Cells and Tissues of the Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the divisions of the nervous system?

A

PNS and CNS

then sensory (afferent) division and motor (efferent) divison

then motor division into somatic and autonomic

then autonomic into sympathetic and parasympathetic

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2
Q

What forms the CNS?

A

Brain and spinal cord

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3
Q

What forms the PNS?

A

Cranial and spinal nerves

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4
Q

What are the different cell types of the nervous system?

A

Neurons

Glial cells

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5
Q

How can neurons be described?

A

Structural and functional unit of the nervous system

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6
Q

How are impulses carried along neurons?

A

As action potentials, they are excitable cells

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7
Q

How can glial cells be described?

A

Non-excitable supporting cells

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8
Q

How does the size of glial cells compare to neurons?

A

Glial cells are much smaller

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9
Q

How amny dendrites and axons does a typical neuron have?

A

Multiple dendrites and one axon

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10
Q

Where does an action potential travel from and to?

A

One direction from cell body to synaptic terminal

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11
Q

What are dendrites?

A

Branched protoplasmic extensions of a nerve cell that propagate the electrochemical stimulation towards the cell body (also known as soma)

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12
Q

What is an axon?

A

Long threadlike part of a nerve cell along which impulses are conducted from the cell body to other cells

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13
Q

What does the cell body of a neuron contain?

A

Nucleus

Mitochondria

Ribosomes

Other organelles

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14
Q

What do synaptic terminals do?

A

Affect other neurons or effector organ such as muscle or gland

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15
Q

What are some properties of the nucleus of a neuron (chromatin and nucleolus)?

A

Loose chromatin

Prominent nucleolus

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16
Q

Is the metabolic rate of neurons high or low?

A

High

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17
Q

What are the 2 names for the cytoplasm of a neuron?

A

Perikaryon in the cell body

Axoplasm in the axon

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18
Q

What does amiotic mean?

A

Relating to division of a cell nucleus without mitosis

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19
Q

What is amitosis?

A

Cell proliferation that does not occur by mitosis

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20
Q

What can be said about the lifespan of neurons?

A

Long living and amiotic

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21
Q

How does the presence of a myelin sheath impact conduction speed?

A

Increases conduction speed

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22
Q

How does the myelin sheath increase conduction speed?

A

By saltatory conduction

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23
Q

What is saltatory conduction?

A

Propogation of action potentials along myelinated axons from one node of Ranvier to the next node, increasing the conduction velocity of the action potential

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24
Q

Depending on the presence of the myelin sheath, what can neurons be?

A

Myelinated neurons

Non-myelinated neurons

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25
What is the myelin sheath formed by in the CNS?
Oligodendrocytes
26
What is the myelin sheath formed by in the PNS?
Schwann cells
27
What are nodes of Ranvier?
Microscopic gaps found within myelinated axons, the function is too speed up the propagation of action potentials along the axons via saltatory conduction
28
What is an example of a condition that demonstrates the clinical important of the myelin sheath?
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
29
What is MS?
Patchy loss/scarring of mmyelin sheath, leads to nerve condiction across affected axons being abnormal
30
What is the cause of MS?
Unknown, potentially viral or autoimmune
31
What does an MRI show when investigating MS?
White plaques of demyelination
32
What are some of the nerve tracts present in the spinal cord?
Ascending tracts Descending tracts Spinothalamic tract Spinoreticular tract Dorsal spinocerebellar tract Ventral ispinocerebellar tract Lateral corticospinal tract Ventral corticospinal tract Retrospinal tract
33
What are examples of different types of neurons?
Interneurons Motor neurons Sesnory neurons
34
What are examples of multipolar neurons?
Interneurons Motor neurons
35
What are examples of bipolar neurons?
Olfactor mucosa Retinal nerve fibres
36
What are examples of pseudounipolar neurons?
Sensory neurons
37
What are multipolar neurons?
Neuron that possesses a single axon and many dendrites allowing for integration of a great deal of information from other neurons
38
What are bipolar neurons?
Has two extensions (one axon and one dendrite) They are specialised sensory neurons for the transmission of sense so are used for smell, sight, taste, hearing, touch, balance and proprioception
39
What are pseudounipolar neurons?
Kind of sensory neuron, contains one axon that has split into two branches where one travels to the periphery and one to the central nervous system
40
What are glial cells?
Surround neuron and provide support for insulation between them
41
What glial cells are present in the PNS?
Satellite cells Schawnn cells
42
What is the function of satellite cells?
Surround neuronal cell bodies
43
What is the function of Schwann cells?
Myelination
44
What glial cells are present in the CNS?
Epidymal cells Astrocytes Oligodendrocytes Microglia
45
What is the function of epidymal cells?
Line ventricles
46
What is the function of microglia?
Phagocytosis Scar tissue formation
47
What is the function of oligodendrocytes?
Myelination
48
What is the function of astrocytes?
Surround synapses, capillaries, and help in K+ buffering
49
What is the blood brain barrier (BBB)?
Protective mechanism that helps to maintain a stable environment for the brain and prevent harmful amino acids and ions present in the bloodstream and blood cells from entering the brain
50
What forms the blood brain barrier?
Endothelium (tight junctions) Thick basal lamina Foot processes of astrocytes
51
What are circumventricular organs?
Structures in the brain characterised by their extensive and highly permeable cappilaries, unlike those in the rest of the brain protected by the BBB
52
What are some circumventricular organs where the BBB is absent?
Parts of the hypothalamus Posterior pituitary Pineal gland
53
What does the existence of circumventricular organs play a major role in?
Delivery of drugs to the CNS, which must be lipid soluble or use suitable vectors
54
What must drugs be to reach the CNS?
Lipid soluble of use suitable vectors
55
What is A?
Diencephalon
56
What is B?
Brainstem
57
What is C?
Cerebellum
58
What is D?
Cerebrum
59
What are the 3 parts of the brainstem?
Midbrain Pons Medulla
60
What is A?
Midbrain
61
What is B?
Pons
62
What is C?
Medulla
63
What is found in the brainstem?
Vital centres such as cardiorespiratory Pathway for fibre tracts
64
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Balance and coordination
65
What is the function of the cerebrum?
Consciousness and memory
66
What are ventricles?
Cavity or chamber that can be filled with fluid, such as the cerebral ventricles or heart ventricles
67
What are some ventricles in the brain?
Lateral ventricles III ventricle Cerebral aqueduct IV ventricle
68
Where are the lateral ventricles found?
C-shaped cavities which lie in the cerebral hemisphere
69
What are the lateral ventricles connected by?
Interventricular foramen
70
Where is the cerebral aqueduct found?
Midbrain
71
Where is the IV venticle found?
Hindbrain (between pons and medulla in front and cerebellum at the back)
72
Where is III ventricle found?
Within diencephalon
73
What are the meninges?
Membranous coverings of the brain and spinal cord
74
What are examples of structures that protects the brain?
Dural folds Scalp Skull bones Meninges
75
What are dural folds?
The dural seperates into two layers at dural reflections which are known as dural folds
76
What are the 3 layers of the meninges?
Dura mater Arachnoid mater Pia mater
77
How can the dura mater be described?
Tough, fibrous layer
78
What layer of the meninges is vascularised?
Pia mater
79
What is the space called between the dura and arachnoid mater?
Subdural space
80
What is the subdural space?
Potential space which is traversed by blood vessels penetrating into the CNS
81
What is the space between the arachnoid and pia mater?
Subarachnoid space
82
Where is cerebrospinal fluid found?
Subarachnoid space
83
What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
Fluid inside the cavities of the brain (ventricles) and central canal of the spinal cord
84
What, to some extent, is CSF responsible for the maintenance of?
Intracranial pressure
85
Where is CSF formed?
By choroid plexus in each ventricle
86
Where is CSF absorbed?
By arachnoid villi into saggital sinus (venous channel in brain)
87
Explain the process of the circulation of CSF?
1) Beginning in the lateral ventricle flows through two passages into the third ventricle 2) Flows down the aquaduct of Sylvius into the fourth ventricle 3) Passes through three small openings (foramina) into the subarachnoid space 4) Absorbed through blood vessels over the surface of the brain back into the blood stream 5) Carried away and filtered by kidneys and liver
88
What channel does CSF flow from III ventricle to IV ventricle through?
Aquaduct of Sylvius
89
What is grey matter?
Consists of neuronal cell bodies
90
What is white matter?
Tissue through which mesages pass between different areas of grey matter
91
What makes white matter appear white?
Presence of myelin that surrounds the axons
92
Is grey or white matter found on the inside of the spinal cord and brain?
Spinal cord - Grey matter, white on the outside Brain - white amtter, grey on the outside