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Nervous System Function

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In order to understand how the nervous system can function, we first need to take a look at the different types of cells. The nervous system is built up by neurons and supporting cells. Neurons are the cells that actually conduct the signals, whereas the supporting cells are there to provide structure and assist the neurons.
Neurons
The neuron is the unit that is necessary for the nervous system to function. It transports signals form one part of the body to another. There are many different types of neurons, which differ in structure, depending on their function. However, most of them share similar features (Figure 1.1). One of these is that they have a large cell body (compared to the size of the whole neuron), which contains the nucleus …show more content…
The dendrites are there to receive inputs from other neurons. In order to get a wide reach to pick up signals, it is necessary to have many dendrites which are spread out. In contrast, in many neurons there is only axon, which can be very long. Some axons are about a meter long, spreading out from your foot to the lower part of the spine. Many axons are covered by a layer called the myelin sheath (with gaps in between, called the nodes of Ranvier), made up of supporting cells. In this case the supporting cells are Schwann cells or Figure 1.1 Structure of a neuron (a) The cell body has two types of extensions; Dendrites and axons. Dendrites lead signals towards the cell body, whereas axons lead them away. At the end of an axon there are synapses, which connect two neurons. The axons is surrounded by a myelin sheath, produced by Schwann cells, with gaps called nodes of Ranvier. (b) A neuron seen through an electron …show more content…
This can be seen clearly when looking at a reflex, a signal from outside the body that gives an immediate response, without knowing what you are doing. An example can be seen when touching something extremely hot. The dendrites of sensory neurons notice this warmth and give a signal to the interneurons in your spine. The interneurons then synapse to the motor neurons, which make sure your hand is pulled away. Only later comes the realization of the action. A reflex happens without giving a signal to the brain, whereas a determined action does give a signal to the

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