Neural Tissue Cont.

11/29/2016

Neural Tissue Cont.

Dr. Bruce Giffin

1. Nervous tissue
a. Neurons
i. Transmits electrical impulses from one site in the body to another
ii. Receive and process information
iii. Structure
1. Cell body (soma)
2. Dendrites (usually many)
a. Short, tapering, unmyelinated, and highly branched
i. CUT is important for dendrite branching
b. Receive stimuli from other neurons
3. Single Axon (Nerve fiber)
a. Axon hillock and initial segment are the start of the axon
i. If brought to threshold, action potential is generated
b. Axoplasm (cytoplasm) surrounded by the axolemma
c. Axonal transport
i. Kinesin allows for anterograde transport
ii. Dynein allows for retrograde transport
d. Ends at the telodendria
i. Contains several axonal terminals or synaptic knobs
b. Neuroglia
i. Non-conducting cells that are in intimate physical contact with neurons
ii. Support cells
2. Axon Terminals
a. Presynaptic
i. Releases neurotransmitter that crosses the synaptic cleft
1. Protein synthesis occurs in the soma and is transported down the
axon
ii. Vesicles contain material
1. Clear
a. ~50nm
b. Contain classic, small molecule transmitters
c. Acetylcholine, glutamate, Dopamine, etc.
2. Dense
a. Up to 200nm
b. Contains peptides that act as neuromodulators
iii. Vesicles are recycled
b. Electrical synapses
i. Axon terminals are attached to postsynaptic cell by gap junctions
1. Small pores in the cell membrane
ii. Allow for ions to flow from the axon to the cell for stimulation

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3. Nerves
a. Made up of many nerve cell fibers bound together
b. Layers
i. Epineurium
1. Sheath of dense CT surrounding the nerve
ii. Perineurium
1. Surrounds bundles of nerve fibers
2. Tight junctions to form a important isolating barrier
iii. Endoneurium
1. Loose CT that surrounds individual nerve fibers

4. Myelination
a. Dynamic process which involves the ensheathment of the axon
i. Oligodendrocytes in the CNS
ii. Schwann cells in the PNS
b. Adhesive proteins on the plasma membrane contribute to a tight apposition
of the lipid bilayers
i. Provides electrical insulation for the axon
ii. Can be up to 1.5mm
c. Node of Ranvier
i. Gaps between the Schwann cells
ii. Huge concentration of voltage gated channels
iii. Allows for saltatory conduction
1. Charge jumps node to node
2. Only one direction

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5. Neuron classifications
a. Structure
i. Multipolar
1. Many processes extend from the cell body with a single axon
2. Most abundant in the body
a. Purkinje cell of cerebellum, pyramidal cell, etc.
ii. Bipolar
1. A single dendrite and axon
2. Only associated with special senses
a. Olfactory cell, retinal cell
iii. Unipolar (psuedounipolar)
1. One process extends from the cell body and forms central and
peripheral processes
a. Cell body is located in ganglia
2. Characteristic of sensory neurons

b. Functional
i. Sensory (afferent)
1. Transmit impulses toward the CNS
2. Sensory ganglia
a. Two types: dorsal root ganglia and cranial ganglia
b. Contain large sensory neurons and abundant small glial cells
i. Satellite cells
1. Derived from the neural crest cells
2. Supply nutrients and protect

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ii. Somatic Motor (efferent)

1. Carry impulses away from the CNS
2. Cell bodies live in the ventral horn of the spinal cord
iii. Visceral motor (efferent)
1. Carry impulses away from the CNS also
2. Component of the autonomic nervous system
3. Ganglia of this system are motor ganglia
iv. Interneurons
1. Association neurons
2. Any neuron between a sensory and a motor neuron
a. Local processing
6. Types of Neuroglia
a. Oligodendrocyte
i. Responsible for forming and maintaining the myelin sheath
ii. One may myelinate one axon or several
b. Astrocyte
i. Star shaped and the largest type of neuroglia
ii. Induces the blood brain barrier in brain capillaries
iii. Provides physical and metabolic support
1. Maintains the appropriate chemical environment
iv. Can undergo gliosis
1. Scar formation

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c. Microglia
i. Smallest of the glial cells
ii. Phagocytes of the nervous system
1. Eat up dead cells
d. Ependymal cells
i. Have cilia
1. Help push the CSF to circulate
ii. Line the ventricles of the brain and central canal of the spinal cord
7. Development of neuronal connections
a. Growth cone pulls the axon
b. Composed of flat, fanlike membranes called the lamellipodium
c. Fine tubes called filipodia protrude from lamellipodium
i. Extend and retract constantly to explore the surroundings
1. Looks for molecular cues
ii. If it attaches, then it pulls the axon in that direction
d. Allows for regeneration of neurons in the PNS

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