Neuron
Neurons are highly specialized cells in nervous system, which can detect, receive
and transmit different kinds of stimuli.
Every neuron is made of a cell body (also called a soma), dendrites and an axon.
Dendrites and axons are nerve fibres.
The nerve fibre or axon is like a cylinder, the interior of which is filled with
axoplasm (i.e., the cytoplasm of the nerve cell) and the exterior of which is covered
with a thin membrane, the axon membrane or axolemma.
Nerve Impulse:
A nerve impulse is a wave of electrical activity that passes from one end of a neuron
to the other.
Conduction of nerve impulse is an electrochemical process. Membrane of a non
conducting nerve cell or neuron is positive on the outside and negative inside. The
difference in charge is about 70 to 90 millivolts which is called as resting potential
and the membrane is said to be polarized. To maintain resting potential, sodium
potassium metabolic pump operates.
When a stimulus (may be mechanical, electrical or chemical) is applied to the
membrane of the nerve fibre, its permeability changes and sodium potassium pump
stop operating. Sodium ions rush inside and potassium ions rush outside. This
results in the positive charge inside and negative charge outside.
The speed of nerve impulses varies enormously in different types of neurons. The
fastest travel at about 250 mph, faster than a Formula 1 racing car. For the impulse
to travel quickly, the axon needs to be thick and well insulated.
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Generation and Conduction of Nerve impulse:
The membranes of neurons (axon membrane or axolemma) are in polarized state.
Different types of ion channels are present on the neural membrane.
These ion channels are selectively permeable to different ions.
When the neuron is not conducting any impulse, the axonal membrane is more
permeable to potassium ions and nearly impermeable to sodium ions.
Membrane is impermeable to negatively charged proteins present in axoplasm.
Axoplasm inside the axon contains high concentration of K+ and negatively charged
proteins and low concentration of Na+.
The fluid outside the axon contains low concentration of K+ and high concentration
of Na+, this forms a concentration gradient across the membrane.
These ionic gradients across the resting membrane are maintained by the active
transport of ions by the sodiumpotassium pump which transports 3 Na+ outwards
for 2 K+ into the cell.
As a result, the outer surface of the axonal membrane possesses a positive charge
while its inner surface becomes negatively charged and therefore is polarized.
The electrical potential difference across the resting plasma membrane is called as
the resting potential.
Repolarization occurs when the K+ channels open and K+ moves out of the axon,
creating a change in polarity between the outside of the cell and the inside.
The impulse travels down the axon in one direction only, to the axon terminal where
it signals other neurons.