NEURON STRUCTURE

• KEY FEATURES OF A NEURON?

  • cell body
  • nucleus
  • dendrites
  • axon
  • Schwann cells
  • myelin sheath
  • nodes of Ranvier
  • axon terminals
• WHAT DO DENDRITES DO?

  • receive nerve impulse from adjacent neurons via receptor sites on membrane
  • receive neurotransmitters released across synapse from previous cell
• WHAT DOES THE NUCLEUS DO?

  control centre of a cell (23 pairs of chromosomes)
• WHAT DOES THE AXON DO?

  where electrical signals pass along
• WHAT DOES THE MYELIN SHEATH DO?

  insulates/ protects axon from external influences that affect the transmission of nerve impulses down the axon
• WHAT DO NODES OF RANVIER DO?

  speed up transmission of impulses by forcing it to 'jump'
• WHAT DO AXON TERMINALS DO?

  • point where cell terminates
  • synaptic vesicles are present (release neurotransmitters at membrane to synapse when triggered via an action potential)