Explain the structure of typical neuron 0
Answers
Neurons, like other cells, have a cell body (called the soma). The nucleus of the neuron is found in the soma. Neurons need to produce a lot of proteins, and most neuronal proteins are synthesized in the soma as well.
Various processes (appendages or protrusions) extend from the cell body. These include many short, branching processes, known as dendrites, and a separate process that is typically longer than the dendrites, known as the axon.
Dendrites
The first two neuronal functions, receiving and processing incoming information, generally take place in the dendrites and cell body. Incoming signals can be either excitatory – which means they tend to make the neuron fire (generate an electrical impulse) – or inhibitory – which means that they tend to keep the neuron from firing.
Most neurons receive many input signals throughout their dendritic trees. A single neuron may have more than one set of dendrites, and may receive many thousands of input signals. Whether or not a neuron is excited into firing an impulse depends on the sum of all of the excitatory and inhibitory signals it receives. If the neuron does end up firing, the nerve impulse, or action potential, is conducted down the axon.
Axons
Axons differ from dendrites in several ways.
The dendrites tend to taper and are often covered with little bumps called spines. In contrast, the axon tends to stay the same diameter for most of its length and doesn't have spines.
The axon arises from the cell body at a specialized area called the axon hillock. In motor neurons and interneurons, it's at the axon hillock that the action potential is initiated.
Finally, many axons are covered with a special insulating substance called myelin, which helps them convey the nerve impulse rapidly. Myelin is never found on dendrites.
Towards its end, the axon splits up into many branches and develops bulbous swellings known as axon terminals (or nerve terminals). These axon terminals make connections on target cells.
axons and dendrons are the two important parts of neurons . additionally the axons consist of myelin sheath etc.,
A neuron is consist of nucleus and covered by cell body. The cell body branched out is termed as the dendreon and the longest extension of the dendreon is termed as axon. The dendreons are further branched out are known as dendrites. The axon terminal branched out into synaptic ending or the ending of the axon terminal is termed as the synaptic ending. The axon terminal is covered by a seath like structure is termed as myelin seath. The myelin seath is discontinued at certain places are termed as nodes of ranvier.
For the diagram referred to the attachment.
