Current research is uncovering important new roles for glia in brain function. Researchers have known for a while that glia transport nutrients to neurons, clean up brain debris, digest parts of dead neurons, and help hold neurons in place. The brain contains at least ten times more glia than neurons. In the brain, the glia that make the sheath are called oligodendrocytes, and in the peripheral nervous system, they are known as Schwann cells. This sheath is made by specialized cells called glia. Many axons are covered with a layered myelin sheath, which accelerates the transmission of electrical signals along the axon. When neurons receive or send messages, they transmit electrical impulses along their axons, which can range in length from a tiny fraction of an inch (or centimeter) to three feet (about one meter) or more. The dendrites are covered with synapses formed by the ends of axons from other neurons. When neurotransmitter molecules bind to receptors located on a neuron’s dendrites, ion channels open. Synapses are the contact points where one neuron communicates with another. Transmission of a signal within a neuron (from dendrite to axon terminal) is carried by a brief reversal of the resting membrane potential called an action potential. The axon extends from the cell body and often gives rise to many smaller branches before ending at nerve terminals.ĭendrites extend from the neuron cell body and receive messages from other neurons. Whereas axons may sprout before neuroblast migration is completed, dendrites form after the neuron has reached its final mature site, whether normal or heterotopic. Each type of neuron has a specific pattern of dendrites and the boutons or spines that form synaptic surfaces on them. The cell body contains the nucleus and cytoplasm. always develop after the axon begins to form. Each mammalian neuron consists of a cell body, dendrites, and an axon. The mammalian brain contains between 100 million and 100 billion neurons, depending on the species. The brain is what it is because of the structural and functional properties of interconnected neurons. ![]() Synapses are the contact points where one neuron communicates with another. ![]() Dendrites extend from the neuron cell body and receive messages from other neurons. The axon extends from the cell body and often gives rise to many smaller branches before ending at nerve terminals. The cell body contains the nucleus and cytoplasm. Most neurons have a cell body, an axon, and dendrites. Neurons are cells within the nervous system that transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells. Kibiuk, Baltimore, MD Devon Stuart, Harrisburg, PA
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