Читать книгу Neurobiology For Dummies - Frank Amthor - Страница 74

The plasma membranes of neurons, as well as other cells in the body, are stable, but not rigid like the cell walls of plants. This means that neurons are flexible and can be deformed by mechanical pressure. Neurons exist within a matrix of glial cells and an extracellular matrix that holds the tissue together.

Although the extracellular matrix around cells is very effective in maintaining a supporting environment that prevents neurons from being damaged (to a limit, of course) by mechanical forces, neurons must actively resist another type of force — osmotic pressure.