PSL201Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Resting Potential, Myelin, Axon Hillock
Document Summary
Components of a neuron soma: contains nucleus and most organelles dendrites: reception of incoming information axon: transmits electrical impulses called action potentials axon hillock: where axon originates and action potentials initiated (beginning of the axon) axon terminal: releases neurotransmitter. Typical neuron has 3 major parts cell body, dendrites and axons mature neurons lose ability to regenerate, once these neurons they are gone, this is not the case in all the brain regions. Dendrites branch from cell body and receives information from other neurons at specialized junctions called synapses, neuron on the left is presynaptic and neuron on right is postsynaptic. Synaptic clef (space in between) is about 200 angstrom wide space is very specialized due to existence of post synaptic membrane which contains specific protein receptors which will bind the transmitter molecule release from presynaptic neuron. Each neuron can connect up to 10000 neurons humans have generally 100 billion neurons. Oligodendrocytes + schwann cells which act to myelinate axons.
