1 Cns Histo

 The human nervous system, by far the
most complex system in the human

body, is formed by a network of more
than 100 million nerve cells
(neurons), assisted by many more glial
cells
 Each neuron has, on average, at least 1000
interconnections with other neurons,
forming a very complex system for
communication.
 CNS
 Brain
 Spinal cord
 PNS
 Nerves
 Ganglia
 Sensory
 Motor
 Somatic
 Autonomic
 Structurally, nerve tissue consists of two cell types:
 nerve cells, or neurons, which usually show numerous
long processes, conduct nerve impulses
 glial cells (Gr. glia, glue), which have short processes,
support and protect neurons, and participate in neural
activity, neural nutrition, and the defense processes of
the central nervous system.
 Nerve tissues develop from embryonic ectoderm that is
induced to differentiate by the underlying notochord
 Neurons
 Glial Cells
 Ependymal Cells
 The Epithelial Cells Of The Choroid Plexus
 Chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla
 Melanocytes of skin and subcutaneous tissues
 Odontoblasts
 Cells of the pia mater and the arachnoid
 Sensory neurons of cranial and spinal sensory ganglia
 Postganglionic neurons of sympathetic and
parasympathetic ganglia
 Schwann cells of peripheral axons
 Satellite cells of peripheral ganglia
 Morphological Classification
 Unipolar neurons
Possesses a single process but rare in vertebrates
 Bipolar neurons
Possesses a single axon and dendrtite e.g. vestibular/ cochlear
 Multipolar neurons
Possesses a single axon and more than one dendrite
 Pseudo-unipolar neurons
Single process that divides close to perikaryon
 Motor (efferent) neurons control effector organs such
as muscle fibers and exocrine and endocrine glands
 Sensory (afferent) neurons are involved in the
reception of sensory stimuli from the environment and from
within the body
 Interneurons establish relationships among other neurons,
forming complex functional networks or circuits (as in the retina).
 Nerve Cell Body (Soma, Perikaryon)
 Axon
 Dendrite
 The cell body, also called perikaryon, is the part
of the neuron that contains the nucleus and
surrounding cytoplasm, exclusive of the cell
processes
 It is primarily a trophic center, although it also has
receptive capabilities
 The perikaryon of most neurons receives a great
number of nerve endings that convey excitatory or
inhibitory stimuli generated in other nerve cells.
 Most nerve cells have a spherical,
unusually large, euchromatic (pale-staining)
nucleus with a prominent nucleolus
 Binuclear nerve cells are seen in
sympathetic and sensory ganglia
 The chromatin is finely dispersed, reflecting
the intense synthetic activity of these cells
 Rough endoplasmic reticulum
organized into aggregates of parallel
cisternae PRODUCE both structural
proteins and proteins for transport
 Rough endoplasmic reticulum and free
ribosomes appear under the light
microscope as basophilic granular areas
called Nissl bodies abundant in large
nerve cells such as motor neurons
 Golgi complex is located only in the cell body and
consists of multiple parallel arrays of smooth cisternae
arranged around the periphery of the nucleus
 Mitochondria are especially abundant in the axon

terminals. They are scattered throughout the cytoplasm of
the cell body
 Nerve cells occasionally contain inclusions of pigments,

such as lipofuscin, which is a residue of undigested
material by lysosomes.
 Melanin containing granules e.g in CNS dorsal root

and sympathetic ganglia
 Lipid Droplets
 Neurofilaments (intermediate filaments with a
diameter of 10 nm) are abundant in perikaryons
and cell processes
 The neurons also contain microtubules (24nm)
that are identical to those found in many other
cells
 Actin filaments (6nm) are associated with
plasma membrane
 The arborization of dendrites allows one neuron to receive and
integrate a great number of axon terminals from other nerve cells
 200,000 axonal terminations establish functional contact with the
dendrites of a Purkinje cell of the cerebellum
 dendrites become thinner as they subdivide into branches
 The cytoplasmic composition of the dendrite base, close to the
neuron body, is similar to that of the perikaryon but is devoid of
Golgi complexes
 Organelles become reduced or absent near terminals except for
mitochondria, which are abundant
 Most neurons have only one axon
 An axon is a cylindrical process
 Axons are usually very long processes
 All axons originate from a short pyramid-
shaped region, the axon hillock, that
usually arises from the perikaryon
 The plasma membrane of the axon is called
the axolemma & its contents are known as
axoplasm.
 Initial segment
 Several types of ion channels are localized

in the initial segmen
 Axons have a constant diameter and do not

branch profusely
 All axon branches are known as collateral

branches
 Axonal cytoplasm (axoplasm) possesses
mitochondria, microtubules, neurofilaments,
and some cisternae of smooth endoplasmic
reticulum
 Absence of Golgi complex, polyribosomes and

rough endoplasmic reticulum emphasizes the
dependence of the axon on the perikaryon for its
maintenance.
 If an axon is severed, its peripheral parts
degenerate and die.
 There is a lively bidirectional transport of small
and large molecules along the axon.
 Anterograde flow, Retrograde flow
 Motor proteins related to axon flow
include dynein, a protein with ATPase
activity present in microtubules (related to
retrograde flow), and kinesin, a
microtubule-activated ATPase that, when
attached to vesicles, promotes anterograde
flow in the axon.
 Necessary for the survival of the neurons
 Located both in white and gray matter
 Possess a small round condensed nucleus and only a few short
processes
 Their electron dense cytoplasm contains ribosomes, numerous
microtubules, many mitochondria, RER and Golgi complex
 They produce myelin, a lipoprotein material organized in to a
sheath that insulates and protects axons in CNS.
 Each oligodendrocyte produces myelin for several axons
 Schwann cells are flattened cells with only
few mitochondria and small Golgi complex
 Perform same function in PNS as

oligodendrocytes in CNS.
 They form myelin only around a portion of

the axon
 Ependymal cells are low columnar epithelial cells
lining the ventricles of the brain and central canal
of the spinal cord.
 In some locations, ependymal cells are ciliated,
which facilitates the movement of cerebrospinal
fluid.
 Also contribute to the formation of the choroid
plexus
 Microglia are small elongated cells with short irregular
processes
 They can be recognized in routine hematoxylin and eosin
(H&E) preparations by their dense elongated nuclei,
which contrast with the spherical nuclei of other glial
cells
 Microglia, phagocytic cells that represent the
mononuclear phagocytic system in nerve tissue
 Star-shaped cells with multiple radiating
processes
 have bundles of intermediate filaments
made of glial fibrillary acid protein
 Astrocytes bind neurons to capillaries and
to the pia mater and establish blood brain
barrier
 Astrocytes are by far the most numerous
glial cells
 Fibrous astrocytes: with few long processes
mostly in white matter
 Protoplasmic astrocytes: with many short-
branched processes mostly in gray matter
 Myelin is dielectric (electrically insulating) material that
forms a layer, the myelin sheath
 Myelination occurs over a protracted period beginning

during the second trimester in the peripheral nervous
system
 Motor roots myelinate before sensory roots in the PNS
whereas the sensory nerves myelinate before the motor
systems
 The cranial nerves of the midbrain, pons and medulla
oblongata begin myelination at about 6 months' gestation
 Myelination is not complete at birth; its most rapid phase
occurs during the first 6 months of postnatal life, after
which it continues at a slower rate up to puberty and
beyond
 Myelination of the various subcorticospinal
pathways, i.e. vestibulospinal,
reticulospinal, olivospinal and tectospinal
(often grouped as bulbospinal tracts) occurs
from 24-30 weeks' gestation for the medial
groups, and extends to 28-34 weeks'
gestation for the lateral groups
 Myelination of the corticospinal tracts
occurs some 10-14 days after birth in the
internal capsule and cerebral peduncles, and
then proceeds
 Longer axons appear to myelinate first
 When sectioned, the cerebrum, cerebellum, and
spinal cord show regions that are white (white
matter) and that are gray (gray matter)
 The differential distribution of myelin in the
central nervous system is responsible for these
differences
 The main component of white matter is
myelinated axons and the myelin-producing
oligodendrocytes.
 Gray matter contains neuronal cell bodies,
dendrites, and the initial unmyelinated portions of
axons and glial cells
 Gray matter is prevalent at the surface of
the cerebrum and cerebellum, forming the
cerebral and cerebellar cortex
 Aggregates of neuronal cell bodies forming
islands of gray matter embedded in the
white matter are called nuclei
 In the cerebral cortex, the gray matter has
six layers of cells with different forms and
sizes
 Typical neocortex is described as having six
layers or laminae lying parallel to the
surface
1. The molecular or plexiform layer
2. The external granular lamina
3. The external pyramidal lamina
4. The internal granular lamina
5. The internal pyramidal (ganglionic) lamina
6. The multiform (or fusiform/pleiomorphic)
layer
 The cortex contains the terminations of afferent
'climbing' and 'mossy' fibres, five varieties of
neurone (granular, stellate, basket, Golgi and
Purkinje), neuroglia and blood vessels.
 There are three main layers of the
cortex:
 Molecular;
 Purkinje cell
 granular

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 The human nervous system, by far the

most complex system in the human

 Mitochondria are especially abundant in the axon

 Nerve cells occasionally contain inclusions of pigments,

 Melanin containing granules e.g in CNS dorsal root

 Several types of ion channels are localized

 Axons have a constant diameter and do not

 All axon branches are known as collateral

 Absence of Golgi complex, polyribosomes and

 Perform same function in PNS as

 They form myelin only around a portion of

 Myelination occurs over a protracted period beginning

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