BIOSC 1250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Axon Hillock, Axon Terminal, Neuroglia
Document Summary
The nervous system is a collection of approximately 10 billion nerve cells that form a system specialized for rapid communication over long distances. Neurons (or nerve cells) are the functional units of the nervous system. Neurons are specialized to carry electrical signals rapidly over long distances, and then communicate with other cells. This communication with other cells, either other neurons or effector cells, is typically mediated by chemicals released by the neuron neurotransmitters. Today we will discuss how neurons function; the next class will provide an overview of the structure and function of the nervous system. Basic structure of neurons: a schematic figure of a neuron is presented in figure (slides. While this is a useful schematic, it is important to understand that actual neurons take on many shapes and forms. Signaling within neurons is electrical, i. e. , the flow of ions.
