Parts of a neurone

What is the cell body?

• Controls all functions of the cell

• Contains the nucleus

• Produces energy and chemicals needed for the neuron to function

What is the nucleus?

• Controls the cells activities and contains the cells genetic material.

What are the dendrites?

• Branch like structure at the end of the neurone

• receives electrical impulses from other neurones, they pass these signals to the cell body, which processes the information.

What is the axon?

• a long thin fibre that carries electrical impulses away from the cell body, to transmit information to different neurones, muscles and glands.

What is the axon hillock?

• Action potential originates here

• Processes the incoming signals from other neurones.

What is the myelin sheath?

• A fatty insulating layer that surrounds the axon

• Allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells.

What are the nodes of Ranvier?

• Bulb like structures

• Allows for ions to diffuse in and out of the neurone, transmitting the electrical impulses down the neurone.

What are the axon terminals and the terminal buttons?

• Responsible for sending the signal to other neurones.

• Terminal buttons are found at the end of the axon, below the myelin sheath.

What do neurotransmitters do?

• They carry chemical signals from one neurone to the next target cell.