PSL300H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Dorsal Root Ganglion, Axon Hillock, Endoplasmic Reticulum
Document Summary
Cytoplasmic features: neurons (excitable, for information transfer, glia (non-excitatory, for neural function support to increase information transfer efficiency, supporting cells, blood vessels, endothelium, fibroblasts, smooth muscle & microglia, not developed as part of the ns. Highly metabolically active (rapid metabolism: energy hog, 2% of body mass, uses 20% o2, produces 17% co2. Receptive areas: dendrites & cell membrane can all receive signals. Dendrites: tapers at the periphery, diameter decreases as it extends out from the soma, contains little spines. Increase surface area for synaptic transmission: environmentally dependent, enriched environments greater # of spines, affects different neurons in different areas, can have thousands of spines / cell. Neuron types & shapes: unipolar cells, projections branch from 1 single point on soma. Histological sections: rare in vertebrates, found in cerebellum. Pseudo-unipolar cells: projections branch from 1 single point on soma, projections branch out into 2 projections, 1 to central ns, 1 to peripheral ns, found in dorsal root ganglion (sensory inputs)
