How is the nerve cell? Cells of the nervous system

The human body is made up of trillions of cells, the brain alone contains about 100 billion neurons, of all shapes and sizes. The question arises: how is the nerve cell arranged, and how does it differ from other cells in the body?

Device of the human nerve cell

Like most other cells in the human body, nerve cells have nuclei. But compared to the rest, they are unique, as they have long, thread-like branches, through which nerve impulses are transmitted.

Cells of the nervous system are similar to others, since they are also surrounded by a cell membrane, have nuclei containing genes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and other organelles. They participate in such fundamental cellular processes as protein synthesis and energy production.

Neurons and nerve impulses

The nervous system consists of nerves. A nerve is a bundle of nerve cells. The nerve cell that transmits certain information is called a neuron. The data that the neurons carry is called nerve impulses. Like electrical impulses, they transfer information with incredible speed. Rapid signal transmission is provided by axons of neurons covered with a special myelin sheath.

This shell covers the axon like a plastic coating on electric wires and allows nerve impulses to move faster. What is a neuron? It has a special form, which allows you to transfer the signal from one cell to another. The neuron consists of three main parts: the cell body, the set of dendrites and one axon.

Types of neurons

Neurons are usually classified based on the role they play in the body. There are two main types of neurons - sensory and motor. Sensory neurons conduct nerve impulses from the sensory organs and internal organs into the central nervous system (CNS). Motor neurons, on the other hand, carry nerve impulses from the central nervous system to organs, glands and muscles.

The cells of the nervous system are arranged in such a way that both types of neurons work together. Sensory neurons carry information about the internal and external environment. These data are used to send signals through motor neurons to inform the body how it should react to the information received.

Synapse

The place where the axon of one neuron responds to the dendrites of the other is called a synapse. Neurons communicate with each other through an electrochemical process. In this case, chemicals react to the reaction, which are called neurotransmitters.

Body cells

The device of a nerve cell assumes the presence of a nucleus and other organelles in the body of the cell. Dendrites and axons connected to the body of the cell resemble rays radiating from the sun. Dendrites receive impulses from other nerve cells. Axons transmit nerve impulses to other cells.

A single neuron can have thousands of dendrites, so it can communicate with thousands of other cells. Axon is covered with a myelin sheath - a fatty layer that isolates it and allows the signal to be transmitted much faster.

Mitochondria

Answering the question of how the nerve cell is arranged, it is important to note the element responsible for the supply of metabolic energy, which can then be easily disposed of. In this process, the primary role is played by mitochondria. These organelles have their own outer and inner membranes.

The main source of energy for the nervous system is glucose. Mitochondria contain enzymes necessary for the conversion of glucose into macroergic compounds, mainly to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules, which can then be transported to other areas of the body that need their energy.

Core

The complex process of protein synthesis begins in the nucleus of the cell. The nucleus of the neuron contains genetic information, which is stored as encoded strings of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Each DNA molecule contains genetic codes for all cells in the body.

It is in the nucleus that the process of building protein molecules begins by writing the corresponding part of the DNA code on complementary ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules. Released from the nucleus into the intercellular fluid, they trigger the process of protein synthesis, in which the so-called nucleoli also participate. This is a separate structure inside the nucleus, responsible for the construction of molecular complexes called ribosomes, which are involved in protein synthesis.

Do you know how the nerve cell is arranged?

Neurons are the most tenacious and long cells in the body! Some of them persist in the human body throughout life. Other cells die, they are replaced by new ones, but many neurons can not be replaced. With age, they are getting smaller. Hence the expression that nerve cells are not restored. However, research data of the late 20th century prove the opposite. In one area of the brain, the hippocampus, new neurons can grow even in adults.

Neurons can be quite large and can be several meters long (corticospinal and afferent). In 1898, a famous specialist in the nervous system, Camillo Golgi, announced his discovery of a ribbon-like apparatus that specializes in neurons in the cerebellum. This device now bears the name of its creator and is known as the "Golgi apparatus."

From the way the nerve cell is constructed, its definition as the main structural-functional element of the nervous system follows, the study of simple principles of which can serve as a key to solving many problems. This mainly applies to the autonomic nervous system, which includes hundreds of millions of interconnected cells.