Motor Neuron

393 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Chemistry essay explaining chemical reactions and examples

Messages from the brain control all of your voluntary and involuntary movements. They are sent through single nerve cells in the spinal cord, which are known as motor neurons. They send an impulse from the cell to a long, thin extension, which is called an axon. It travels through the axon and lets out a chemical reaction at the end of it. When the chemical reaction occurs, the muscles to move. (Inc 2015) Overall, brain messages control everything you do. First, motor neurons are sent through the axon. Motor neurons are cells that originate in the spinal cord, and they cause muscle fibers to overlap more which causes them to flex. (“Motor Neuron” n.d.) They go through the axon and to the muscle that the user wants to move and causes a chemical reaction. In total, motor neurons get sent throughout the body and create chemical reactions. Second, the axon is a long nerve fiber that conducts electrical impulses. In bundles, axons create nerves, but by themselves, they are microscopic in width. The longest one in the body is in the sciatic nerve. It stretches from the start of the spine to the big toe. (“Motor Neuron” n.d., “Axon” n.d.) Nevertheless, axons are the main conductor for electrical impulses. …show more content…

Chemical reactions are when one substance is changed into another, becoming an entirely different item. (“Chemical Reaction | Definition, Equations, Examples, & Types” n.d.) This causes the overlapping muscle fibers to overlap even more, which causes them to get shorter and wider. When those impulses that are making the muscle fibers contract stop, then the muscle fibers go back into place. For example, when someone is flexing, then the muscle gets “bigger” and when they stop, it goes back into place. (“Chemical Reaction | Definition, Equations, Examples, & Types” n.d.; Inc 2015) Overall, the chemical reaction causes the muscle fibers to

Show More
Related

  • Muscle Contraction Lab Report

    464 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the beginning phases of muscle contraction, a “cocked” motor neuron in the spinal cord is activated to form a neuromuscular junction with each muscle fiber when it begins branching out to each cell. An action potential is passed down the nerve, releasing calcium, which simultaneously stimulates the release of acetylcholine onto the sarcolemma. As long as calcium and ATP are present, the contraction will continue. Acetylcholine then initiates the resting potential’s change under the motor end plate, stimulates the action potential, and passes along both directions on the surface of the muscle fiber. Sodium ions rush into the cell through the open channels to depolarize the sarcolemma. The depolarization spreads. The potassium channels open while the sodium channels close off, which repolarizes the entire cell. The action potential is dispersed throughout the cell through the transverse tubule, causing the sarcoplasmic reticulum to release

    Read More

  • Cellular Respiration in Skeletal Muscles

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...st the sacrolemma will depolarized, thus activation potentials along the T-tubules. This signal will transmit from along the T-tubules to sarcroplasmic reticulum's terminal sacs. Next, sarcoplasmic reticulum will release the calcium into the sarcroplasm leading to the next second event called contraction. The released calcium ions will now bind to troponin. This will cause the inhibition of actin and mysoin interaction to be released. The crossbridge of myosin filaments that are attached to the actin filaments, thus causing tension to be exerted and the muscles will shorten by sliding filament mechanism. The last event is called Relaxation. After the sliding of the filament mechanism, the calcium will be slowly pumped back into the scaroplasmic reticulum. The crossbridges will detach from the filaments. The inhibition of the actin and myosin will go back to normal.

    Read More

  • Essay On Skeletal Muscle

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    Within skeletal muscle there are extremely small structures that form the muscle and allow contractions and movement to occur (epimysium, perimysium, endomysium, fascicles, fiber, sarcomere, sarcoplasmic reticulum and t tubules). These structures all play a role in protecting, connecting and transporting substances throughout the muscle fibers. They are also the main contributors to movement.

    Read More

  • Physics of Neurons

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    This reduces the amount of current that would otherwise leak out of the axon and increases the distance that the current can flow passively. Myelination, aka axon insulation, increases action potential conduction up to 150m/s compared to 0.5-10m/s conduction velocities of unmyelinated axons! Speedy delivery of current information along axons is also due to the nodes of Ranvier. Nodes of Ranvier are gaps between insulated portions of the axon. The gaps create a place where the current can flow out of the axon so an action potential can be generated.

    Read More

  • 5 Senses Vs Mechanical Sense Essay

    399 Words  | 1 Pages

    Let’s say that there is a mechanical sense. If someone touched your hand, your somatosensory system will detect various stimuli by your skin’s sensory receptors. The sensory information is then conveyed to the central nervous system by afferent neurons. The neuron’s dendrites will pass that information to the cell body, and on to its axon. From there it is passed onto the spinal cord or the brainstem. The neuron's ascending axons will cross to the opposite side either in the spinal cord or in the brainstem. The axons then terminates in the thalamus, and on into the Brodmann Area of the parietal lobe of the brain to process.

    Read More

  • The Skeletal System In The Human Body

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sensory neurons behave to physical stimuli such as light, sound and touch and send observation to the central nervous system about the body’s surrounding environment. Motor neurons, based in the central nervous system or in peripheral ganglia, disseminate signals to mobilize the muscles or glands.

    Read More

  • Muscle Contraction Essay

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    The contraction of a muscle is a complex process, requiring several molecules including ATP and Cl-, and certain regulatory mechanisms [1]. Myosin is motor protein that converts chemical bond energy from ATP into mechanical energy of motion [1]. Muscle contraction is also regulated by the amount of action potentials that the muscle receives [2]. A greater number of actions potentials are required to elicit more muscles fibers to contract thus increasing the contraction strength [2]. Studied indicate that the larger motor units, which were recruited at higher threshold forces, tended to have shorter contraction times than the smaller units [3]. The aims of the experiment were to reinforce the concept that many chemicals are required for skeletal muscle contraction to occur by using the rabbit muscle (Lepus curpaeums) [2]. In addition, the experiment was an opportunity to measure the strength of contraction and to observe the number of motor units that need to be recruited to maintain a constant force as the muscles begin to fatigue [2]. Hypothetically, the rabbit muscle fiber should contract most with ATP and salt solution; and the amount of motor units involved would increase with a decreasing level of force applied until fatigue stage is reached.

    Read More

  • The Human Nervous System

    1990 Words  | 4 Pages

    The neuron has two important structures called the dendrite and axon, also called nerve fibers. The dendrites are like tentacles that sprout from the cell and the axon is one long extension of the cell. The dendrites receive signals from other neurons, while the axon sends impulses to other neurons. Axons can extend to more than a meter long. Average sized neurons have hundreds of dendrites; therefore it can receive thousands of signals simultaneously from other neurons. The neuron sends impulses by connection the axon to the dendrites of another nerve cell. The synapse is a gap between the axon and the adjacent neuron, which is where data is transmitted from one neuron to another. The neuron is negatively charged and it bathes in fluids that contain positively charged potassium and sodium ions. The membrane of the neuron holds negatively charged protein molecules. The neuron has pores called ion channels to allow sodium ions to pass into the membrane, but prevent the protein molecules from escaping (potassium ions can freely pass through the membrane since the ion channels mostly restrict sodium ions). When a neuron is stimulated (not at rest), the pores open and the sodium ions rush in because of its attraction to the negatively charged protein molecules, which makes the cell positively charged. As a result, potential energy is released and the neurons send electrical impulses through the axon until the impulse reaches the synapse of any neurons near it.

    Read More

  • Guillain- Barre Syndrome

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    The myelin sheath is a fatty substance that surrounds the axons of the nerves and provides protection. It allows messages to be sent rapidly and accurately to the axons from long distances (Serono, 2010). The axons are the part of the nervous system that allows electrical transmission of signals throughout the brain and spinal cord. Without these electrical transmissions, the body would not be able to function properly (Serono, 2010).

    Read More

  • Neurobiology

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    Neurobiology is a theory that deals with the brain and your nerves. It determines if you are a left or right brain person. One of the theorists is named Roger Sperry. He was a very big neurobiologist. A disease that deals with this theory is ADD/ADHD.

    Read More

  • Neuroplasticity

    1643 Words  | 4 Pages

    Neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to remap itself in response to experience. The theory was first proposed by Psychologist William James who stated “Organic matter, especially nervous tissue, seems endowed with a very extraordinary degree of plasticity". Simply put, the brain has the ability to change. He used the word plasticity to identify the degree of difficulty involved in the process of change. He defined plasticity as ".the possession of a structure weak enough to yield to an influence, but strong enough not to yield all at once" (James, 1890).

    Read More

  • Sciatica Essay

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Sciatica nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the lower back down the back of each leg.

    Read More

  • measuring brain activity

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    The brain is the control center of the human body. It sends and receives millions of signals every second, day and night, in the form of hormones, nerve impulses, and chemical messengers. This exchange of information makes us move, eat, sleep, and think.

    Read More

  • Sensory Neurons Essay

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    When a message comes to the brain from body parts such as the hand, the brain dictates the body on how to respond such as instructing muscles in the hand to pull away from a hot stove. The nerves in one’s skin send a message of pain to the brain. In response, the brain sends a message back dictating the muscles in one’s hand to pull away from the source of pain. Sensory neurons are nerve cells that carry signals from outside of the body to the central nervous system. Neurons form nerve fibers that transmit impulses throughout the body. Neurons consists of three basic parts: the cell body, axon, and dendrites. The axon carries the nerve impulse along the cell. Sensory and motor neurons are insulated by a layer of myelin sheath, the myelin helps

    Read More

  • Synaptic Transmission

    572 Words  | 2 Pages

    Synaptic transmission is the process of the communication of neurons. Communication between neurons and communication between neuron and muscle occurs at a specialized junction called synapses. The most common type of synapse is the chemical synapse. Synaptic transmission begins when the nerve impulse or action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal. The action potential causes depolarization of the presynaptic membrane and it will initiate the sequence of events leading to release the neurotransmitter and then, the neurotransmitter attaches to the receptor at the postsynaptic membrane and it will lead to the activation of the postsynaptic membrane and continue to send the impulse to other neurons or sending the signal to the muscle for contraction (Breedlove, Watson, & Rosenzweig, 2012; Barnes, 2013).

    Read More

More about Motor Neuron

Open Document