nerve
Sign in to saveA nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses called action potentials that are transmitted along each of the axons to peripheral organs or, in the case of sensory nerves, from the periphery back to the central nervous system. Each axon is an extension of an individual neuron, along with other supportive cells such as some Schwann cells that coat the axons in myelin.
AI overview
A nerve is a cable-like bundle of fibers that carries electrical signals between your brain and body, allowing information to travel to and from your organs and senses. Nerves matter because they form the communication system that connects your central nervous system to the rest of your body, enabling movement, sensation, and bodily functions.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Nerve.Name
- Nerve
- Nerve.Latin
- nervus
- Nerve.Image
- 1319 Nerve StructureN.jpg
- Nerve.Caption
- Cross-section of a nerve
- Nerve.System
- Nervous system
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Categories
- Terminology
- Development
- Function
- Nervous system
- Clinical significance
- Other animals
- History
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses called action potentials that are transmitted along each of the axons to peripheral organs or, in the case of sensory nerves, from the periphery back to the central nervous system. Each axon is an extension of an individual neuron, along with other supportive cells such as some Schwann cells that coat the axons in myelin.
Each axon is surrounded by a layer of connective tissue called the endoneurium. The axons are bundled together into groups called fascicles, and each fascicle is wrapped in a layer of connective tissue called the perineurium. The entire nerve is wrapped in a layer of connective tissue called the epineurium. Nerve cells (often called neurons) are further classified as either sensory or motor.