Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

An Ex Vivo Laser-induced Spinal Cord Injury Model to Assess Mechanisms of Axonal Degeneration in Real-time
11:18

An Ex Vivo Laser-induced Spinal Cord Injury Model to Assess Mechanisms of Axonal Degeneration in Real-time

Published on: November 25, 2014

The axon initial segment in nervous system disease and injury

Shelly A Buffington1, Matthew N Rasband

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM295, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

The European Journal of Neuroscience
|November 23, 2011
PubMed

More Related Videos

Anatomically Inspired Three-dimensional Micro-tissue Engineered Neural Networks for Nervous System Reconstruction, Modulation, and Modeling10:45

Anatomically Inspired Three-dimensional Micro-tissue Engineered Neural Networks for Nervous System Reconstruction, Modulation, and Modeling

Published on: May 31, 2017

The Fibular Nerve Injury Method: A Reliable Assay to Identify and Test Factors That Repair Neuromuscular Junctions06:01

The Fibular Nerve Injury Method: A Reliable Assay to Identify and Test Factors That Repair Neuromuscular Junctions

Published on: August 11, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue01:15

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue

In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...
Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology01:25

Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology

Early Ischemia and Ionic ImbalanceWithin minutes of spinal cord injury, a secondary cascade begins, progressing over hours to weeks. Vascular damage reduces blood flow, causing ischemia and mitochondrial dysfunction. ATP depletion leads to ion pump failure, membrane depolarization, sodium influx, potassium efflux, and water accumulation, resulting in cellular swelling. Increased intracellular calcium further disrupts mitochondria and accelerates cellular injury.Excitotoxicity and Neuronal...
Neurons: The Axon01:21

Neurons: The Axon

Axons are long, cytoplasmic processes of nerve cells capable of propagating electrical impulses known as action potentials. The cytoplasm or axoplasm of an axon contains neurofibrils, neurotubules, small vesicles, lysosomes, mitochondria, and various enzymes, all encased within the axolemma, the plasma membrane of the axon.
The axon attaches to the cell body at a cone-shaped elevation called the axon hillock. The initial part of the axon, closest to the hillock, is known as the initial segment.
Nervous Tissue: Myelin01:25

Nervous Tissue: Myelin

The myelin sheath is a multilayered lipid and protein covering that insulates the axon of a neuron, enhancing the speed of nerve impulse conduction. Axons without this sheath are referred to as unmyelinated. Two types of neuroglia, Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) are responsible for producing myelin sheaths.
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development. They wrap around a small...
Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology01:14

Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology

Spinal cord injury progresses through two interconnected phases: primary injury and secondary injury.Primary InjuryPrimary injury happens at the moment of trauma and involves immediate mechanical damage to the spinal cord.Compression happens when broken vertebrae, herniated discs, or accumulating blood (such as a hematoma) press directly against the spinal cord, distorting its normal shape and function. In cases of contusion, the cord is bruised by a blunt force (like penetrating injuries or...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...