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The NeuronThe cells that carry information through your nervous system are called neurons, or nerve cells. The message that a neuron carries is called a nerve impulse. The Structure of a Neuron:The structure of the neuron enables it to carry nerve impulses. A neuron has a large cell body that contains the nucleus, threadlike extensions called dendrites, and an axon. The dendrites carry impulses toward the neuron's cell body. The axon carries impulses away from the cell body. Nerve impulses begin in a dendrite, move toward the cell body, and then move down the axon. A neuron can have many dendrites, but it has only one axon. An axon, however, can have more than one tip, so the impulse can go to more than one other cell.

Axons and dendrites are sometimes called nerve fibers. Nerve fibers are often arranged in parallel bundles covered with a connective tissue, something like a package of uncooked spaghetti wrapped in cellophane. A bundle of nerve fibers is called a nerve.

Kinds of Neurons:Three kinds of neurons are found in the body-- sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons.

A sensory neuron picks up stimuli from the internal or external environment and converts each stimulus into a nerve impulse. The impulse travels along the sensory neuron until it reaches the interneuron, usually in the brain or spinal cord. An interneuron is a neuron that carries nerve impulses from one neuron to another. Some interneurons pass impulses from sensory neurons to motor neurons. A motor neuron sends an impulse to a muscle or gland, and the muscle or gland reacts in response.

How a Nerve Impulse TravelsThe Synapse:What happens when a nerve impulse reaches the axon tip at the end of a neuron? At that point, the impulse can pass to the next structure. Sometimes the structure is a dendrite of another neuron. Other times, the structure is a muscle or a cell in another organ, such as a sweat gland. The junction where one neuron can transfer an impulse to another structure is called a synapse. (SIN aps). How an Impulse is Transferred:For a nerve impulse to be carried along at a synapse, it must cross the gap between the axon and the next structure. The axon tips release chemicals that carry the impulse across the gap.

You can think of the gap at a synapse as a river, and an axon as a road that leads up to the riverbank. The nerve impulse is like a car traveling on the road. To get to the other side, the car has to cross the river. The car gets on a ferry boat, which carries it across the river. The chemicals that the axon tips release are like the ferry, carrying the nerve impulse across the gap.

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