The building block to the entire Central Nervous System, The Neuron! Above is a representation of a typical neuron, and some of its features.
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Figure B
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In man, Neural Networks consist of two or more neurons with highly specialized non-neural sensory receptor cells, that are responsive to very specific environmental stimuli such as light, heat, osmolarity, stretching, and pressure. Sensory neurons lead from receptor cells to other neurons; Motor neurons lead to muscle cells; and Interneurons connect neurons to each other.
The diagram above displays the interconnections of neurons that form simple Neural Networks. The Afferent Axons of sensory neurons excite four interneurons, A, B, D, and E. Of these, B and D send impulses out of the system as Efferent Axons to excite other systems. Closed loops are formed by A-B-B', and B-C-C'.
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Figure D
The NeöCortical Layers
- Thalamic afferents
- arrive in layer IV and synapse on stellate interneuron (S1).
- Callosal (or associative) afferents
- feed into the more superficial layers to synapse on interneurons or on the long vertical (apical) dentrites of pyramidal neurons.
- Pyramidal cells (P1 and P2)
- may be found in layers III and V.
- Stellate cells (S1 - S5)
- are found throughout the NeoCortex and include several types of cells.
- Basket-type stellate interneurons (S2)
- establish connections within the superficial layers, functioning to inhibit the cells to which they project.
- Larger basket stellate interneurons (S3)
- located in the deeper layers may also spread inhibition laterally in the deeper layers.
- Fusiform (spindle-shaped) stellate cells(S4)
- are primarily located in layer VI, sending excitatory axons vertically.
- Double bouquet-type stellate cells (S5)
- may secure the spread of excitation over the entire depth of the NeoCortex when layer IV is stimulated by incoming afferents.