Cells and Neurons

Question 1

What are Glial Cells?

Answer 1

Support Cells. Can be divided into three different types.

Question 2

What are the three different types of Glial Cell in the CNS?

Answer 2

Astrocytes, Microglia and Oligodendrocytes

Question 3

What are the two different types of Glial Cell in the PNS?

Answer 3

Satellite Cells and Schwann Cells

Question 4

What do Astrocytes in the CNS and Satellite Cells in the PNS do?

Answer 4

Responsible for protecting the blood/brain barrier and maintaining equilibrium in the neurochemical balance. They remove molecules.

Question 5

What do Microglia do?

Answer 5

These increase when cells die/damage occurs, they clean up and act like an immune system.

Question 6

What do Oligodendrocytes in the CNS and Schwann Cells in the PNS do?

Answer 6

Form insulation around neuronal cells.

Question 7

In the CNS, there are two types of cells. What are they?

Answer 7

Neurons and Glial Cells.

Question 8

What is gliosis?

Answer 8

Neurodegeneration. An increase in activated Microglial cells.

Question 9

Describe the process that radial glial cells perform during neurodevelopment.

Answer 9

Radial glial cells give rise to neural and glial progenitor cells, which develop into neurons and astrocytes respectively. In addition, they form a scaffold along to which neuronal cells can attach themselves to move to their final position in the brain. Outside the ventricles, this occurs. They begin just outside the ventricle, and migrate up, sometimes they get stuck and don’t receive a signal they are supposed to which affects communication.

Question 10

What are the four parts of the neuronal cell?

Answer 10

1. An information input part (the dendrites): responsible for receiving information from other
   nerve cells.
2. A central regulatory part (the cell body): responsible for the general functioning of the cell
   and the manufacturing of the most important proteins and other constituents.
3. An information propagating part (the axon): responsible for transfer of the information
   along the cells.
4. An information transferring part (the nerve ending): responsible for passing the information
   onto other nerve cells.

Question 11

What are some characteristics of Neurons?

Answer 11

• Principal communications cells
• Can be subdivided in different types of cells based on size, biochemical composition, structural characteristics
• They can be very large
• They can not divide anymore
• They are excitable, and can conduct electricity
• They can communicate via two different kind of mechanisms
• They consume large amounts of energy and, without oxygen, die within a few minutes.