2.2.1 Neuron structure and function

motor neuron

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

sensory neuron

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Interneurons (association neurons)

found in neural pathways in the CNS, connect sensory and motor neurons

cell body

Largest part of a typical neuron; contains the nucleus and much of the cytoplasm

axon

A threadlike extension of a neuron that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body.

Dendrites

a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

myelin sheath

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Nodes of Ranvier

gaps in the myelin sheath

Synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron

neurtotransmitters

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

axon terminal

The endpoint of a neuron where neurotransmitters are stored