Nervous System Overview and Tissue Types

Nervous System Overview

• The nervous system is the master integrating and coordinating system
• It continuously monitors and processes sensory information from both the external and internal environments
• It processes information and produces responses, much like a computer
• Two major divisions: central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS)
• CNS includes brain and spinal cord
• PNS includes nerves, receptors and clusters of neuron cell bodies

Nervous Tissue Types

• Nervous tissue is comprised of two main cell types: neurons and neuroglia
• Neurons are the basic functional units and transmit nerve impulses
• Neuroglia support and protect neurons; they do not transmit impulses

Neuroglia

• Neuroglia, also called glial cells, are found in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
• CNS neuroglia: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglial cells, and ependymal cells
• PNS neuroglia: Schwann cells and satellite cells
• Neuroglia play various roles, including: supporting and protecting neurons, acting as phagocytes (microglial cells), myelination, and maintaining the chemical environment around neurons

Neurons

• Neurons are highly specialized cells to transmit nerve impulses
• Neurons have a cell body (soma)
• Processes (extensions) from the cell body include dendrites (receptive region) and axon
• Cell body is the biosynthetic center of the neuron
• Neuron cell bodies, which make up gray matter, form clusters called nuclei in the CNS and ganglia in the PNS
• Neuron cell bodies contain a large round nucleus and prominent structures like neurofibrils providing support and pathways for transport of substances and chromatophilic substance, clusters of rough endoplasmic reticulum, involved in protein synthesis

Explore the complex structure and function of the nervous system with this quiz. Understand the roles of the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as the types of nervous tissue, including neurons and neuroglia. Test your knowledge on how these components work together to process information and produce responses.