HISTOLOGY OF

NERVOUS
SYSTEM

DR. Nabil Khouri

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NERVOUS SYSTEM
25/01/2017

• The most complex system in the human body

• Formed by network more than 100 million neuron
• Each neuron has a thousand interconnection  a
very complex system for communication
• Nerve tissue is distribute throughout the body,
anatomically divide into : CNS & PNS
• Structurally consist : Nerve cells & Glial cells
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Anatomically divided in to :

•
Functional Organization of the Nervous System

1. Somatic (conscious afferent* and efferent,

voluntary motor control)
2. Autonomic (unconscious efferent, involuntary
motor control of internal organs to maintain
homeostasis)
a. Sympathetic – thoracolumbar division
b. Parasympathetic – craniosacral division

* Somatic afferents = sensory fibers from skin, muscle,

joints, tendons.
Visceral afferents = sensory fibers from visceral organs;
some result in conscious sensations, but others do not.
However, they are not considered part of the autonomic
nervous system, which is entirely efferent.
Function of
the nervous sensory
input
system sensory receptor

motor input

effector

integration
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CONTENTS
• Cells of nervous system nerve cells and Neuralgia
• Synaptic communication
• Central nervous system & Peripheral nervous system
& associated structure
 Neurons

Cellular
Components of
the Nervous
System

Glia
(support cells)
Nervous Tissue: Support
Cells
 Support cells in the Central Nervous System
(CNS) are grouped together as neuroglia
 Neuroglia literally means “nerve glue”

 The function of neuroglia is to support,

insulate, and protect the delicate neurons of
the brain
Neuroglial Cells
 Half of the volume of the
CNS
 Smaller cells than neurons
 50X more numerous
 Cells can divide
 rapid mitosis in tumor
formation (gliomas)

 4 cell types in CNS

 Astrocytes
 Microglia
 Ependymal
 oligodendrocytes
 2 cell types in PNS
 Schwann
 satellite cells 9
 Types of
Neuroglia in CNS
 Astrocytes
 Star-shaped cells
 Half of all brain tissue
 Brace neurons; they
keep the neurons in
contact with their blood
supply (capillaries)
 Control the chemical
environment of
the brain by mopping
up leaked ions
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 Types of
Neuraglia in
CNS
 Microglia
 Spiderlike
phagocytes (white
blood cells)
 Dispose of debris
like dead brains cells
and bacteria
 Types of Neuroglia
in CNS
 Ependymal cells
 Lines the cavities of the
brain and spinal cord
 Circulate cerebrospinal fluid
by beating their cilia
 Cerebrospinal fluid fills the
space the brain does not
take up and forms a
protective cushion around
the brain and spinal chord
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 Types of
Neuroglia in
CNS
 Oligodendrocytes
 Wrap around nerve cells in
the brain and spinal chord
 Produce myelin sheaths
 Myelin is a fatty, insulation
covering the nerve cells;
allows for the electrical
signal to transmit faster
(like wire coating)
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 Neuroglial Cells in the PNS
 2 cell types in PNS
 Schwann
 satellite cells
 Types of Neurolgia
in PNS
 Satellite cells
 Protects neuron cell
bodies which is where
the nucleus of the cell if
found
Schwann cells
 Form myelin sheath in the peripheral
nervous system (nerves of the body; not
nerves of the CNS

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Schwann cells

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 Myelin sheath — whitish, fatty material
covering axons
 protects/insulates the cells and increases the
transmission rate of nerve impulses
 Schwann cells — produce myelin
 Nodes of Ranvier — gaps in myelin sheath
along the axon

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The process of myelination

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Nodes of Ranvier in a longitudinal nerve
section
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 So what’s a Neuron?
 Neurons = nerve cells
 Cells specialized to transmit messages
 Major regions of neurons
 Cell body — nucleus and metabolic center of the
cell (main part of nerve cell)
 Processes — fibers that extend from the cell body
 can be microscopic or up to 3-4 feet in length
 So what’s a Neuron?
 Neurons = nerve cells
 Cells specialized to transmit messages
 Major regions of neurons
 Cell body — nucleus and metabolic center of the
cell (main part of nerve cell)
 Processes — fibers that extend from the cell body
 can be microscopic or up to 3-4 feet in length
STRUCTURE OF
NEURON

 Principle cells of Nervous

Tissue
 Consist of 3 parts :
 CELL BODY
(perikaryon/soma)
 A single AXON
 Multiple DENDRITES
 ø 5-150 µm

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Neurons
 Functional unit of
nervous system

1. Cell body
a) Nissl bodies
b) Neurofilaments
c) Microtubules
d) Lipofuscin pigment
clumps
2. Cell processes
a) Dendrites
b) Axons

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FUNCTION OF NEURON
 Receptive
 Receptor receive stimuli and tranduce into nerve
impulse and transferro to other neuron
 Integrative
 Processing impulse on the higher center
 Motor
 Initiating motor respons and tranduse impulse to the
effector

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CELL BODY (PERIKARYON)
 Central portion of the
cell
 Generally are
polygonal
 Different shape and
size  characteristic
regions of nervous
system
 Contain :
 Nucleus

 Perinuclear
cytoplasm

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 ULTRASTRUCTURE OF NEURON
Nucleus : Cytoplasm :
 large, spherical to ovoid a. Abundant of R.E.R
and centraly located b. Polyribosomes
 a single prominent c. Basic dyes (a+b) Nissl
nucleolus Bodies
 finely dispersed chromatin
d. lots of S.E.R.
  trancriptionaly active
e. Golgi bodies (perikaryon)
 protein secreting cell

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ULTRASTRUCTURE OF NEURON
Cytoplasm
a. Many
mitochondria,
most abundant
in axon terminal
b. extensive
cytoskeleton 
axonal
transport
c. One centriole 
do not undergo
cell divisions
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 Dendrites
impulse
 Conducts impulses
towards the cell body
 Typically short, highly
branched &
unmyelinated
 Surfaces specialized for
contact with other
neurons
 Contains neurofibrils &
Nissl bodies

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Axons
 Conduct impulses away
from cell body
 Long, thin cylindrical
process of cell
 Arises at axon hillock
 Impulses arise from initial
segment (trigger zone)
 Side branches
(collaterals) end in fine
processes called axon
terminals
 Swollen tips called
synaptic end bulbs
contain vesicles filled with
neurotransmitters
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 Structural Classification of Neurons
 Based on number of
processes found on cell body
1. multipolar = several
dendrites & one axon
 most common cell type
2. bipolar neurons = one
main dendrite & one axon
 found in retina, inner
ear & olfactory
3. unipolar neurons = one
process only(develops
from a bipolar)
 are always sensory
neurons
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Structural Classification of Neurons

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NEURONS CLASSIFICATION :

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NEURONS CLASSIFICATION :

According to their function :

 Sensory Neuron (afferent )
 Receive sensory input  conduct impulses to CNS
 Motor Neuron (Efferent)
 CNS  conduct impulses to muscles, glands and other
neurons
 Interneuron
 In the CNS as interconnectors, establish neuronal circuit
between sensory and motor neuron

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NEURON GROUPING
 CORTEX
 Neuron form six layers on the cerrebrum
 Form three layers on the cerrebellum
 NUCLEI
 In subcortical region (thalamus, midbrain,
brainstem and spinal cord) neuron form irregular
cluster  nuclei
 GANGLION
 Cluster of neuron outside the CNS
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THE CNS
 Consist of :
 Cerebrum
 Cerebellum
 Spinal cord
 No connective tissue soft,
gel like
 When sectioned :
 White matter
 Gray matter
 Covered by meninges
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 Gray and White Matter
 White matter = myelinated processes (white in color)
 Gray matter = nerve cell bodies, dendrites, axon terminals,
bundles of unmyelinated axons and neuroglia (gray color)

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NERVE FIBERS

 Consist of axons
enveloped by a
special sheath
 Group of fibers
constitute the
peripheral nerve
 Two types :
 Myelinated fiber

 Unmyelinated fiber

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NERVE FIBERS  Myelinated fibers
 A single Schwann cell
wraps around single axon
form myelin sheath 
nodes of Ranvier
 Unmyelinated fibers
 A single Schwann cell
envelopes several axon
 Fibers enveloped within
simple clefts of Schwann
cells

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CONNECTIVE TISSUE INVESTMENTS
 Epineureum
 Dense collagenous Con.
Tissue with thick elastic fiber
 Prevent damage by
overstreching
 Perineureum
 Dense con. Tissue
 Layers of epithelioids
 Isolates neural environment
(blood-nerve barrier)
 Endoneureum
 Loose con. Tissue
 Regulation of
microenvironment of
nerve fiber
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Connective tissue layers in a peripheral nerve. Tight junctions
between perineurium cells form a important isolating barrier.

Epineurium

Perineurium
PERIPHERAL NERVE

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AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

SYMPHATETIC SYSTEM PARASYMPHATETIC SYSTEM

 The nuclei located in the  The nuclei located in the

thoracic and lumbar medulla and midbrain and in

the sacral portion of spinal
segment of spinal cord cord
 Preganglionic fibers leave  Pre ganglionic fibers leave the
the CNS by way of CNS trough cranial nerve III,
ventral roots VII, IX and X and also trough
II, III, IV sacral nerve
 The chemical mediator  The ganglion located near the
postganglionic fibers is effector organs
norepinephrine  The chemical mediator pre and
postganglionic fibers is
acethilcholine
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