Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
BRAIN
SPINAL
CORD
SPINAL
NERVES
SCIATIC
NERVE
FIGURE 3.27
The central nervous system (CNS) consists of all nervous tissue that is enclosed by bone—that is,
the brain and spinal cord—whereas the peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of the nervous tissue that is not
encased by bone.
MITOCHONDRION
AXON
TERMINAL
VESICLES
SYNAPSE
NEUROTRANSMITTER
FIGURE 3.28
Following stimulation, vesicles in the axon terminal move to the synapse by means of exocytosis
and release neurotransmitters into the space between the axon and the next cell, which could be the dendrite of
another neuron, a muscle fiber, or a gland. The neurotransmitters diffuse across the synapse and elicit a response
from the adjacent cell.
