What is the structure of a neuron, and how are neural impulses generated?
1 Answer
A neuron is a cell with a cyton (cell body), an axon and many dendrites. This is the structure of the neuron described generally in various books and this type of neuron is called multipolar neuron.
Explanation:
If the axon is covered with a fatty covering, it is called myelinated neuron and that covering is called myelin sheath. If no such covering is present, then it is a nonmyelinated neuron. The figure above shows myelinated neuron, which has a higher conductivity because of the insulating sheath on it.
Conduction of neural impulse depends upon the following factors:
- Concentration of Na+ and K+ ions
- Membrane permeability
The conduction takes place through the Na+/K+ pump. 3 Na+ get out of the axon and 1 K+ gets inside in response to a stimulus. This changes the overall ionic balance of the cell and hence generates an action potential.
