Types of Neurons Based on Structureĭifferentiation between a unipolar and pseudounipolar neuron. Now that we’ve mastered the basic external structure of neurons, let’s look at the different types of neurons that we can find in the human body. The synaptic terminal will connect to another neuron’s dendrite (or dendritic spine) and transmit the information. The axon ends in small structures called synaptic terminals. This myelin sheath has gaps which are called Nodes of Ranvier.Īxons can branch as well, and each axonal branch is called axon collateral. This helps increase the speed of propagation of electrical information. Often in a human body, a myelin sheath covers the axons. My professor liked to say that these spines look like, “ forests of tiny lollipops.” The AxonĮach neuron has one axon that will transmit the information to the following cell. The axon connects to the soma at the axon hillock, which is a very important structure as it is the final point where all the information from all the dendrites gets integrated into one clear signal, that will travel through the axon and to the next cell. The dendrites have the amazing ability to receive incoming signals directly on their membrane, or on tiny little protrusions called dendritic spines. (The first time the dendrite branches in two is called the first bifurcation, the second time it branches in two is called the second bifurcation, and so on.) Let’s dive into a little more details here:Įach point where one segment of the dendrite branches into two segments is called a bifurcation. Dendritesĭendrites are like antennas that receive information from other neurons and transmit that information to the soma. Each dendrite that connects to the soma contains many different “branches.” This ensemble is called the “ dendritic tree.” It is generally circular (round) but can also have a more “triangular” shape such as in the pyramidal cell.Įach soma receives electrical impulses from a number of dendrites. It is responsible for most of the protein and energy production of the cell. the soma, in neuroscience jargon) contains the nucleus and other smaller internal structures. A diagram of the External Structure of Neuronįirst, let’s take a look at the external structure of the most abundant type of neuron in the human body: the multipolar neuron.
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