They also have more specialized structures, including dendrites and axons. Dendrites can have small protrusions called dendritic spines, which further increase surface area for possible synaptic connections.įigure 1. Neurons contain organelles common to many other cells, such as a nucleus and mitochondria. Although some neurons do not have any dendrites, some types of neurons have multiple dendrites. Dendrites are tree-like structures that extend away from the cell body to receive messages from other neurons at specialized junctions called synapses. Neurons also contain unique structures, illustrated in Figure 1 for receiving and sending the electrical signals that make neuronal communication possible. Like other cells, each neuron has a cell body (or soma) that contains a nucleus, smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, and other cellular components. But neurons are also highly specialized-different types of neurons have different sizes and shapes that relate to their functional roles. Most neurons share the same cellular components. The ability of neurons to communicate with each other as well as with other types of cells underlies all of these behaviors. Despite these very different numbers, the nervous systems of these animals control many of the same behaviors-from basic reflexes to more complicated behaviors like finding food and courting mates. A human brain contains around 86 billion neurons. This number compares to 75 million in the mouse and 300 million in the octopus. The nervous system of the common laboratory fly, Drosophila melanogaster, contains around 100,000 neurons, the same number as a lobster. List and describe the four main types of neurons.List and describe the functions of the structural components of a neuron.
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