Nerve Cell

neuron
 Neurons
“cells that receive and
transmit signals”

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 How does the function of nerve
cell keep the organism alive?

● Keeps all of our vital functions operating.

● The signals between the muscles and organs of the
body and the brain are what keep us alive.
 “
They are everywhere in our body
( except nails, hair, and blood)

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 1.
Functions

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Functions of Neuron

Receive
Process
Interpret
React
 “
How neurons carry messages ?

Neurons send messages electrochemically

✘ chemicals cause an electrical signal (action potential)

Important ions
✘ Sodium
✘ Potassium
✘ Calcium
✘ Chloride
Types of Nerve Cells

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✘ Bipolar
○ have two processes extending

from the cell body

✘ Pseudounipolar
○ have 2 axons rather than an

axon and dendrite

✘ Multipolar neurons
○ have many processes that extend

from the cell body

○ Only one axon
Sensory neurons
(or afferent neurons)

✘ found in receptors (eyes, ears, tongue

and skin)
✘ Sent signals about stimuli to nervous
system
✘ Signal was translated into sensation
(vision, taste, etc.)
 Motor Neurons
(or afferent neurons)

● Found in central nervous system

● Connect & control muscle
● Receive the translated signals sent to muscle to
respond (movement)
● There are two types:
○ - lower motor neurons : travel from spinal
cord to muscle
○ - upper motor neurons : travel between the
brain and spinal cord
● They are multipolar :one axon and many dendrites
 Interneurons
(or relay neurons)

● only found in the CNS (central nervous system),

○ brain and spinal cord
● send information between sensory neurons and
motor neurons
● “our reflexes heavily depend on them”
● allow us to make circuits of neurons
 2.
Nerve cell parts and
functions
Nerve cell parts and functions

● Soma : Cell Body

○ responsible for metabolic work of neuron

● Dendrites : A branching fibers

○ receiving the information from other
neurons
○ collects and stores all incoming information
from axon terminals

● Axon : carries the impulses away from the cell

Nerve cell parts and functions
✘ Presynaptic Terminals
○ the endpoints of an axon
○ releasing chemicals to communicate with
other neurons
✘ Myelin Sheath
○ speeds up conduction/transmission of an
electrical impulse
■ Saltatory Conduction : impulses 'jump'
from a gap in the myelin sheath to
another gap
○ electrical insulator
■ prevents electrical impulses travelling
through the sheath
soma
Nerve cell parts and functions

● Nucleus
○ Nucleolus - produces ribosomes
○ Chromatin- DNA + histone protein

● Ribosome- protein synthesis

○ Polyribosome - allowed to make more
protein.
○ Free ribosome- produce protein for
using inside cell
○ Attach to RER - produce protein for
using outside cell and at cell
membrane
Nerve cell parts and functions

● VESICLE
○ Lysosome
■ Digest food molecules
■ Break down unused
organelles
■ Destroy virus
○ Vacuole
■ Vesicle with food inside
■ Merge with lysosome
for digest
● Mitochondria
○ produce energy ATP
Nerve cell parts and functions

Mitochondria
● Neurons demand lots supplies of
energy ( due to their extend
structure, Axon and Dendrites)
● Store calcium and signaling
molecules

“mitochondria must be where the

neuron needs them, when the neuron
needs them”
Nerve cell parts and functions

● Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)

○ RER - a site for protein synthesis
○ SER - produce lipid/ store calcium/
detoxification of drug
● Nissl Bodies
○ a granula group that compose of
RER
● Golgi Apparatus
○ membrane-bound structure for
packaging proteins and
neurotransmitters into vesicles.
○ receive from ER / modify/ sent
Nerve cell parts and functions

● Membrane / plasma membrane

○ Double membrane
■ Made up of phospholipid
bilayer
● Cytoplasm
○ Jelly-like fluid that make up of
salt and water
○ Contain organelles
○ Allow material to pass easily
○ shaping
 Nerve cell parts and functions

● Cytoskeleton
○ Microfilaments
■ Main structural support
■ Made up of actin protein
○ Microtubule/Neurotubules
■ Help moving organelles
■ Support cell structure
■ NOT USE FOR HELPING CELL DIVISION
■ Made up of tubulin protein
○ Intermediate filament
■ neurofilaments (a class of intermediate filament in neurons)
● transport materials from the soma to axon terminals
at the synapse
 Neurons can’t undergo cell division.

✘ Why ? ✘ Benefits
○ They lack of centrioles
○ avoid messing up connections
○ If they do, the function will mess up
and affect our memory
○ Brain can’t afford setting memory
each time after cell division
axon
 “
Axon or nerve fibre
where electrical impulses travel to
other neurons.

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Axon Hillock
○ contain some Nissl substance and ribosomes
○ funnel-shaped region
○ Connect soma with axon
Myelin sheath
○ made up of fatty substances and protein
○ allows impulses to transmit quickly
○ insulate individual axons
sending appropriate electrical signals
Node of ranvier
○ gap between myelin sheath
○ Speed up the transmission of nerve impulses

Schwann Cell
○ Produce myelin sheath
○ maintaining the peripheral nervous system
DENDRITES

29ๅ/_
● Extended structure from the soma
● receives and determine signals from other
neurons and transmits to soma
● contain many ribosomes, SER, Golgi
apparatus and cytoskeletal
○ there is a lot of protein synthesizing
activity during signal transmission
● can release neurotransmitters into
synapse too

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Presynaptic
Terminals
Synapse / neuronal junction
● the site of transmission of electrical impulses
○ between 2 neurons
○ between neuron and a gland or muscle cell

● A synaptic connection between neuron and muscle

cell is called a neuromuscular junction
Synaptic Vesicles
● store neurotransmitters and release
them by calcium-triggered exocytosis
(fuse to the membrane)

Neurotransmitters
(the body’s chemical messengers)
● transmit messages between neurons,
or from neurons to muscles
 ● Communication between two neurons
happens in the synaptic cleft
(the gap between the synapses of neurons)

● electrical signals are converted into

chemical through the release of
neurotransmitters
○ causing a specific response in the
receiving neuron
Diseases that are related to the nerve cell
Cerebral palsy
● a disorder of movement, muscle
tone or posture
● loss of myelin forms scar tissue
called sclerosis
● can't conduct electrical impulses
to and from the brain

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 Diagnosis

✘ MRI
○ can find plaques or scarring caused by MS
✘ Evoked potentials
○ show if you have a slowing of messages in the different
parts of the brain
✘ Cerebrospinal spinal fluid analysis
○ checks for cellular and chemical abnormalities
✘ Blood tests
○ rule out other causes for various neurological symptoms
 Treatment

“ no cure yet ”
can do things to help change the course of the disease

✘ Medicines
✘ Equipment such as canes, braces, or walkers
✘ Rehabilitation activities

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Diseases that are related to the nerve cell
Multiple sclerosis
● a long-lasting disease of the
central nervous system
● caused by damage that occurs to
the immature, developing brain,
● most often before birth

v
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 Diagnosis

★ Brain scans
○ Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
produce detailed 3-D or cross-sectional
images of your child's brain

○ Cranial ultrasound
high-frequency sound waves to obtain images
of the brain

★ Electroencephalogram (EEG)
records the electrical activity of a brain
 Treatment

★ Pediatric neurologist
A doctor trained to diagnose and treat children with
brain and nervous system (neurological) disorders may be
involved in your child's care.

★ Physical therapist
A physical therapist may help your child improve
strength and walking skills, and stretch muscles.

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thanks!

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