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 many 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
Q

What is the myelin sheath formed by in the CNS?

A

Oligodendrocytes

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26
Q

What is the myelin sheath formed by in the PNS?

A

Schwann cells

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27
Q

What are nodes of Ranvier?

A

Microscopic gaps found within myelinated axons, the function is too speed up the propagation of action potentials along the axons via saltatory conduction

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28
Q

What is an example of a condition that demonstrates the clinical important of the myelin sheath?

A

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

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29
Q

What is MS?

A

Patchy loss/scarring of mmyelin sheath, leads to nerve condiction across affected axons being abnormal

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30
Q

What is the cause of MS?

A

Unknown, potentially viral or autoimmune

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31
Q

What does an MRI show when investigating MS?

A

White plaques of demyelination

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32
Q

What are some of the nerve tracts present in the spinal cord?

A

Ascending tracts

Descending tracts

Spinothalamic tract

Spinoreticular tract

Dorsal spinocerebellar tract

Ventral ispinocerebellar tract

Lateral corticospinal tract

Ventral corticospinal tract

Retrospinal tract

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33
Q

What are examples of different types of neurons?

A

Interneurons

Motor neurons

Sesnory neurons

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34
Q

What are examples of multipolar neurons?

A

Interneurons

Motor neurons

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35
Q

What are examples of bipolar neurons?

A

Olfactory mucosa

Retinal nerve fibres

36
Q

What are examples of pseudounipolar neurons?

A

Sensory neurons

37
Q

What are multipolar neurons?

A

Neuron that possesses a single axon and many dendrites allowing for integration of a great deal of information from other neurons

38
Q

What are bipolar neurons?

A

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
Q

What are pseudounipolar neurons?

A

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
Q

What are glial cells?

A

Surround neuron and provide support for insulation between them

41
Q

What glial cells are present in the PNS?

A

Satellite cells

Schawnn cells

42
Q

What is the function of satellite cells?

A

Surround neuronal cell bodies

43
Q

What is the function of Schwann cells?

A

Myelination

44
Q

What glial cells are present in the CNS?

A

Epidymal cells

Astrocytes

Oligodendrocytes

Microglia

45
Q

What is the function of epidymal cells?

A

Line ventricles

46
Q

What is the function of microglia?

A

Phagocytosis

Scar tissue formation

47
Q

What is the function of oligodendrocytes?

A

Myelination

48
Q

What is the function of astrocytes?

A

Surround synapses, capillaries, and help in K+ buffering

49
Q

What is the blood brain barrier (BBB)?

A

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
Q

What forms the blood brain barrier?

A

Endothelium (tight junctions)

Thick basal lamina

Foot processes of astrocytes

51
Q

What are circumventricular organs?

A

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
Q

What are some circumventricular organs where the BBB is absent?

A

Parts of the hypothalamus

Posterior pituitary

Pineal gland

53
Q

What does the existence of circumventricular organs play a major role in?

A

Delivery of drugs to the CNS, which must be lipid soluble or use suitable vectors

54
Q

What must drugs be to reach the CNS?

A

Lipid soluble of use suitable vectors

55
Q

What are the 3 parts of the brainstem?

A

Midbrain

Pons

Medulla

56
Q

What is found in the brainstem?

A

Vital centres such as cardiorespiratory

Pathway for fibre tracts

57
Q

What is the function of the cerebellum?

A

Balance and coordination

58
Q

What is the function of the cerebrum?

A

Consciousness and memory

59
Q

What are ventricles?

A

Cavity or chamber that can be filled with fluid, such as the cerebral ventricles or heart ventricles

60
Q

What are some ventricles in the brain?

A

Lateral ventricles

III ventricle

Cerebral aqueduct

IV ventricle

61
Q

Where are the lateral ventricles found?

A

C-shaped cavities which lie in the cerebral hemisphere

62
Q

What are the lateral ventricles connected by?

A

Interventricular foramen

63
Q

Where is the cerebral aqueduct found?

A

Midbrain

64
Q

Where is the IV venticle found?

A

Hindbrain (between pons and medulla in front and cerebellum at the back)

65
Q

Where is III ventricle found?

A

Within diencephalon

66
Q

What are the meninges?

A

Membranous coverings of the brain and spinal cord

67
Q

What are examples of structures that protects the brain?

A

Dural folds

Scalp

Skull bones

Meninges

68
Q

What are dural folds?

A

The dural seperates into two layers at dural reflections which are known as dural folds

69
Q

What are the 3 layers of the meninges?

A

Dura mater

Arachnoid mater

Pia mater

70
Q

How can the dura mater be described?

A

Tough, fibrous layer

71
Q

What layer of the meninges is vascularised?

A

Pia mater

72
Q

What is the space called between the dura and arachnoid mater?

A

Subdural space

73
Q

What is the subdural space?

A

Potential space which is traversed by blood vessels penetrating into the CNS

74
Q

What is the space between the arachnoid and pia mater?

A

Subarachnoid space

75
Q

Where is cerebrospinal fluid found?

A

Subarachnoid space

76
Q

What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

A

Fluid inside the cavities of the brain (ventricles) and central canal of the spinal cord

77
Q

What, to some extent, is CSF responsible for the maintenance of?

A

Intracranial pressure

78
Q

Where is CSF formed?

A

By choroid plexus in each ventricle

79
Q

Where is CSF absorbed?

A

By arachnoid villi into saggital sinus (venous channel in brain)

80
Q

Explain the process of the circulation of CSF?

A

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

81
Q

What channel does CSF flow from III ventricle to IV ventricle through?

A

Aquaduct of Sylvius

82
Q

What is grey matter?

A

Consists of neuronal cell bodies

83
Q

What is white matter?

A

Tissue through which mesages pass between different areas of grey matter

84
Q

What makes white matter appear white?

A

Presence of myelin that surrounds the axons

85
Q

Is grey or white matter found on the inside of the spinal cord and brain?

A

Spinal cord - Grey matter, white on the outside

Brain - white amtter, grey on the outside