The Brain Cell - Neurons and Neuroglia
April 12th 2006 00:54
Body Part of the Day - The Brain Cell
Human brain cells comprise the neuron and the neuroglia or glial cells. The latter are cells that provide support and nutrition, maintain homeostasis and form myelin - a material that I’ll go into further below.
Neurons, otherwise known as nerve cells, receive stimuli and transmit electrical signals/nerve impulses called Action Potentials to other neurons, or effector organs and muscles - the parts of the body responding to the stimulus. Each neuron consists of a cell body and an axon. The Action Potential darts through the axon which is protected by a myelin sheath formed by a Schwann Cell, a type of neuroglia. Neurons are analogous to TV cable wires, which are protected by an insulating wire, to provide for minimal loss of signal.
When the protective layer of myelin is attacked by the body’s immune response, thinking it is a foreign object that shouldn’t be there, we have the condition of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). With sclero- meaning hardening and –osis relating to disease we have a hardening disease of multiple areas. It is multiple because the disease can strike one or many neurons throughout the central nervous system, causing any symptom from fatigue, to vision loss and immobility; depending on what type of neuron is affected, and what it’s original function was.
Human brain cells comprise the neuron and the neuroglia or glial cells. The latter are cells that provide support and nutrition, maintain homeostasis and form myelin - a material that I’ll go into further below.
Neurons, otherwise known as nerve cells, receive stimuli and transmit electrical signals/nerve impulses called Action Potentials to other neurons, or effector organs and muscles - the parts of the body responding to the stimulus. Each neuron consists of a cell body and an axon. The Action Potential darts through the axon which is protected by a myelin sheath formed by a Schwann Cell, a type of neuroglia. Neurons are analogous to TV cable wires, which are protected by an insulating wire, to provide for minimal loss of signal.
When the protective layer of myelin is attacked by the body’s immune response, thinking it is a foreign object that shouldn’t be there, we have the condition of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). With sclero- meaning hardening and –osis relating to disease we have a hardening disease of multiple areas. It is multiple because the disease can strike one or many neurons throughout the central nervous system, causing any symptom from fatigue, to vision loss and immobility; depending on what type of neuron is affected, and what it’s original function was.
A typical Neuron.
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