Processes (fibers)
Dendrites—conduct impulses toward the cell body
Neurons may have hundreds of dendrites
Axons—conduct impulses away from the cell body
Neurons have only one axon arising from the cell body at
the axon hillock
End in axon terminals, which contain vesicles with
neurotransmitters
Axon terminals are separated from the next neuron by a
gap
Synaptic cleft—gap between axon terminals and the next
neuron
Synapse—functional junction between nerves where a
nerve impulse is transmitted
Nervous Tissue: Neurons
Electrical conditions of a resting neuron’s
membrane
The plasma membrane at rest is inactive (polarized)
Fewer positive ions are inside the neuron’s plasma membrane
than outside
K
+
is the major positive ion inside the cell
Na
+
is the major positive ion outside the cell
As long as the inside of the membrane is more negative (fewer
positive ions) than the outside, the cell remains inactive
2 TYPES of REFLEXES
Somatic reflexes
Reflexes that stimulate the skeletal muscles
Involuntary, although skeletal muscle is normally under
voluntary control
Example: pulling your hand away from a hot object
TYPES of REFLEXES ARCS
Two-neuron reflex arcs
Simplest type
Example: patellar (knee-jerk) reflex
TYPES of REFLEXES ARCS
Three-neuron reflex arcs
Consists of five elements: receptor, sensory neuron,
interneuron, motor neuron, and effector
Example: flexor (withdrawal) reflex
Figure 7.15 Frontal section (facing posteriorly) of the brain showing commissural, association, and projection fibers running through the cerebrum
and the lower CNS.
Protection of the Central Nervous System
Meninges
Dura mater
Outermost leathery layer
Double-layered external covering
Periosteum—attached to inner surface of the skull
Meningeal layer—outer covering of the brain
Folds inward in several areas
Falx cerebri
Tentorium cerebelli
Arachnoid layer
Middle layer
Subarachnoid space is filled with cerebrospinal fluid
Arachnoid granulations protrude through the dura mater and
absorb cerebrospinal fluid into venous blood
Pia mater
Internal layer
Clings to the surface of the brain and spinal cord