for behavior
Cells of the Nervous System: Glial Cells
 Cells of the Nervous System:
Ependymal Cells
Ependymal Cells
Small, ovoid cells; found in the walls of the ventricles
Make and secrete cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Hydrocephalus
Build-up of pressure in the
brain and swelling of the
head caused if the flow of
CSF is blocked
Can result in retardation

What is hydrocephalus?
 Cells of the Nervous System:
Astrocytes
Astrocyte
Star shaped, symmetrical

Structural support for neurons

Transports substances between neurons and capillaries (blood-

brain barrier)

Scar tissue formation

Enhance brain activity by providing

fuel to active brain regions
 Cells of the Nervous System:
Microglia
Microglia
Originate in the
blood as offshoot
of immune system

Phagocytosis
Scavenge debris
(e.g., dead cells)
Healthy cresyl- After exposure to a
violet-stained neurotoxin only
neurons microglia are present
 Cells of the Nervous System:
Oligodendroglial and Schawann Cells
Oligodendroglia Cell
Glial cell in the central nervous system that myelinates axons

Schwann Cell
Glial cell in the peripheral nervous system that myelinates axons

Myelin
Glial coating that surrounds axons
Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Nervous
system disorder associated with
loss of myelin
What is multiple sclerosis?
 Cells of the Nervous System
Neural Regeneration
Paralysis
Loss of sensation
and movement due to
nervous system injury

Peripheral Nervous
System
Microglia and
Schwann cells help
repair neurons

Central Nervous
System
Repair does not take
place, regrowth may
even be inhibited by
Oligodendrocytes