Simple physiology question

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

Part of my psyche class is a dip into physiology. Now, I'm used to teaching myself, so whizzing through the textbook (while retaining the info)is no problem for me. However, there are a few occasions where I read a paragraph or two, go "Ughn?" and go cross eyed for a while.

This particular crosseyed moment was brought on by a very simple question that I can't get (textbooks tend to be vague when it knows the info's going to be on the test):

What exactly are axons, somas, and dendrites, what's their connection, and what do they do? Which one of these three sends info, and which on receives?

I've combed through the entire chapter and back and I can't sort it out. Bleh...

Unique · Sep 17, 2006

TsukiRyoko said:
What exactly are axons, somas, and dendrites, what's their connection, and what do they do? Which one of these three sends info, and which on receives?

I've combed through the entire chapter and back and I can't sort it out. Bleh...

axons: Neuron process that carries impulses away from the nerve cell body.
dendrites: Branching neuron process that serves as a receptive or input region; transmits the nerve impulse to the cell body.
soma: the cell body also called the perikaryon.

Perks · Sep 17, 2006

And a partridge in a pear tree.

Unique · Sep 17, 2006

Perks said:
And a partridge in a pear tree.

They keep those in the Schwann cells.

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

SO, I'm assuming that the dendrites receive, the axons are just "runners" or "highways", and I suppose that would leave the soma as the "sender"? (I have a feeling I may have dendrites and soma backwards....)

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

Wouldn't the prof love to hear that from me?

Unique · Sep 17, 2006

The soma is the cell body - a nerve cell body. Think of it like a bus terminal. Buses (impulses) come in and go out.

Think of it this way (aren't there any pictures in your book?)

------O--------
D.......S........A
Bus comes in on D - picks up info at S - leaves on A.

Did that help?

Bmwhtly · Sep 17, 2006

Good work Unique.
What ever are they teaching in schools these days?

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

Ah, there we go. My brain just said "click".

I'll be able to finish up my work now.

My book has millions of diagrams, but not a single one for this. Isn't that amazing how that works?

Opty · Sep 17, 2006

Um...I'll try to make this kind of analogous...but I'll probably fail miserably.

Think of it in baseball terms...

The soma is the pitcher's body.

The axon is his pitching arm.

The myelin sheath / myelination is the pitcher's long shirt sleeve.

The synaptic cleft is the distance between the pitcher's mound (or arm, in this example) and the catcher's mit / home plate.

The dendrite is the catcher's mit.

(the baseball is, of course, the impulse.)

Um...does any of that make any sense? Don't take the analogy too far (or literally) because it'll fall apart very quickly.

Edited to add: I just saw that Unique posted an example while I was typing mine. Hers is good. Use whatever is most helpful to you. I wasn't trying to step on toes. Just didn't see she'd already posted.

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

Sadly, not too much. School's much more independant nowadays. :rant:

Bmwhtly · Sep 17, 2006

Think of it in baseball terms

hmmm...can you put that in terms of cricket or rugby?

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

Actually, yeah it does.

Thank you. The synaptic cleft made me a little "Oh, um...." at first, but it's clicking now.

DamaNegra · Sep 17, 2006

Dendrites are like little fingers sticking out from the neurons that grab the cell and send the message to it. The axon is the main body of the neuron, like the highway.

And I've no idea what a soma is.

But I can explain to you how muscles move, the structure of the cells and most of the proteins, ions and molecules inside muscle cells.

Opty · Sep 17, 2006

Just don't ask me about the Sodium-Potassium Pump, axon collaterals, teleodendria, phospholipids, or concentration gradients.

We might have to switch to American football then, and I'm not too good at explaining football.

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

We're not quite on the muscles yet, but we're getting there :gone:

. As much as I like physiology, some of the information just flows right out as soon as I read it. I'll probably need help with it again.

Opty · Sep 17, 2006

DamaNegra said:
Dendrites are like little fingers sticking out from the neurons that grab the cell and send the message to it.

Dendrites receive the messages, not send them. Positionally, they're like the really messy "hair" on the cell's "head."

The axon is the main body of the neuron, like the highway.

You're half right. The soma is the main body of the neuron. It contains the nucleus. The axon is the long arm sticking out (the highway) from the soma. It sends the message.

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

Luckily, I think we'll just be scratching the basics of physiology (then going in depth to psyche), so you might be saved from the football.

Unique · Sep 17, 2006

DrSpork said:
Just don't ask me about the Sodium-Potassium Pump, axon collaterals, teleodendria, phospholipids, or concentration gradients.

We might have to switch to American football then, and I'm not too good at explaining football.

Oh, come on. What's a little Na/K when compared to the Kreb's Cycle?

TsukiRyoko · Sep 17, 2006

There goes the knowledge retaining train again, in one ear and out the other....

Opty · Sep 17, 2006

The Citric Acid / Kreb's Cycle is easy.

Just mix up a bunch of NADH, NAD+, and FADH, add a dash of H2O, and...voila!

Everything ends up being a crapload ATP.

Or...something like that. It's been a looong while since I was a biology major.

Unique · Sep 17, 2006

Do what I did.

Thump youself on the chest while chanting, 'soma, soma, soma' (Yes, you'll feel ridiculous.)

Axons - Away

That leaves dedrites. The devil is in the Details.
Be thankful that's all they're asking for -

Bmwhtly · Sep 17, 2006

Axons - Away

*SCREAMS*
I Remember!

Unique, you weren't teaching biology in Edinburgh some years ago by any chance?

Unique · Sep 17, 2006

LOL! No, but maybe my professor had. :ROFL:

Opty · Sep 17, 2006

Unique said:
Do what I did.

Thump youself on the chest while chanting, 'soma, soma, soma' (Yes, you'll feel ridiculous.)

Exactly. Run around your room, asking yourself, "Soma gonna fail this test or what?!"

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