Cell Biology and Development Studies

Neurons

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Neurons serve as the essential components of the nervous system. They deliver signals to several areas of the body. This is conducted in both physical and electrical formats. There are various kinds of neurons that assist in the transmission of information. The sensory neurons transmit information from the sensory receptor cells situated across the body of the brain. In contrast, the motor neurons hold signals from the brain to the muscles. The interneurons convey information among various neurons consisting of three primary components: Dendrites, an Axon, and a cell body of Soma, which can be likened to the branches, roots, and trunk of a tree. A dendrite (tree limb) is the part of a neuron that gathers input from the other cells. Dendrites expand their branches as they reach their tips, similar to how tree branches grow, and they also feature leaf-like formations known as spines. The axon (like tree roots) function as the output structures of the neurons; when a neuron wants to communicate with another neuron, it transmits an electrical signal known as action potential along the entire axon. The soma (tree trunk) location of the nucleus holds the neurons' DNA and is the site where proteins are produced for transport along the axon and dendrites. A neuron differs in form and dimension based on its role and position. There are three distinct types of neurons: motor neurons, Sensory neurons, and Interneurons. Motor neurons in the spinal cord are components of the central nervous system (CNS) and link to muscles, glands, and organs across the body. These neurons send impulses from the spinal cord to skeletal and smooth muscles, thereby directly regulating all of our muscle movements. There are actually two kinds of motor neurons: those that extend from the spinal cord to the muscles are known as lower motor neurons, while those that connect the brain and spinal cord are referred to as upper motor neurons. Sensory neurons are nerve cells that get triggered by sensory stimuli from the environment. For instance, when you touch a hot surface with your fingers, it is the sensory neurons that activate and send signals to the rest of the nervous system regarding the data they have collected. As indicated by their name, interneurons are positioned in between they link spinal motor neurons with sensory neurons. In addition to relaying signals between sensory and motor neurons, interneurons can also interact with each other, generating circuits of different complexities. They are multipolar, similar to motor neurons.