2.5 Nervous Tissue

Nervous tissue is a collection of cells that respond to stimuli and transmit information.

A neuron (figure 2-4), or nerve cell, is the cell of the nervous tissue that actually picks up and transmits a signal from one part of the body to another. A synapse (figure 2-5) is the point at which a signal passes from one neuron to the next.

The neuroglia (also known as glia) is made up of the supporting cells of the nervous system (glial cells).

Figure 2-4. A neuron.

Figure 2-5. A synapse.

Nervous tissues will be discussed in much more detail in Lesson 11.