Nervous Tissue

Nervous system

CNS

PNS

Spinal Cord

Brain

Somatic

Autonomic

Parasympathetic

Sympathetic

Nervous tissue
tissue that makes up the nervous system specialized in the transmission of electrochemical impulses allows an organism to sense stimuli in both the internal and external environment 2 types of cells:
NEURONS functional units of impulse transmission NEUROGLIA supporting cells

Neurons
Highly-irritable cells that send and receive electrochemical signals to and from other neurons throughout the body Establish differences in ion concentration and electric charge across their membranes Communication is through neurotransmitters

Parts of a neuron
Dendrites Soma (cell body) Axons Nissl bodies

 Dendrites elongate arborized processes that receive stimuli from the environment, sensory cells, or other neurons
Soma aka cell body/perikaryon; contains the organelles and has receptive capabilities Axon process that sends signals from the neuron to neighboring cells; may be myelinated

Types according to structure

Most common

Types according to function

sensory neurons - conduct nerve impulses from the sense organs and receptors to the CNS motor neurons
somatic motor neurons transmit the impulse from the CNS to a skeletal muscle which then react to the initial stimulus autonomic motor neurons transmit impulses to the involuntary muscles and glands

interneurons - supply the connection between the sensory and motor neurons

Neuroglia
More numerous but smaller than neurons Support the normal functions of neurons Do not generate action potentials Do not form synapse with other cells Mitotically active

Types
Astrocytes help form the blood-brain barrier and provide structural and metabolic support to neurons; repair Oligodendrocytes (CNS)/Schwann cells (PNS) involved in myelination of axons Microglia remove cellular debris from damaged cells Ependymal cells line the cavities of the brain and spinal cord; mostly ciliated to move the cerebrospinal fluid

Nerve Fibers
Bundles of axons enveloped by sheaths Schwann cells in PNS and oligodendrocyte in CNS May be myelinated or nonmyelinated

Motor end plate

the highly-excitable region of muscle fiber plasma membrane responsible for initiation of action potentials across the muscle's surface, ultimately causing the muscle to contract