NERVOUS TISSUE • The nervous sys. is classified into: • Central (C.N.S): brain and spinal cord. • Peripheral nervous system (P.N.S): a) Peripheral nerves Cranial Spinal b) Ganglia Cerebro–spinal Autonomic Sympathetic Parasympathetic ParasympatheticParasympathetic

THETHE NEURONNEURON Definition: • Is the structural and functional unit of the . Structure: • The or the nerve cell consists of: • Cell body • It contains the nucleus and surrounding cytoplasm. • Processes: and . (1) THE CELL BODY: • The Cell membrane: very thin. • The nucleus: Large, rounded, central and (open – face type) with a prominent nucleolus. TheThe cytoplasm:cytoplasm:

•Nissl granules

•Neurofibrils

•Golgi apparatus

•Mitochondria (1) THE CELL BODY: • Inclusions • Melanin pigments • Lipofuscin pigments: • Glycogen granules • Fat droplets. Centrosomes • Are absent in • mature nerve • cells as they • can not divide. • Are present in • young nerve • cells of certain • vertebrates. The axon The dendrites Number: Single. Multiple.

Thickness Thin & Thick & and Length: long. short.

Diameter: It has a constant Their diameter decrease diameter along its gradually towards their length. ends i.e. tapering.

Contour: Smooth. Irregular. The axon The dendrites

Branch. It branches at its They give extensive terminal end only i.e. branching along their “terminal arborization” course. The branches but it may give collateral branches which arise at arise at acute angles and right angles. may show spines.

Conte Contains Contain neurofibrils and :nt mitochondria and Nissl granules. neurofibrils The axon The dendrites Conductio carries impulses away carry the impulses to the n of nerve impulses : from the cell body cell body) centrifugal conduction Centripetal conduction

ClassificationClassification ofof thethe neuronsneurons (nerve(nerve cells)cells) According to the number of processes (Polarity): Unipolar nerve cells: Nerve cells are rounded with only one process. Site: mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve. Pseudounipolar nerve cells: Nerve cells are rounded. These cells are at first bipolar, but as development proceeds the two processes of the cell meet at one side of the body forming a single process which divides in inverted T- shaped manner into 2 branches, a and an axon. The single process of each cell is convoluted at its beginning in the nerve cell forming a glomerulus in its cytoplasm. Site: spinal ganglia. • Bipolar nerve cells: • The cells are fusiform or spindle-shaped, with 2 processes, a dendrite and an axon. • Site: Retina of the eye. • Spiral ganglia and vestibular ganglia in the ear. • Olfactory epithelium of the nose. • Multipolar nerve cells: • Have many dendrites and one axon. • Polygonal or stellate shaped: star-shaped. • Site: - Sympathetic ganglia. • - Anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. • Pyramidal: • Site: cerebral cortex. • Pyriform: flask –shaped cells. • Site: Purkinje cells of the cerebellum.

THE NERVE FIBER • Definition: It is the axon of a nerve cell. • The axon may be naked or ,with sheath ( ensheathed )or both neurolemma. • The axon (Axis Cylinder) • Structure : • The axon is surrounded by a membrane called “” and its cytoplasm is known as “”. It contains , neurotubules and mitochondria but no Nissl granules. • Length: • May be very long (Golgi type I) or • very short (Golgi type II). • Diameter: - thick … conducting impulses rapidly - Thin….. conducting impulses slowly. The myelin Sheath Histological appearance: • It is a white tubular covering for the axon. • It is interrupted at intervals by constrictions called “nodes of Ranvier”. The segment between two successive nodes is called “internodal segment”. Chemical Structure: • It is a lipoprotein sheath • It appears in the form of concentric layers derived mainly from the lipid middle layer of the cell membrane of Staining: • In H & E preparation: the fat of myelin dissolves in fat solvent (xylol) and appears as an empty space. • It is stained black by osmic acid. Function: Insulation of the nerve impulses. The Neurolemmal Sheath (Schwann Cells) • Histological appearance: • It is formed of a chain of cells forming a tube around myelin sheath. • Each Schwann cell has a flat oval nucleus and corresponds to an internodal segment. • The cells come in contact with the axon at the nodes of Ranvier. • Function: -Insulation of nerve impulses in nonmyelinated nerve fibers. -Important role in regeneration of peripheral nerve after injury. (No regeneration of nerve fibers occurs in the CNS where the fibers are myelinated without neurolemma). Types of Nerve Fibers: Naked Fibers: (non myelinated without neurolemma) e.g. - Termination of peripheral nerves. - Fibers in the gray matter. Ensheathed Fibers: -Myelinated with neurolemma: • e.g. peripheral nerves. -Myelinated without neurolemma: • e. g. nerve fibers in the white • matter and optic nerve. -Non- myelinated with neurolemma: • e.g. sympathetic nerve fibers. StructureStructure ofof aa peripheralperipheral NerveNerve Trunk:Trunk:

Nervous component: Groups of nerve fibers (myelinated with neurolemma) arranged in bundles. -In Hx. & E. stained section: Each fiber shows a centrally stained acidophilic axon, surrounded by an empty space of the dissolved myelin and a thin outer pink rim of The nuclei of these .cell cytoplasm Schwann .cells may be seen if they are cut in the section -In osmic acid stained section: The myelin sheath of the nerve fibers appears .as rounded black circles C. T. component: - : It is a dense C. T., which surrounds the whole nerve trunk. -: It is a dense C. T., which surrounds the bundles of nerve fibers. -: (Henle’s sheath) It is a delicate loose C. T. between the individual nerve

GANGLIAGANGLIA •Definition: • A nerve is a collection of nerve cells and nerve fibers, covered by a C. T. capsule, outside the C. N. S.

• NB: a collection of nerve cells inside the C. N. S is called nucleus.

Spinal Sympathetic ganglion ganglion Site : C.T. Capsul. Spinal Sympathetic ganglion Nerve cells: ganglion Type: Size: Arrangement: Number: Nuclei: Satellite Cs Glomerulus : Spinal Sympathetic ganglion Nerve ganglionThickly myelinated. Thinly or non myelinated Fiber Widely separated from each Close to each other. other .Irregularly distributed s Parallel to the capsule. Present absent Synapse: (as the fibers fibers preganglionic) are the peripheral synapse with the ganglion processes of the nerve cells whose axons form cells whose axons enter . )the postganglionic fibers the C.N.S) Spinal Sympathetic ganglion Blood supply: ganglion

Function: Acts as relay for Acts as relay for different different motor sensations functions arising before their from the spinal cord. entrance into the spinal cord. Nervous tissue

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