29.

2 Neurons
KEY CONCEPT
The nervous system is composed of highly specialized
cells.

29.2 Neurons
Vocabulary

neuron
dendrite
axon
resting potential
sodium-potassium pump
action potential
synapse
terminal
neurotransmitter

29.2 Neurons
Main ideas
Neurons are highly specialized cells.
Neurons receive and transmit signals.

29.2 Neurons
Neurons are highly specialized cells.
A neuron has three parts.
cell body has nucleus and organelles

Cell body

29.2 Neurons
Neurons are highly specialized cells.
A neuron has three parts.
cell body has nucleus and organelles

dendrites receive impulses

dendrites

29.2 Neurons
Neurons are highly specialized cells.
A neuron has three parts.
cell body has nucleus and organelles

dendrites receive impulses

axon carries impulses

axon

29.2 Neurons
Neurons are highly specialized cells.
Parts of a neuron
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29.2 Neurons
There are three types of neurons
Sensory neurons detect stimuli and transmit signals to
the brain and the spinal cord, which are both made of
interneurons.
Interneurons receive signals from sensory neurons and
relay them within the brain and the spinal cord. They
process information and pass signals to motor neurons.
Motor neurons pass messages from the nervous system
to other tissues in the body.
Comparing sensory neurons and motor neurons
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29.2 Neurons
Other support cells
The nervous system also relies on specialized support
cells.
Schwann cells cover axons. A collection of Schwann
cells, called the myelin sheath, insulates neurons
axons and helps them send messages.

29.2 Neurons
Neurons have other structures to transmit signals.

Schwann cell

29.2 Neurons
Neurons have other structures to transmit signals.

Schwann cell
synapse
synapse

29.2 Neurons
Neurons have other structures to transmit signals.

Schwann cell
synapse
axon terminal

axon
terminal

29.2 Neurons
Neurons receive and transmit signals.
Neurons transmit information in the form of electrical and
chemical impulses. When a neuron is stimulated, it
produces an electrical impulse that travels only within that
neuron. Before the message can move to the next cell, it
changes into a chemical signal.

29.2 Neurons
Neurons receive and transmit signals.
When a neuron is not transmitting a signal, it is said to be
at rest. This does not mean that the neuron is inactive.
Neurons work to maintain a charge difference across
their membranes, which keeps them ready to transmit
impulses when they become stimulated.
While a neuron is at rest, the inside of its cell membrane
is more negatively charged than the outside. The
difference in charge across the membrane is called the
resting potential, because it contains the potential
energy needed to transmit an impulse.

29.2 Neurons
Sodium-potassium pump
Two types of ions Na+ and K+ cause the resting
potential.
potential
Resting potential means no signal is being transmitted.
more Na+ outside of cell
more K+ inside of cell
The neuron is negative compared with its surroundings
because there are fewer positive ions inside the neuron.
Proteins in the cell membrane of the neuron maintain the
resting potential. Some are protein channels that allow
ions to diffuse across the membrane Na+ diffuse into
the cell and K+ diffuse out.

29.2 Neurons
Sodium-potassium pump
The membrane has many more channels for K+ than for
Na+, so positive charges leave the cell much faster than
they enter.
This unequal diffusion of ions is the main reason for the
resting potential.
The membrane also has a protein called the sodiumpotassium pump, which uses energy to actively transport
Na+ ions out of the cell and bring K+ ions into the cell.
This process also helps maintain the resting potential.

29.2 Neurons
Transmission within a neuron
When a neuron is stimulated, it
produces a moving electrical
impulse called an action
potential.
potential
An action potential requires ion
channels in the membrane that
have gates that open and close.
When a neuron is stimulated,
gated channels for Na+ open
quickly, and Na+ ions rush into
the cell. This stimulates adjacent
Na+ channels down the axon to
spring open. Na+ rush into the
cell and then those ion channels
snap shut.

29.2 Neurons
Transmission within a neuron
At the same time, K+
channels open and close
more slowly. When K+
channels open, K+ ions
leave the cell. This makes
the cell more negative, as
during resting potential.
Because these channels
open and close more
slowly, K+ ions appear to
leave the neuron at the tailend of the action potential.

29.2 Neurons
Transmission between neurons
Before the action potential can be passed to another
neuron, it reaches the axon terminal, the end of the
axon.
Then it must pass through a tiny gap between the
neurons, called a synapse.
As the action potential reaches the terminal, the terminal
releases chemicals into the synapse. These chemicals,
called neurotransmitters, are the nervous systems
chemical signals.
Neurotransmitters connect to the next neuron, stimulating
it to open its Na+ channels. This produces another action
potential.

29.2 Neurons
Transmission between neurons
Many synapses connect to neurons.
In order to generate an action potential, the adjacent
neuron needs to be stimulated at more than one
synapse.
The amount a neuron needs to be stimulated before it
produces an action potential is called a threshold.
threshold
Once neurotransmitters have triggered an action
potential, they must be removed from the synapse so that
ion channels on the second neuron will close again.
These neurotransmitters will be broken down by
enzymes in the synapse, or they are transported back
into the terminal that released them.

29.2 Neurons
An action potential is a moving electrical impulse.
It is generated by a stimulus.
Na+ enters, and cell becomes
positively charged.
K+ leaves, and area of positive
charge moves.
area of detail

29.2 Neurons
A chemical signal passes between neurons.

Impulse reaches terminal.

impulse

29.2 Neurons
A chemical signal passes between neurons.

Impulse reaches terminal.

impulse

29.2 Neurons
A chemical signal passes between neurons.

Impulse reaches terminal.

Neurotransmitters released into synapse.

synapse

impulse
neurotransmitter

vesicles

receptor

29.2 Neurons
A chemical signal passes between neurons.

Impulse reaches terminal.

Neurotransmitters released into synapse.
Neurotransmitters stimulate next cell.

synapse

impulse
neurotransmitter

vesicles

receptor

29.2 Neurons
Action potential

29.2 Neurons

In normal circumstances,
nerve cell axons only transmit
an action potential in one
direction. A new action
potential is only generated
ahead of the action potential,
not behind it.
The region behind is
temporarily incapable of
generating an action potential,
because it is restoring its
resting potential. The time it
takes to recover is called the
refractory period.

29.2 Neurons
Speed of conduction
The speed at which an action potential sweeps
along an axon depends partly on the diameter of
the axon and partly on whether or not it is
myelinated.
Myelin insulates axons and this speeds up the
rate of transmission of nerve impulses.
Na+ and K+ ions cannot flow through the myelin sheath, so
depolarization is possible only in the nodes of Ranvier.
Thus action potentials jump from one node to the next. This is
called saltatory conduction.

29.2 Neurons

29.2 Neurons

29.2 Neurons
Animations and videos
Neuron
http://my.hrw.com/content/hmof/science/high_school_s
ci/na/gr912/hmd_bio_9780547688442_/dlo/biologyvideoclips/in
dex.html?vid=112
Nerve impulse transmission
http://my.hrw.com/content/hmof/science/high_school_s
ci/na/gr912/hmd_bio_9780547688442_/dlo/animatedbiology/b2
9_02as80/index.html

29.2 Neurons
HOMEWORK
1. What are the roles of the three types of neurons?
2. Draw a picture to illustrate resting potential, and explain
how it helps transmit signals in neurons.
3. How does a threshold prevent a neuron from generating
too many action potentials?
4. What might happen if a drug blocked neurotransmitter
receptors?
5. Hyponatremia occurs when people have very low
amounts of sodium in their body. How might the nervous
system be affected if a person had this condition?