THE NEURON Sensory neurons Motor neurons Interneurons Cell body: o Nucleus and other normal organelles o Abundent

dent RER (high protein synthesis) RER forms stacks called Nissl bodies o Axon hillock (just before the axon) is usually free of cytoplasmic organelles. o Newly synthesised proteins are transported along the axon by axonal transport Axon: transmit stimuli to other neurons / effector cells o All neurons have only a single axon o Axon originates from axon hillock o Region between beginning of axon and the myelin sheath is the initial segment Dendrites: receive stimuli o A neuron can have several dendrites o Transmit impulses from periphery cell body o Unipolar neurons: only an axon, no dendrites o Bipolar neurons: one axon and one dendrite o Multipolar neurons: one axon and two or more dendrites. o Dendrites are usually unmyelinated o Extensively branched dendritic trees o Dendrites have many of the same organelles as the cell body, except they dont have Golgi apparatus. Motorneurons and interneurons = multipolar Sensory neurons = unipolar o Cell body in DRG o One axonal branch extends to the periphery, the other into the CNS Synapses: o Synapses can be: Axodendritic Axosomatic (between axons and the cell body) Axoaxonic o Golgi stain reveals synaptic boutons o Synapse consists of presynaptic knob with numerous synaptic vesicles o Synapses can be classified as: Gray I Thick Excitatory Round vesicles

Gray II Cylindrical vesicles

AXONAL TRANSPORT: Fast & slow axonal transport provide distal parts of the axon with newly synthesised proteins & organelles. In adult, large distance between neuronal cell body & motor end-plate Proteins & organelles are synthesised in the cell body. Tie a ligature around the axon, and the axon will become engorged on the cell body side (due to blocking of anterograde transport) 3 ways that the axons transports substances: 1. Fast anterograde axonal transport: cell body nerve terminal 2. Slow anterograde axonal transport 3. Fast retrograde axonal transport: nerve terminal cell body All 3 types of axonal transport take place along microtubules Microtubules form a network throughout cytosol, forming tracks over which vesicles, organelles and other cell components can be moved. Drugs like colchicine distrupt microtubule formation inhibit axonal transport. This movement is assisted by motor proteins. Motor proteins use energy derived from repeated ATP hydrolysis to travel along the microtubule in a single direction. The motor proteins also attach to some other cell component, and thus carry it along the microtubule. Kinesins are motor proteins that move outwards along microtubules from the cell body to the axon terminal anterograde transport Dyneins are motor proteins that move inwards from axon terminal to cell body reterograde transport Both kinesins and dyneins consist of 2 globular heads containing ATPase which binds to the microtubule, and a tail which binds to the cell component to be transported.

Fast anterograde transport: Newly synthesised organelles in cell body are exported to axon and dendrites o Include synaptic vesicules o Precursors of peptide neurotransmitters. Slow anterograde transport: Export soluble cytoplasmic & cytoskeletal proteins Fast retrograde transport: Allows recycling of material used by nerve terminal in synaptic transmission. Allows transport of nerve growth factor from terminal cell body Reterograde transport is exploited by some viruses (HSV / polio / rabies) to gain entry to the CNS. SUPPORTING CELLS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: PNS SCHWANN CELLS:

In PNS the schwann cells form the myelin sheath and support unmyelinated cells. Develop from neural crest cells

Myelinated PNS axons Form a lipid-rich myelin sheath around myelinated neurons insulating the axon from surrounding extracellular fluid. Myelin sheath is formed from compacted layers of Schwann cell membrane, wrapped concentrically around the axon. The cytoplasm of the Schwann cell is extruded from the membrane layers The node of ranvier represents the junction between 2 adjacent schwann cells. The internodal segment is the length of myelin between 2 nodes. Axon hillock and the terminal portion of the axon are not myelinated. Unmyelinated PNS axons Unmyelinated axons are still enveloped in Schwann cell cytoplasm Axons fit into grooves on the cell surface. Large Schwann cells may have 20+ grooves Several axons may lie in each groove Unmyelinated axons are in direct communication with the extracellular fluid via a longditudinal cleft in the swan cell the mesaxon.

SATELLITE CELLS: Satellite cells are small cuboidal cells which surround neuronal cell bodies in ganglion Same function as scwhann cell (but doesnt make myelin) o Insulation o Maintain appropriate neuronal environment

CNS NEUROGLIA Neuroglia are CNS cells, which can be divided into 4 catagories: o Oligodendrocytes form myelin o Astrocytes o Microglia o Ependymal cells When looking at micrographs of CNS, it is only the neuroglia cells which can normally be visualised (not the neurones). Oligodendroglia / oligodendrocytes: o o o Account for 75% of all glial cells in white matter Produce and maintain myelin sheaths around axons. Each oligodendrocyte gives off several tongue-like processes which then wraps itself around an axon. Myelin sheath formed by concentric layers of oligodendrocyte membrane A single oligodendrocyte may give a myelin sheath to many different axons. (In PNS the myelin sheaths are formed by schwann cells).

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Astroglia / astrocytes: o Cells with long processes which form a scaffold through the CNS o The ends of the processes are expanded into end feet make firm attachments to blood vessels.

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The ends of the astocytic processes seal together creating additional barrier between blood and ECF of brain and spinal cord (i.e. strengthens blood-brain barrier). Prevents changing composition of blood from affecting neuronal function. Also form connections with neurons, and modulates the behaviour of the axons.

Microglia: o Phagocytes o Originate from monocytic precursors o Scattered throughout grey and white matter o Rapidly migrate to site of infection in CNS

Ependemal cells: o Ciliated cells o Forms simple ciliated cuboidal-columnar epithelium ependyma o Tightly bound by tight junctions at apical border o Lines the vesicles of the brain & central canal of spinal cord. o Modified ependemal cells in the choroid plexus are involved in production of CSF

STRUCTURE OF PERIPHERAL NERVE TRUNKS Axons are delicate structures transverse considerable distances to reach their target organs Outside the CNS they run in peripheral nerve trunks. Run alongside major BVs Within nerve trunk they are surrounded by several layers of CT: o Outermost layer: epineurium Anchors the nerve trunk to adjacent tissue o Middle layer: perineurium Surrounds fascicles bundles of axons o Inner layer: endoneurium Surrounds individual nerve fibres In the PNS individual axons are a covered with schwann cells There is extensive collagen and fibroblasts in the PNS, but none in the CNS.

METHODS OF STAINING NEURONS: o Golgi stain: Silver compound Only stains 1% of neurons, but stains them along their entire length o o Lucifer yellow Nissl stain: Blue stain Stains the Nissl bodies (RER) and ribosomes.

DISEASES WHICH SPREAD VIA NEURONS: o Polio virus spreads by axonal transport from gut neurons ventral horn motorneurons o Causes atrophy of motoneurons in spinal cord o poliomyelitis o o o o Rabies virus travels to the CNS by retrograde transport in both sensory and motor neurons. Herpes zoster virus lies dormant in DRG If a person becomes immunocomprimised, it can travel by anterograde transport down sensory neurons Vesicular rash at clearly marcated dermatomes.

REGENERATION: o Oligodendrocytes in the CNS prevent regerentation in the CNS o However, neurons in the PNS to have the potential for regeneration, due to properties of Schwann cells.