Basis and Character of Nervous System Function

Question 1

Describe the neurone using ten key words.

Answer 1

The neurone has a cell body/soma that contains the nucleus. Dendrites spread out from the cell body that receive incoming impulses from their dendritic spines. Impulses leave the neurone in the axon hillock then the axon which is covered with a myelin sheath. The side branches of an axon is called an axon collateral and near the end of the branches it is called a terminal branch. At the end is a synaptic terminal.

Question 2

Describe dendritic tree organisation.

Answer 2

The first-order segment is the first part of the dendrite as it leaves the cell body. First bifurcation or first branching leads to the second order segment. The second bifurcation leads to the third order segment.

Question 3

What is the structure of the nucleus inside the neurone?

Answer 3

The nucleus is bound by a porous nuclear membrane. The interior of the nucleus is called the nucleoplasm made of chromatin and other hereditary material. The nucleoli is made of protein and ribonuclease acid and is involved in ribosomal synthesis.

Question 4

What are the functions of the organelles and cell membrane of a neurone?

Answer 4

The cell membrane is made up of lipoproteins that allows substances to enter/leave the neurone’s cytoplasm.
The mitochondria is concerned with cell respiration and are more numerous in the cell body and synaptic terminals.
The endoplasmic reticulum are platelike membranous sacs that are covered in ribosomes, important in the synthesis of proteins.
Golgi bodies are stacks of membrane-lined canals involved in the packaging of the proteins.
Microtubules and neurofilaments are used the protein transportation.

Question 5

What are the two types of intracellular are transport?

Answer 5

Somatofugal transport away from the cell. Somatopetal transport moves toward the cell.