Overtime, organisms have been able to adapt and develop in a range of diverse environments as a result of their ability to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is the tendency of anatomical, behavioural and physiological systems to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus that would tend to disturb its normal condition or function. (1) A major physiological system that works in maintaining homeostasis in animals, specifically humans, is the nervous system. The nervous system consists of a vast network of interconnecting neurons which transmit electronic signals throughout the body. All neurons relay information to each other through a complex electrochemical process, making …show more content…
Neurons are the functional unit of the nervous system and thus are very complicated structures that play dynamic roles in performing vital bodily functions. (4) As the information-processing units of the nervous system, neurons acquire information from sensory receptors, pass the information on to other neurons, and make muscles move to produce behaviours. They encode memories and produce our thoughts and emotions. There are three general classifications of neurons; these are sensory neurons, interneurons and motor neurons. They differ significantly in function and slightly in structure, all having the same basic configuration. (6) Figure 1: Neuron shape and function (5)
In basic form, sensory neurons get information about what is happening in the body internally and externally and is responsible for transporting it to the CNS to be processed. Motor neurons get information from other neurons and send commands to ones muscles, organs and glands. Interneurons are neurons that are connected to one another, and are responsible for receiving information from other neurons and transmitting the information to other neural connections. The basic structure of the neuron can be seen in the appendix below. (27) Figure 2: Neuron structure (3) Figure 3: Axons and Node of Ranvier (3)
The junction between two neurons or a neuron and a muscle or gland is called the synapse. This is where
3.The long tube-like structure that carries the neural message to other cells on the neuron is the axon.
According to Carlson (YEAR), neuron (nerve cell) is defined as,” the information-processing and information-transmitting element of the nervous system”. The shape and variety will depend on the specialized job they perform. The majority of neurons have in common in one form or another, the four structures or regions: the cell body or soma, axon, dendrites; and terminal buttons. The soma or the cell body contains the nucleus which regulates all cell activity. Dendrites is derived from the Greek work Dendron, for tree, because they resemble trees. The dendrite is attached to the cell body of the neuron which receives information and
The nervous system is made up of basic units called neurons. The main role of the neurons is to receive, integrate and transmit information throughout the body. There are some neuroglial cells found in nervous system aswell which provide support to the neurons by giving protection and nourishment Neurons have nerve processes that looks like finger like projections extended from the nerve cell body. They also contain axons and dendrites which enable them to transmit signals throughout the body. Normally, axon carry signals away from the cell body and dendrites carry signals toward the cell body according to Regina Bailey (2013). Neurons have three different shapes: bipolar, unipolar and multipolar where bipolar has two neuronal processes coming out of the cell body, unipolar has only one neuronal process coming out of the cell body and multipolar has many neuronal processes coming out of the cell body.
Neurons, nerve cells, have three basic parts: the cell body, dendrites, and axon. Neurons transmit signals to other nerve cells and throughout the body. They are simple components in the nervous system. The cell body includes the nucleus, which is the control center of the neuron. The dendrite branches off the cell body and receives information. The axon is attached to the cell body and sends information away from the cell body to other cells. When the axon goes through myelination, the axon part of the neuron becomes covered and insulated with fat cells, myelin sheath. This increases the speed and efficiency of information processing in the nervous system. Synapse are gaps between neurons, this is where connections between the axons and dendrites.
Neurons are information- processing units in the central nervous system that receive and transmit information. It is made up of an axon, dendrites and a cell body. The nucleus and cytoplasm are contained in the cell body. The axon starts from the cell body, dividing into smaller branches and then ends at the nerve terminals. The dendrites also branch from the cell body, receiving information from the other neurons. Axons from other neurons forms
The structure of a neuron consist of four main components dendrites, cell body also known as soma, synapse and axon. Dendrites collect signals coming in from other cells. The soma is responsible for assimilating signals coming in from the dendrites in order to create a signal traveling unidirectional through the axon. The axon stems from the soma, which
| A neuron is known as an excitable cell that can process and transmit information through electrical and chemical signals. Neurons are the core components of the nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and nervous system.
1. Describe the basic functioning of a neuron beginning with receiving signals from other neurons or sense organs and ending with the transmission of a signal to another neuron. Explain how a pattern of neuron firing is related to behavior.
The nervous system is composed of two separate systems: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS includes the brain and spinal cord while the PNS consists of the nerves that are outside of the brain and spinal cord. The brain receives information sent from the PNS via neurons. The CNS contains neurons which are the basic units of the nervous system. There are three different classifications of neurons: motor, sensory, and interneurons. The motor neurons transfer signals from the central nervous system to the muscles to help with movements. Sensory neurons transfer information to the central nervous system from external stimuli such as environmental factors. The interneurons transfer signals between the motor and sensory neurons. If a person is diagnosed with Parkinson’s the neurons that receive the information begin to fail and eventually die. A person that does not have sufficient amount of neurons is not able to receive dopamine and begin to lose coordination thus limiting their movement.
Neurons (also known as neurons, nerve cells and nerve fibers) are electrically excitable and the most important cells in the nervous system that functions to process and transmit information. Neurons have a large number of extensions called dendrites. They often look likes branches or spikes extending out from the cell body. It is primarily the surfaces of the dendrites that receive chemical messages from other neurons.
In chapter 3 of the book Connectome: How The Brain’s Wiring Makes Us Who We Are, the author talked about a type of cell in our brain, Neuron. Neurons are round in shapes, they embrace one another, and this is to make it easier for the signals to transfer to one another. Neurons have a long branches attached to their cell body, it is called Neurite. Neurites are crowned with one another closely but they do not touch. This is to make it easier for the Synapse, which is the junction between Neurons, to work better. Synapses are used when two Neurons need to “contact” with each other, however, “communications” at the Synapses can only be between two neurons, and anything more than that would not work.
The CNS contains the brain and spinal cord. Its main functions include: processing, integrating, and coordinating sensory information and motor instructions. The sensory data conducts information that is being processed from internal and external conditions the body is experiencing. Motor commands regulate and control peripheral organs (skeletal muscles). The brain functions under memory, emotions, learning, and intelligence. The PNS consist of the neural tissue found outside of the CNS. It functions in sending data to the CNS which motor commands are than carried out to the peripheral tissues/systems. Multiple nerve fibers send sensory data and motor commands in the PNS. The nerves that assist with transmitting data include the cranial nerves and spinal nerve. However, the PNS can be divided into afferent (to bring in) and efferent (to bring out) divisions of transferring data. The afferent division functions in bringing in sensory data to the CNS. Sensory structures are receptors that detect internal/external environmental change and adjusting accordingly. The efferent division functions in carrying out motor commands from the CNS to glands, muscles, and adipose tissue. The efferent division contains somatic
They receive information and send signals to other neurons, muscles, or glands by using electrical signals called nerve impulses. When a nerve impulse reaches the end of a neuron, it triggers the release of a chemical, or neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter travels rapidly across the short gap between cells (synapse) and acts to signal the adjacent cell. First, the neuron receives information from the external environment, or from other neurons. Then, it integrates, or processes, the information from all of its inputs and determines whether or not to send an output signal. Next, it sends the signal along its length at full speed. The distance may be up to several meters (a giraffe or whale, for instance) with rates up to 328 feet per second. Finally, the neuron converts the electrical signal to a chemical one and transmits it to another neuron or an effecter, such as a muscle or gland. “Neurons have many different shapes and sizes. However, a typical neuron in a vertebrate (such as a human) consists of four major regions: a cell body, dendrites, and axon, and synaptic terminals” (Biology). A single neuron can have up to 10,000 dendrites connecting to other
Based on the information from the website and the book, the synapses are the junction a neuron with a specific cell that can be a muscle, a secretory cell, or any other specific part of the nervous system. During this phenomenon, the neuron releases a chemical transmitter that goes across a small gap. Then it activates the receptors.
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is connected directly to the central nervous system, and consists of neurons and nerves that send information back and forth the CNS. Furthermore, the peripheral nervous system can be divided into two sections, the sensory nervous system and the motor nervous system. The Sensory The sensory nervous system is in charge of transmitting data from a variety of internal organs or from external stimuli to the central nervous system using sensory nervous cells. On the other hand, the cells of the motor nervous system (motor neurons), take the impulse from the CNS to effectors, which include glands and muscles. In addition, the motor nervous system can be further divided into the somatic nervous system, controls voluntary actions of the skeletal muscle and external sensory organs, whilst the autonomic nervous system operates