somatic nervous system example psychology

On many neurons, especially the longer ones, the axon is wrapped in a sheet of a waxy, fatty substance called myelin, which serves to enable much faster neural transmission than is possible in unmyelinated neurons. The axon is the extended arm of the neuron, ending in more branching projections (these are called terminal buttons) through which information is passed along to other neurons. The dendrites, which may number in the hundreds on a single neuron, are ﬁngerlike projections (the name means ﬁngers) with the task of receiving information from other neurons. The cell body is essentially a life-support center for the rest of the cell, and like most cell bodies it includes a nucleus, which is where the cell DNA is located. This conﬁguration may be roughly divided into three parts: cell body, dendrites, and axon. Despite these disparities, most neurons share a basic conﬁguration. Neurons come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from a microscopic scale to several feet long-there are single neurons that extend from the spinal column to the foot, for example. The body contains approximately one trillion neurons, with a large portion of them making up the brain.

Neurons are the cells that actually transmit information, making possible everything from higher-order thought processes to simple reﬂexes and movements. Glia also provide myelin, an important insulating material for proper nervous transmission. Glial cells, or simply glia (the name means glue) exist to provide support for the neurons, by holding them in place, providing nourishment, destroying old and damaged neurons, and disposing of waste materials. Both types are very important, but the neurons tend to get most of the attention, because they are the cells that actually transmit information. The major biological determinant of human behavior is the nervous system, which is made up of two different kinds of cells: glial cells and neurons.

Somatic nervous system example psychology