chapter
33 Nervous System
section ●
1 Structure of the Nervous System
Before You Read -!). )DEA
Neurons conduct electrical
On the lines below, describe how you reacted the last time impulses that allow cells,
you touched a hot object such as a pan heating on the stove. tissues, and organs to detect
Read about the structures that help you react quickly to your and respond to stimuli.
environment. What You’ll Learn
■ the major parts of a neuron and
their functions
■ how a nerve impulse is similar
to an electrical signal
Read to Learn 3TUDY #OACH
Make Flash Cards Write an
Neurons underlined term on one side of a
A neuron (NOOR ahn) is a specialized nerve cell that helps flash card. Write the definition for
you gather information about your environment, interpret the the term on the other side of the
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
card. Use the flash cards to quiz
information, and react to it. Neurons make up the nervous yourself on the terms and their
system. The nervous system is a huge communication network definitions.
that runs throughout your body.
As you can see in the figure below, a neuron has three
regions: the dendrites, a cell body, and an axon. Dendrites
receive signals called impulses. They funnel the signals to the
cell body. The nucleus and other organelles of the neuron are
found in the cell body. The axon carries the impulse from the
cell body to other neurons and muscles.
Picture This
$ENDRITE 1. Label Add a title that
!XON ENDINGS describes the figure.
#ELL BODY
!XON
.UCLEUS
Reading Essentials Chapter 33 Nervous System 385
What are the three types of neurons?
There are sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor
neurons. All neurons have the same three regions. However,
each type of neuron performs a specific function. Sensory
neurons send signals from receptors in your skin and sense
organs to your brain and spinal cord. Interneurons are located
in the brain and spinal cord. They receive the signals sent by
the sensory neurons. Interneurons also send signals to the
motor neurons. The motor neurons are located in your glands
and mucles and cause movement.
When you stub your toe, sensory neurons in your foot send
impulses to the interneurons. The interneurons signal the
2. Predict What might motor neurons to move your foot. The nerve pathway that
happen if your interneurons consists of a sensory neuron, an interneuron, and a motor
could not function? neuron is called a reflex arc. A reflex arc is the basic structure
and function of the nervous system.
A Nerve Impulse
A nerve impulse is an electrical charge traveling the length
of a neuron. Any stimulus, such as a touch or a loud noise, can
cause an impulse.
What is a sodium-potassium pump?
When a neuron is not conducting an impulse, it is at rest.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
When a neuron is at rest, there are more sodium ions outside
the cell than inside the cell. In addition, there are more
potassium ions inside the cell than outside the cell.
Ions diffuse from an area of high concentration to an area
of low concentration. Proteins in the neuron’s plasma membrane
work against diffusion of sodium ions and potassium ions.
These proteins are called the sodium-potassium pump. They
work against the normal flow of ions by actively transporting
sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell.
The sodium-potassium pump moves two potassium ions
into a neuron for every three sodium ions it pumps out. The
uneven number of ions results in a positive charge outside
the cell and a negative charge in the cytoplasm of the neuron.
What is an action potential?
3. Identify What produces Another name for a nerve impulse is an action potential.
an action potential? If an action potential is strong enough, it travels along a
neuron. If it is not strong enough, nothing happens. The
minimum stimulus needed to produce an action potential
is a threshold.
386 Chapter 33 Nervous System Reading Essentials
What happens when threshold is reached?
When a stimulus reaches threshold, channels in the plasma
membrane open. A channel is a path along which an electrical
signal passes. As the channels open, sodium ions rapidly move
into the neuron’s cytoplasm. The inside of the cell now has a
positive charge.
The positive charge causes other channels in the membrane
4. Define What is a
to open. Potassium ions leave the cell through these channels, channel?
and the cytoplasm returns to a negative charge. This change
in charge, shown below, moves like a wave down the length
of the axon. In the figure, sodium ions are labeled Na⫹ and
potassium ions are K⫹. The ⫹ and ⫺ signs indicate positive
and negative charges inside and outside the cell.
Picture This
5. Explain Use the figure to
!CTION POTENTIAL explain to a partner what
/UTSIDE happens when a stimulus
CELL
reaches threshold.
)NSIDE
.A
CELL
0ATH OF
/UTSIDE IMPULSE
CELL
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
+
.A
+
+
.A
2ESTING POTENTIAL
/UTSIDE
CELL
+
)NSIDE
;.A= ;+= CELL
/UTSIDE
;.A= ;+= CELL
Reading Essentials Chapter 33 Nervous System 387
What is the speed of an action potential?
The speed of an action potential varies. Many axons are
covered in a myelin sheath, which is a lipid (fat) layer that
protects the axon. Sodium and potassium cannot diffuse
through the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath, however, has
many gaps called nodes. The ions reach the cell’s plasma
membrane at the nodes. The action potential jumps from
node to node, increasing speed as it moves along the axon.
Some neurons in the human body have a myelin sheath,
6. Describe What is the
purpose of myelin? and other neurons are not protected by myelin. Neurons with
myelin carry impulses that signal sharp pain, such as the pain
felt when you stub your toe. Neurons that do not have myelin
are associated with dull, throbbing pain.
How do impulses move from one neuron to
another neuron?
Neurons do not touch each other. There is a small gap
between them. The gap between the axon of one neuron and
the dendrite of another neuron is called a synapse (SIH naps).
When an action potential reaches the end of one axon,
channels open. Vesicles carrying neurotransmitters are
released from the axon. A neurotransmitter is a chemical
that diffuses across the synapse and binds to receptors in the
dendrite of the neighboring neuron.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
What is the job of neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters have one job: to send the action potential
to the next neuron. The human body has more than 25
neurotransmitters. Once a neurotransmitter has been released
into the synapse, it does not remain there for long. Some
neurotransmitters diffuse away from the synapse. Enzymes
break down other neurotransmitters. Some neurotransmitters
are recycled and used again. As shown in the figure below,
neurotransmitters allow one neuron to communicate with
other neurons.
Picture This Axon
7. Identify Add a label to
identify how one neuron _______
communicates with other
neurons. Synapse
Receptors
Surface of
next neuron
388 Chapter 33 Nervous System Reading Essentials
