Nervous Tissue

Central nervous system

Nervous tissue in the spinal cord and brain

Peripheral nervous system

Nervous tissue outside of the spinal cord and brain

Pseudo-unipolar neuron

Neurons seen sensory receptors with one projection for the axon with a branch of dendrites on the axon

Bipolar neuron

Neurons seen in the retina and nasal cavity with one projection for the axon and one for the dendrites

Multipolar neuron

Neurons seen throughout the nervous system that have one projection for the axon and multiple for dendrites

Satellite cell

Flat glial cells that supports PNS neurons by reacting to damage and maintaining extracellular homeostasis

Schwann cell

Tube-shaped glial cells that myelinate PNS axons

Astrocyte

Star-shaped glial cells that supports CNS neurons by reacting to damage

Oligodendrocyte

Branch-shaped glial cells that myelinate CNS axons

Ependymal cell

Rectangle-shaped glial cells in the brain’s ventricles that filter blood to make cerebrospinal fluid

Microglia

Small hairy blob-shaped glial cell that digests abnormal cells in the CNS

Upper motor neuron

Motor neurons with somas in the motor cortex and axons that run to the brainstem or spinal cord

Lower motor neuron

Motor neurons with neurons in the cranial or spinal nerves and axons that run to muscle fibers

Interneuron

Neurons in the spinal cord that transmit signals from sensory neurons and upper motor neurons to lower motor neurons

Motor unit

A motor neuron and all of the muscle fibers it innervates

Motor end plate

Region of a muscle fiber that lower motor neurons synapse onto

Hypotonia

Muscle tone disorder related to lower motor neuron dysfunction

Hypertonia

Muscle tone disorder related to central nervous system dysfunction