Nerve Cell

Cranial nervous system

Connect brain to the
parts inside the head
 Central nervous system
Command centre of the
body

Peripheral nervous system

Sensory neurons

Autonomic nervous system

 Locations in the body & Why
Where
- head (inside the brain, to send/receive signals to the body)
- arms (for arms and hands)
- chest and upper back (for spinal cords, and base of the brain)
- lower back (for abdomen, lower back, and pelvis)
- leg (for legs and feet)
 What is the shape of the cell?
The shape and the sizes of
the nerve cells are different
from each other.
- Some are small, some
are big, so the size
keeps on changing.
Compare to other cells in
our body, the nerve cells
also have some similar
structures like
- cell membrane, nucleus,
mitochondria and ribosome
specialised structure
Why? Multicellular cells are
highly organize - some cells
has specific function

Effect? The specialised

cells usually have specialised
structure to suite their functions
- nerve cell
Soma

Function:
1. Containing the cell structure
2. Be the link of the message between
dendrites and axons
3. Produces protein
Feature:
Organelles are in it
Mostly consists of ER
Location:
The middle between dendrites and
axons
 SPECIALIZED STRUCTUREs
Dendrite

Function: Bringing the nerve impulses(electrical

signal) to central body

Feature: there are many dendrites/ 1 neuron(1 - 20k)

Rough texture

Location: usually spread out far from cell body

Axon

Function: Taking away nerve impulses from cell body

Feature: normally 1 axon/1 neuron

Smooth texture
Have myelin sheath covering

Location: would normally spread out near body

Axon Hillock
Function:
Signal (Action Potential) to control the
amount of impulse
Feature:
The manager
Location:
The last part of soma(connected to
axon)
Myelin Sheath

Function: 1. Making the impulses go through axon easier

2. Protect axon
3. Support axon

Feature: Made of proteins and lipids

Gaps that it does not cover = Nodes of Ranvier (also help transfer impulses)

Location: On axon
Schwann Cell
Function: 1. Surrounding all axons
2. Make neurilemma (Schwann cells nucleus and cytoplasm) and
myelin sheath
3. Making it possible for myelin sheath to reform

Feature: 1 schwann cell is in a part of 1 myelin sheath

Location: On axon
 FUNCTION OF NERVE CELLS
Parts of the nervous system
Receive, carry, and send nerve impulses to different parts of the
body (Dendrites receive impulses/information from other cells and
Axon send it to other cells)
Three types of nerve cells
1. Sensory Neuron
2. Interneuron
3. Motor Neuron
 Sensory Neuron
- Receive information or signals from whats happening inside or outside
of the body and transmit the signals to the central nervous system to
inform about the situation.
 Interneuron
- They are in the central nervous system
- Receive information from other neurons (Sensory neurons or
interneurons), process the information (make a decision), and transmit
the signals to other neurons (motor neuron or interneurons)
 Motor Neuron
- Receive information from the central nervous system and send it
to muscles or glands
- Trigger the muscles to move
How does the function of neurons keep us alive?

- Allow us to sense

- Allow us to respond

- Keep us breathing (help lungs moving)

- Trigger muscles to move

- We can tell whats happening around us

 Nerve cell can hold on to the
bones and muscles with the Surface area of nerve cell
dendrites. is very thin.

Some axons are

How does the shape of the covered with a fatty
substance called
cell affect its function? myelin.
The soma also
contains
mitochondria, golgi
bodies, melanin,
lipochrome pigment
granules. The larger the axon, the faster it
transmits information.
 To be able for neurons to do their functions - They have to have specific way to communicate

SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
Synaptic
end bulb
/synaptic
terminal
 SYNAPSE - area where the neurons meet

Meeting point

The synaptic terminal includes both chemical and electrical processes

2 kinds : electrically and chemically
Electrical Synaptic Transmission

Electrical messages send directly from neuron to another through gap junctions using channels
Like giving a present to a friend (directly)
 Chemical Synaptic Transmission:

1. The nerve impulse signal the cell, by traveling to the part of the axon
(close to synapse).

2. Presynaptic terminal send

vesicles that contain the
neurotransmitter to the other
neurons.
3. The receptors from the other side get the
neurotransmitter and get the messages.

4. Ion currents flow from one neuron to

another

5. After telling the other neuron what to do, the

neurotransmitter 1. Got to other places

2. Got digest by
enzymes
3. Go back to the same
neuron

Like giving a present to a friend by mailing

 Specialized Organelles!
Nissl bodies : ribosomes that attach together and work on
communicating in the cell.
Endosome : helps carry material from endocytosis to lysosomes
and ER, also help recycle synaptic vesicle.
Endocytosis : a type of transporting a molecules into a cell
 Neurofibril : used to move chemicals from neurons to
other neurons.
Peroxisome : a small membrane that connects
organelles that used oxygen molecules together
 Plasmalemma is another name for bilayer membrane
10mm. thick, cell membrane of neuron.
Axolemma : bilayer membrane of axons
Neurofilament : another type of cytoskeleton that helps
keep the neurons shape stable
 Synaptic Vesicle : organelle inside soma that
contains proteins and neurotransmitter.
Neurotransmitter : a chemical that contains
messages or information.
Name of the Normal Cell Nerve Cell Name of the Normal Cell Nerve Cell
Organelles Organelles

Nucleus Rough ER

Vacuoles Smooth ER

Lysosomes Golgi Body

Cytoskeleton Mitochondria

Centrosome Cell Membrane

Ribosomes
Diseases Related to the Malfunction
of Nerve Cell
&
Treatments
Epilepsy
Disorder of central nervous system
Occurs when electricity released from the nerve cells in the
brain does not work properly.
Symptoms
Repeatedly causeless seizures
Treatment

Medical Management
Surgery
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
Ketogenic Diet
Complementary Therapies

Control & reduce seizure

Parkinsons disease
A developing nerve disease
Genes
Environmental cause
nervous system got damaged
Parkinsons disease
The neurons in the brain
continuously breaking down
Abnormal function of the brain
Decreased level of dopamine
Affect movement
Cant be cured
Symptoms
tremor (body parts shake)
rigidity (stiffness)
bradykinesia (slow movement)
postural instability (cant balance well)
speak unclearly
Treatment
Medication
Surgery
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