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Cerebellar granule cells form the thick granular layer of the cerebellar cortex and are among the smallest neurons in the brain. (The term granule cell is used for several unrelated types of small neurons in various parts of the brain.) Cerebellar granule cells are also the most numerous neurons in the brain: in humans, estimates of their total ...
Pyramidal neurons are also one of two cell types where the characteristic sign, Negri bodies, are found in post-mortem rabies infection. [2] Pyramidal neurons were first discovered and studied by Santiago Ramón y Cajal. [3] [4] Since then, studies on pyramidal neurons have focused on topics ranging from neuroplasticity to cognition.
Neurons are highly specialized for the processing and transmission of cellular signals. Given the diversity of functions performed in different parts of the nervous system, there is a wide variety in their shape, size, and electrochemical properties. For instance, the soma of a neuron can vary from 4 to 100 micrometers in diameter. [7]
Such studies were followed by Ranulfo Romo in the somatic sensory system, to confirm, using a different percept and brain area, that a small number of neurons in one brain area underlie perceptual decisions. Other lab groups have followed Mountcastle's seminal work relating cognitive variables to neuronal activity with more complex cognitive tasks.
Dopamine has a number of important functions in the brain. This includes critical role in the reward system , motivation and emotional arousal. It also plays an important role in fine motor control and Parkinson's disease has been linked to low levels of dopamine due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta . [ 27 ]
In biology, cell signaling (cell signalling in British English) is the process by which a cell interacts with itself, other cells, and the environment. Cell signaling is a fundamental property of all cellular life in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Typically, the signaling process involves three components: the signal, the receptor, and the effector.
Brain cells make up the functional tissue of the brain. The rest of the brain tissue is the structural stroma that includes connective tissue such as the meninges, blood vessels, and ducts. The two main types of cells in the brain are neurons, also known as nerve cells, and glial cells, also known as neuroglia. [1]
Such transport of molecules towards and away from the soma maintains critical cell functions. In case of neurons, the soma receives a large number of inhibitory synapses, [6] which can regulate the activity of these cells. It has also been shown that microglial processes constantly monitor neuronal functions through somatic junctions, and exert ...