Neurons+-+SD

=Introduction= =Parts of the Neuron= =ALS= toc =Neurons Support the Nervous System: True or False= =Conclusion= =References=

Did you ever wonder what Neurons are? Well stop right here because I have the answer for you! You might be interested to know that the neuron has some parts in it that no other cells have! The neuron is also the cause of ALS. The neuron is important because it sends messages to your brain to tell you when something is too hot or too cold. The neuron also tells your brain lots of other things. Read on to find out if neurons support your nervous system or not!
 * Introduction **


 * Parts of the Neuron **

__** Different parts of the neuron **__ The different parts of the **neuron** are the ** cell body **, ** the dendrites ** and ** the axon **. That’s not all! There are more parts of the neuron. However, the parts of the neuron that I just listed, are the parts of the neuron that make the neuron different from the other cells in the body. __** The cell body **__ The ** cell body ** is a large part of the neuron that is responsible for making proteins and using energy for growth of the cell. The cell body contains a nucleus and an axon. The cell body also has dendrites that branch off of the cell body. The cell body in the neuron is important because it’s where most of the parts of the neuron begin. In the diagram, look to the left side of the diagram and you’ll see the cell body. The cell body is the circle that the branch like dendrites are coming out of. __** Dendrites **__ The **dendrites** are the extensions that branch off of the cell body. They are used to receive impulses mostly from one axon to another. They bring electrical signals to the cell body. The dendrites and axons don’t quite touch each other, they are separated by a narrow space called a synaptic cleft. In an article called “Nervous System” by World Book Online, they write “ Dendrites are specialized structures for receiving impulses” This quote proves that I wasn’t making up a fact when I said that they are specialized for receiving impulses. In the diagram you can see branch like extensions off of the cell body. Those are the dendrites. __** The Axon **__ The **axon** is specialized to carry messages through the body. It is a tube like extension of the cell body. It’s different from the dendrites though. The axon is also different from the dendrites because you can have multiple dendrites but only one axon. The axon connects to the muscles and tells them what to do. In the diagram, there are yellow oval shapes. Between each one of those is a purple line. That line runs through the ovals. That purple line is called the axon. Keep in mind, the yellow ovals are not part of the axon.

True! The nervous system is made up of billions of cells and some of them are neurons! There are different kinds of neurons that make up the nervous system. The two i’m going to talk about are the motor neurons and the receptor neurons. The receptor neurons are located in the eyes and ears. The motor neurons carry messages from the brain to the muscles and glands. The neurons support the nervous system because the neurons are the cells that make up the nervous system.
 * Neurons Support the Nervous System: True or False? **

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) kills motor neurons. That’s right. Motor neurons are dying in this disease. If you read “Neurons Support the Nervous System: True or False?” you would know that the motor neurons carry messages from the brain to the muscles and glands. So if you have ALS you don’t have anything to send messages to your muscles. In an article by the ALS Association, the author writes, “The motor neurons are the large cells of the spinal cord that send nerves fibers out to control the muscles.” In the ALS disease, the motor neurons that send out the fibers, die. So you have nothing to control your muscles or glands.
 * ALS **

Neurons are very important. There are lots of different parts of the neuron but the axon, dendrites and cell body makes them special. Neurons DO support the nervous system. The disease ALS is caused by the motor neurons dying. Neurons are an important part of our bodies!
 * Conclusion **