Parts of Axon & Functions

• Axon hillock -This is the cone shaped part of the neuron where the axon originates from the cell body.
• Axon membrane - The axon is surrounded by a thin, semipermeable membrane that helps to regulate the flow of ions in and out of the axon.
• Axon terminals - These are the small branches at the end of the axon that connect with other neurons or with muscles or glands.

  Axon terminals - release neurotransmitters that carry signals across the synaptic gap to the receiving neuron or muscle cell.
• Axoplasm -The cytoplasm of the axon is called axoplasm.

  • contains various organelles, including
  • • mitochondria
  • • ribosomes
  • • microtubules,
  • which help to transport nutrients and other materials along the axon.
• Myelin sheath - Some axons are surrounded by a fatty insulating layer called myelin, which speeds up the transmission of electrical impulses along the axon.
• Nodes of Ranvier -These are small gaps in the myelin sheath that allow for the exchange of ions between the axon and the surrounding extracellular fluid, which helps to propagate the electrical signal.