Neurons

neurons

Neurons are the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system
These cells are responsible for,
- Receiving sensory input from the external world,
- For sending motor commands to our muscles, and
- For transforming and relaying the electrical signals at every step in between.

Structural and functional unit of a brain and nervous system.

The cell body of a neuron.
The shape of the soma varies considerably in different kinds of neurons.
Contains the nucleus and machinery that provides for the life processes of the cell.
The Nucleus

An oval shaped membrane-bound structure found in the soma or body of the neurons.
It contains the nucleolus and chromosomes, necessary for the coded production of proteins within the cell.
The nucleolus of the nucleus produces ribosomes.

The long thread-like part of a nerve cell.
It is the output structure of the neuron that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body.
It is wrapped in a myelin sheath, schwann cells and contains the nodes of Ranvier.
The Myelin Sheath
- An insulating layer, or sheath.
- Found around nerves including those in the brain and spinal cord.
The Schwann Cells
- It is also called neurilemma cell.
- Any of the cells in the peripheral nervous system that produce the myelin sheath around neuronal axons.
The Node of Ranvier
- Gaps in the myelin sheath coating on the neural axon.
- The myelin allows the electrical impulse to move quickly down the axon.

A junction between the terminal bouton of an axon and the membrane of another neuron.
It is also called a neuronal junction.
It at a synapse that one neuron sends a message to a target neuron.

The function of the membrane is to protect the cell from foreign particles entering it.

The function of the membrane is to protect the cell from foreign particles entering it.

It is the brain of the cell.
It includes Ribosome, DNA, mRNA.
Chromosomes are thread like structure and it facilitate proper cell division and replication and also fits the DNA inside the nucleus.

It serves important functions particularly in the synthesis, folding, modification and transport of proteins.
There are two types,
- Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
- Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum

It is a membrane bound organelle.
It is responsible for packaging proteins into vesicles (lysosomes) prior to secretion.

It is a structure that helps cells maintain their shape and provide mechanical support that enables cells to carry out essential functions like division and movement.

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