Neurons

p Running Head : Neurons

Abstract

The Central Nervous System (CNS ) is composed of neurons or nerve cells The brain , the spinal cord and the peripheral ganglia are intricately well-connected through these neurons . Each nerve cell has two principal parts : an axon and dendrites . Between these two parts lies the cell body or soma of the nerve cell . Electric and chemical signals are the two main methods of signal propagation . Chemical signals occur at the junction of neurons called synapses . The entire neuron is wrapped in a layer of lipid and protein

called the `myelin sheath ' Some nerve cells are myelinated and the others are non-myelinated . Though a single nerve cell can have multiple branching dendrites or dendritic filaments that by their biological definition emerge from the cell body , a soma or cell body never has more than one axon , the upper part of the nerve cell that links to the soma . This paper examines the function of the myelin sheath and describes the events of membrane polarization

In order of fastest to slowest conduction rate would be Axon Y has a diameter of 10 micrometers , is 25 cm long and is myelinated followed by Axon Z is 2 .5 micrometers in diameter , is 2 .5 cm long and is myelinated and the slowest would be Axon X has a diameter of 1 .0 micrometers , is 10 cm long and is unmyelinated

The first important reason is myelinated nerve cells are faster in conduction when compared with unmyelinated nerve cells due to...