|
I have put together this little,
oversimplified chart of the cells of the nervous system to get you started on them.
It doesn't really offer much information, but it will help you to organize your thoughts
on these cells.
| |
Neurons
|
Types of Glia
|
CNS
|
In the CNS,
neurons are described either by their shape or by their connections.
Shape: unipolar, bipolar, or multipolar.
Connections: sensory neurons,
interneurons, and motor neurons
Regardless of which classification, they all work in a
similar manner-- electrically and chemically.
|
There are 4 types
of glia described... each has a different set of functions for the nervous system.
Only the first two are of great importance for us.
- Astrocytes
- Oligodendrocytes
- Microglia
- Ependyma
|
PNS
|
The
cells we will discuss here are those of the ANS and certain sensory
neurons. We will not do a lot with them until next semester. |
There are 2 main
types of glia in the peripheral nervous system. Each has a different set of
functions. These are not clearly laid out in your textbook. We will spend a
bit of time on the first type.
- Schwann Cells
- Satellite Cells
|
Please note: neurons can be described
either on the basis of their shape or on the basis of their function. I do
not find the shape classification to be extremely useful at this point, but the
functional classification is very useful. However, you will need to learn
both. The shape classification will help you understand some material
better, and it will show up on standardized tests.
|
