Transcript Neurons

Neuron- highly specialized cell that transmits electrical impulses
Stephen M. Fowler
Nervous System
Central Nervous System (CNS)- brain and spinal
chord
 Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)- all nerves
extending from and going to the CNS
 Composed of over 100 billion neurons
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Elements of a Neuron
Neurotransmitters
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Are required along with vesicles to transmit a
nerve impulse from one neuron to another over
the synapse.
Classes of Neurons
Afferent- do not have dendrites: transmit
impulses from specialized structures to the
Central Nervous System
 Efferent- conduct electrical signals from the CNS
to muscle or glad cells
 Inter- reside entirely within the CNS and make
up about 99% of all neurons
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Neuroscience Terminology
Nerve- bundle of axons in the PNS
 Pathway- bundle of axons in the CNS
 Commissure- a collection of nerve fibers linking
the left and right halves of the CNS
 Nuclei- cell bodies linked together in the CNS
 Ganglia- cell bodies linked together in the PNS
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References
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Pasternak
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://psych.athabascau.ca/html/Psych402/Biotutorials/2/myelin.shtml