Bio Midterm 2 Flashcards
What are the components of the Central Nervous System?
The brain and the spinal cord
What are the components of the Peripheral Nervous System?
- Afferent (input –> CNS) and Efferent (CNS –> body)
- Efferent is split into the somatic nervous system which controls skeletal muscle mobility, and the autonomic nervous system
- The ANS further splits into the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
What are the steps of the nervous reflex arc?
- Pain receptor is activated and stimulus occurs (touch hot surface)
- Afferent neuron sends signals to spinal cord
- Interneurons in the spinal cord integrate the information
- One efferent neuron stimulates the flexor muscle to contract (excitatory)
- The other stops the extensor muscle from contracting (inhibitory)
- A reaction occurs, removing body from stimulus
What are chemoreceptors?
- Sensory receptors that detect chemical stimuli such as pH levels, O2 and CO2 levels. Involved in smell and taste
What are mechanoreceptors?
Sensory receptors that sense some form of physical distortion such as an increase in pressure, the bending of a hair follicle, stretching of the lung or movement of a muscle.
What are photoreceptors?
Sensory receptors that sense light (photons)
Describe the signal pathways that occur when a sensory receptor recognises a stimulus
- Stimulus (chemical, light or pressure) is sensed by a receptor protein
- Signal opens or closes an ion channel
- A change in the membrane potential occurs (usually becomes +)
- timulation of the afferent nerve that innervates the sensory receptor cell and the initiation of a nerve signal that is then sent to the central nervous system
What is the process of a signal traveling through a neuron?
- A pre-synaptic cell innervates a post-synaptic cell by passing on a signal to the dendrite
- Stimulation leads to small changes in the membrane potential within the dendrites
- The signal passes through the axon hillock which creates an action potential (AP)
- The AP travels down the axon, hopping between the gaps of the myelin sheath, called the nodes of ranvier
- The AP reaches axon terminals with the synapses which become activated and release neurotransmitters which then transfer the signal to the next post-synaptic nerves’ dendrite(s)
A _____ is a collection of axons from many different neurons. The cell bodies of all of these neurons are found together in ____ or _____.
nerve, ganglia, nuclei
Identify the labeled parts of this neuron diagram
A - Nucleus
B - Soma
C - Dendrites
D - Axon
E - Myelin Sheath
F - Synapse
G - Axon Hillock
H - Axon Terminal
I - Node(s) of Ranvier
_____ functions to remove waste products. ______ help to keep neurons in place and also form the ______-_____ _______
Microglia, Astrocytes, blood-brain barrier
________ (within the central nervous system) and _____ _____(within the peripheral nervous system) form myelin.
Oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells
Nodes of ranvier allowsfor very rapid conduction of nerve impulses by a process called _____ ______
saltatory conduction
Describe the four phases of an action potential
- Resting potential, has a membrane potential usually in the range of -80 to -60 millivolts
- Threshold is reached, Na+ inactivation gates all open, K+ activation gates all closed
- Depolarization, slow increase in membrane potential due to Na+ rapidly moving into the cell through the Na+ channels that have their activation gates open, K+ activation gates begin to close, Na+ inactivation channels begin to close
- Repolarization, peak of the action potential is reached, all Na+ channel inactivation gates are closed and all K+ channel activation gates are open. K+ leaves the cell. Na+ activation gates are all open, but no movement of Na+
5.. Refractory period, Na+ activation gates close, inactivation gates open. K+ inactivation gates open, activation close. K+/Na+ ATPase pump removes excess Na+ and adds K+ to return to resting potential
What does Na+ have to pass through to get from the extracellular fluid into the nerve?
Activation gate: closed when the membrane potential is at the resting level, some open during resting –> threshold phase, all are open threshold –> resting phase.
Inactivation gate: is open at the resting membrane potential, begins to close near peak depolarisation, slowly reopens during repolarisation
What does K+ have to pass through to get from the extracellular fluid into the nerve?
Activation gate: Closed at resting, opens slowly during depolarisation. Closes slowly after peak.
Note: When Na+ inactivation gate is open, K+ activation gate is closed
Once a neuron has generated an action potential there is a period during the depolarisation phase and during the initial stages of the repolarisation phase in which no amount of stimulation can cause this neuron to generate a second action potential. This is called the _____ _____ ______
absolute refractory period
What is the period in which a second stimulus may be able to generate another action potential before membrane potential has returned to the resting level?
Relative refractory period
What’re the two types of synaptic transmission?
Electric synapses: Direct electrical connections between the two cells such that electrical current (i.e., the positive charge carried by Na+ entering the cell) can move directly from one cell into another. Current moves through channels called gap junctions that connect the pre-synaptic cell to the post-synaptic cell.
Neurotransmitters: Enter the space between the two cells (called the synaptic cleft) and they bind to neurotransmitter receptors on the cell membrane of the post-synaptic cell. Generates an AP. Called chemical synapse.
In the case of an ______ neurotransmitter, ion channels of the post-synaptic nerve open and positive ions (like Na+) enter and ______ the cell
excitatory, depolarise
In the case of an ______ neurotransmitter, ion channels on the post-synaptic cell that allow negative ions (such as Cl-) to enter the cell and cause the membrane to _____
inhibitory, hyperpolarize
What does the pineal gland produce?
Melatonin
What does the hypothalamus do?
Activates or inhibits hormones, produces:
- ADH ( + kidney water absorbtion, - urine production)
- Oxytocin (milk production, uterine contraction)
What does the posterior pituitary gland do?
Stores and releases ADH and oxytocin
What does the anterior pituitary gland do?
Produces :
- TSH, + rate of metabolism
- ACTH, helps body cope w stress, regulates fluid levels
- GONADotrophins, produce gametes and hormones in testes and ovaries (human gonads)
- Growth hormone, guess
- ProLACTIN, stimulates milk production (lactose)
- Endorphins, limit pain perception
What does the thyroid gland do?
Produces thyroid hormones (T3, T4), used to controls your body’s metabolism
What does the parathyroid gland do?
Produces parathyroid hormone, used to maintain the right balance of calcium in the bloodstream and in tissues
What does the adrenal cortex do?
Produces:
- Steriods (growth, development, energy metabolism, homeostasis and reproduction)
- Aldosterone (regulates blood pressure by managing Na and K levels in blood)
What does the adrenal medulla do?
Produces catecholamines:
- Dopamine
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Norepinephrine
What hormones does the pancreas produce?
- Insulin: Allows glucose to enter the body’s cells to provide energy
- Glucagon: Stimulating the liver to break down glycogen to be released into the blood as glucose. Activating gluconeogenesis, the conversion of amino acids into glucose. Breaking down stored fat (triglycerides) into fatty acids for use as fuel by cells
What hormones do the ovaries produce?
- Estrogen: Regulates the growth, development, and physiology of the human reproductive system
- Progestins: Help other hormones start and stop the menstrual cycle
Describe circulating hormones and their function
- Synthesised within and released from endocrine cells
- Diffuse through the extracellular fluid, enter the blood and are transported to target tissues
- Bind to receptors on either the target cell’s plasma membrane or within the target cell
- Trigger a physiological response such as the opening or closing of an ion channel
- Circulate in the blood and then act on target tissues by binding to adrenergic receptors which can be subdivided into alpha (α) and beta (β) subtypes.
________ are very similar to circulating hormones. The only difference is that they are synthesised within and released from neurons rather than from an endocrine gland
Neurohormones
In _____ _______, a hormone is released from an endocrine cell (in an endocrine gland or from a neuron) and then acts on the same cell (or same cell type) that synthesised and released it. In _____ ________, a hormone is released from an endocrine cell and diffuses through the extracellular fluid to its target cell. It doesn’t enter, or travel through, the blood.
autocrine signaling, paracrine signaling
Note: In both autocrine and paracrine signaling, the hormones still exert their effects by acting on receptors (on or within the cell).
______ hormones are tyrosine-based. The ______ are an example
Amine, catecholamines
When required, the kidney produces an enzyme called _____ which converts _______ into angiotensin I (in the blood). When blood flows through small capillaries in the lungs, _____ ______ ______ (ACE) which is present in the lung converts angiotensin I into angiotensin II.
renin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin converting enzyme
What are angiotensis I and II examples of and what is their function?
They are examples of peptide hormones
They have effects on blood pressure and blood ion regulation although angiotensin II is more potent than angiotensin I
Describe steroid hormones
- They are lipophilic (lipid soluable; hydrophobic)
- Synthesised from cholesterol
Describe the process that when a hormone binds to a receptor
- Hormone enters blood
- Hormone binds to receptor
- Signal transduction occurs
4a. Cytoplasmic response occurs (ion channels open)
4b. Nuclear response occurs (alters transcription)
What happens during the signal transduction phase of hormone activation?
Either:
- Phosphorilation, a phosphate group is added to a protein or enzyme by protein kinase
or
- Dephosphorilation, a phosphate group is removed from a protein or enzyme by protein phosphatase
Describe the ADH and oxytocin pathway
- Synthesised in the hypothalamus
- Travel down axon from hypothalamus to the terminals in the posterior pituitary where they are stored
- Released into blood when needed
Describe the synthesis and release of inhibitory hormones (IH) and releasing hormones (RH)
- Synthesised in the hypothalamus
- Released into a capillary bed within the hypothalamus
- Blood flows from these capillaries into hypothalamic portal vein (a blood vessel)
- Once the RH and IH are in the capillary bed within the anterior pituitary, they either stimulate (RH) or inhibit (IH) the release of neurohormones that are being produced within the anterior pituitary.
Note: Together the two capillary beds and the blood vessel comprise the hypothalamic-pituitary portal system
The _____-_____-____ axis refers to the regulation of thyroid function by neurohormones that originate from the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid
Describe the process of hypothalamus –> T3 and T4
- The hypothalamus produces thyroid releasing hormone (TRH)
- TRH stimulates the release of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- TSH stimulates the thyroid gland to produce two hormones, T3 and T4
- T3 and T4 stimulate metabolism and regulate development
What is calcitonin and what is it’s antithesis hormone (hormone with opposite function)?
- Produced by the thyroid gland and is released into the blood when blood calcium levels are too HIGH
- Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is the antithesis hormone as it is released into blood when calcium levels are too LOW
How do calcitonin and PTH regulate blood calcium levels?
- They can cause the deposition or release of calcium from bone (via integration or extraction of Ca2+ from bones).
- They can cause the kidneys to reduce or increase their uptake of calcium (i.e., regulate the amount of calcium lost in the urine).
- Parathyroid hormone can also cause the uptake of calcium from the intestine.
The ____-____-____ axis refers to the regulation of adrenal gland (adrenal cortex) function by neurohormones that originate from the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
The ____ cells that produce insulin and the ____ cells that produce glucagon are found grouped together in cell clusters called ____ of _____
beta, alpha, Islets of Langerhans
Describe how blood-glucose levels are regulated
- When too high:
Beta cells in the pancreas release insulin into the blood. Insulin triggers cells to take up glucose. Within the liver, insulin also stimulates the production of glycogen - When too low:
Alpha cells in the pancreas release glucagon. Glucagon triggers the liver to breakdown glycogen into glucose molecules and triggers the release of this glucose into the blood
Type ___ diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes) results from a failure of the pancreatic beta cells to produce enough insulin.
Type ___ diabetes (insulin-independent diabetes) is a result of cells becoming resistant to the effects of insulin. This results from a failure in the signal transduction pathway between the interaction of insulin with its receptor and the activation of glucose transporters on the cell membrane
I, II
What’re some notable long-term effects of diabetes?
- Atherosclerosis (a narrowing of the blood vessels), - Gangrene (tissue necrosis/death)
- Blindness
The ______ ______ is the synaptic connection between a motor nerve and a skeletal muscle. Nerves that regulate skeletal muscle function are called ____ _____.
neuromuscular junction, motor nerves
Describe acetylcholine (Ach)
- When AP reaches axon, Ach is released
- Achs are realeased from pre-synaptic axon, bind to nicotinic receptors in post-synaptic dendrites
- The receptor is a Na+ channel and the binding of Ach to the receptor opens the channel and Na+ enters the muscle cells
- Muscle cell becomes depolarise, an AP is triggered
What are all the components of fascicles, from smallest to largest
- Actin (thin) and myosin (thick)
- Myofibril
- Muscle cells (fibres)
- Fascicle
The plasma membrane of a skeletal muscle cell is called the _____
Sarcolemma
Describe the pathway an AP takes the cause muscle contraction
- Action potential arrives at axon terminal
- Depolarisation of the sarcolemma causes an AP to be triggered in the muscle cell
- AP spreads into the muscle cell via T-tubules
- AP causes release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum
- Ca2+ is used to contract muscle (somehow?)
If you look at the myofibrils from a longitudinal perspective, you see a repeating arrangement of the thick and thin filaments. Each of these repeating units is called a ______
sarcomere
What is the thin filament?
- Made by two layers of actin which form a double helix, each having a binding site for myosin
When the thick and thin filaments are not sliding across one another, a long regulatory protein called _______ covers all of the myosin-binding sites on the actin molecules
tropomyosin