These signals are transmitted electrically across the soma and down a major extension from the soma known as the axon, which ends at multiple terminal buttons. The neuron is a small information processor, and dendrites serve as input sites where signals are received from other neurons. The soma has branching extensions known as dendrites. The nucleus of the neuron is located in the soma, or cell body. This illustration shows a prototypical neuron, which is being myelinated by a glial cell. This membrane allows smaller molecules and molecules without an electrical charge to pass through it, while stopping larger or highly charged molecules.įigure 1. A neuron’s outer surface is made up of a semipermeable membrane. Like all cells, neurons consist of several different parts, each serving a specialized function. Neurons are the central building blocks of the nervous system, 86 billion strong at birth. This section briefly describes the structure and function of neurons. Neurons, on the other hand, serve as interconnected information processors that are essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system. This is important because it suggests that human brains are more similar to other primate brains than previously thought (Azevedo et al, 2009 Hercaulano-Houzel, 2012 Herculano-Houzel, 2009). For years, researchers believed that there were many more glial cells than neurons however, more recent work from Suzanna Herculano-Houzel’s laboratory has called this long-standing assumption into question and has provided important evidence that there may be a nearly 1:1 ratio of glia cells to neurons. Glial cells provide scaffolding on which the nervous system is built, help neurons line up closely with each other to allow neuronal communication, provide insulation to neurons, transport nutrients and waste products, and mediate immune responses. Glial cells are traditionally thought to play a supportive role to neurons, both physically and metabolically. The nervous system is composed of two basic cell types: glial cells (also known as glia) and neurons.

Learning how the body’s cells and organs function can help us understand the biological basis of human psychology. Psychologists striving to understand the human mind may study the nervous system. Explain the role and function of the basic structures of a neuron.

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