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Nerve tissue
1. General Characteristics
A. Made up of 2 types of cells: nerve cells or neurons --
structural and functional unit; glial cells or neuroglia --
supporting, protecting and nourishing neurons.
B. Neurons have unique processes and contact with each
other via synapses forming neural network and circuit.
C. Nervous tissue makes up nervous system. The central
nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal
cord; the peripheral nervous system (PNS) comprises
ganglia, nerves and nerve endings.
D. Function -- integrating and coordinating body activity.
2. Neuron
1)Morphology:
Most neurons consist of three parts:
---cell body: spherical, pyramidal, fusiform or stellate
in shape, 5µm-150µm
---dendrite: like branches of tree
---axon: long thin cord-liked
2) Structure of neuron
① Cell body (perinuclear cytoplasm, perikaryon)
---Nucleus: large, spherical, and pale-staining with a
prominent nucleolus, indicating intense synthetic
activity.
---cytoplasm:
a. Nissl body:
LM: coarse or fine basophilic particles
EM: clusters of RER plus free ribosomes
Function: synthesis of proteins
structural proteins
proteins for transport
b. Neurofibrils
• EM:
Neurofilaments and
microtubules;
• Function:
serve as cytoskeleton, and
are involved in
transportation of substances.
c. other organelles
Golgi complex
Mitochondria
Lysosome
Lipofuscin is increased in number with age.
② Dendrites:
One or more dendrites / neuron.
Usually short and thick, and
tapered as they branch and
rebranch like a tree.
Have numerous dentritic spines
on the surfaces, representing
sites of synaptic contact.
Contain similar organelles to
perikarya, especially Nissl
bodies.
Main function is to receive
information from other neurons
and conduct it to the parent cell
body.
③Axons:
Only one axon / neuron.
Usually long and thin with uniform diameter, does not branch profusely,
but may have collaterals.
Arises from a conical region called the axon hillock that derives from the
perikaryon. The axon and axon hillock are devoid of Nissl bodies.
Ends in several terminal branches called axon terminals or buttons, which
contain vesicles with neurotransmitters in them.
Conduct impulses away from one neuron to other neurons or to effector
cells such as muscle or gland cells.
* Axonal transports:
slow anterograde: proteins and
actin filaments.
Intermediate anterograde:
mitochondria.
fast anterograde: transports the
substances contained in synaptic
vesicles.
A retrograde flow: transports the
several molecules, inclding material
taken up by endocytosis( including
viruses and toxins), to the cell body.
3) Classification
---According to number of processes
multipolar neuron, which have more than two cell
processes, one process being the axon and the others dendrites;
bipolar neuron, with one dendrite and one axon.
pseudounipolar neuron,
single process, soon divides
into two in a T-shape, with
one branch extending to a
peripheral ending and the
other toward the CNS.
---According to the functional roles
---Classification:
Chemical synapse: use a chemical mediator
(neurotransmitter) to transmit impulses in one
direction;
3)Postsynaptic terminal:
postsynaptic membrane
receptors
The sequence of events during synapse activity.
When the nerve impulse reaches
the presynaptic terminal, the
synaptic vesicle fused with the
presynaptic membrane and
discharges the neurotransmitters
into the synaptic cleft by
exocytosis.
The neurotransmitter then diffuses
across the cleft and combines with
specific receptor molecules in the
postsynaptic membrane.
The reaction between the
transmitter and the receptor
molecules induces an increase in
the permeability of the
postsynaptic membrane and
causes a change in the membrane
potential of the postsynaptic
neurons.
Ⅱ. Electrical synapse
In routine HE histological
preparation, only the nuclei of
glial cells can be seen. Such nuclei
are smaller than those of neurons
and lack of nucleoli.
Ⅰ. Astrocyte
star-shaped cells with multiple
radiating processes.
Have bundles of intermediate
filament that reinforce their structure.
end feet: to form glia limitans or
vascular feet--constitute blood brain
barrier
Fibrous astrocytes:
Located in the white matter
with few long, thin processes
asymmetrical
Protoplasmic astrocyte:
Found in the gray matter
With many short, thick
processes with more branch
symmetrical
Function:
Serve as structural support and insulation to the neurons;
---structure: smaller,
fewer process
---function:
their processes form
myelin-sheath of NF in
CNS
Ⅲ. Microglia:
---structure: small,
elongated cells with short
irregular processes.
---function:
They are phagocytic and
derived from mesoderm
(monocytes).
Ⅳ. Ependymal cell:
---structure:
cuboidal or low columnar epithelial cells
apical: microvilli and cilia
---function:
produce cerebrospinal fluid
---distribution: ventricle of brain and central canal of
spinal cord
Ⅴ.Schwann cell
② Encapsulated N ending
---have CT capsule
a. Tactile (or Meissner) corpuscle
---structure:
CT capsule
Flattened cell--transverse arranged
NF→lost myelin sheath→spiral flattened cells
---distribution: dermal papillae, especially in tip of finger or toe, palms,
soles and lips
---function: touch receptors
Chaper 18 P.368