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Neuroscience > Cells of the nervous system > Flashcards

Cells of the nervous system Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 2 main cells of the nervous system?

A
  • Neurones

- Glia

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2
Q

What are glia?

A

Supporting cells found around neurones

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3
Q

What does the Nissl stain do?

A
  • Distinguishes between neurones and glia by highlighting the endoplasmic reticulum and free ribosomes in the cell bodies of neurones
  • Allows visualisation of variation in size density, distribution of neurones
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4
Q

Which part of cells does the Nissl stain highlight?

A

Nucleic acids (rRNA in nucleolus etc.)

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5
Q

What is the soma?

A

Cell body of neurones

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6
Q

Which organelle is particularly abundant in cell bodies of neurones?

A

Mitochondria

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7
Q

What does the Golgi stain do?

A
  • Highlights a random small percentage of neurones in the sample
  • Shows dendrites
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8
Q

What is the Golgi stain made of?

A

Silver chromate

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9
Q

What are the 4 major compartments of the neuron?

A
  • Cell body
  • Dendrites
  • Axons
  • Presynaptic terminal
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10
Q

What is the perikaryon?

A

Another name for the cell body/soma of neurones

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11
Q

What are neurites?

A
  • A process coming off a neuron

- Dendrite or axon

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12
Q

What are the 3 main elements of the cytoskeleton of neurones?

A
  • Microtubules
  • Microfilaments
  • Neurofilaments
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13
Q

What are microtubules?

A
  • Run longitudinally down neurites

- Made of hollow tubes of tubulin

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14
Q

What are microfilaments?

A
  • Polymers of actin

- Randomly orientated and associated with the membrane

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15
Q

What are microfilaments made of?

A

Actin

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16
Q

What are microtubules made of?

A

Tubulin

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17
Q

What are neurofilaments made of?

A

Long protein molecules which have been wound together

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18
Q

What are the 4 areas of the axon?

A
  • Axon hillock
  • Axon initial segment
  • Axon collaterals
  • Axon terminal/terminal bouton
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19
Q

What are axon collaterals?

A

Side branches of axons

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20
Q

What is absent in the axon that is in the cell bodies?

A
  • Rough ER

- Free ribosomes

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21
Q

What is immunohistochemistry?

A
  • Method to identify the locations of specific proteins
  • Specific primary antibodies which bind to the protein of interest
  • Fluorescent secondary antibodies which bind to the primary antibody
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22
Q

What are the specialisations of the presynaptic terminals?

A
  • No microtubules
  • Many mitochondria
  • Synaptic vesicles
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23
Q

What are boutons en passent?

A

A presynaptic terminal in the middle of an axon

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24
Q

What is axoplasmic transport?

A

Transport of molecules up and down axons

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25
Q

Which protein does anterograde transport down the axon?

A

Kinesin

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26
Q

Which protein does retrograde transport down the axon?

A

Dynein

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27
Q

How do kinesin and dynein transport molecules along axons?

A

“Walk” along the microtubules

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28
Q

What is the function of dendrites?

A

Receive information from other neurones

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29
Q

What are dendritic spines?

A

Small protrusions of the dendrite membrane

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30
Q

What is the function of dendritic spines? (3)

A
  • Isolate chemical reactions
  • Axons can synapse onto them
  • Very plastic depending on activity of the dendrite
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31
Q

What are the classifications of neurons based on number of neurites? (4)

A
  • Unipolar
  • Pseudounipolar
  • Bipolar
  • Multipolar
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32
Q

What is a unipolar neuron?

A

One neurite coming off its cell body

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33
Q

What is a pseudounipolar neuron?

A
  • One neurite coming off the cell body which splits into two

- Peripheral process is partly axon

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34
Q

What is a bipolar neuron?

A
  • 2 neurites coming off the soma

- One side is dendritic, other is axon

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35
Q

What is a multipolar neuron?

A
  • Multiple neurites coming off the soma

- One axon and multiple branching dendritic portions

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36
Q

What is a ganglion?

A

Group of neuronal cell bodies found in the periphery

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37
Q

What kind of neurons are dorsal root ganglion neurons? (2)

A
  • Sensory neurons

- Pseudounipolar neurons

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38
Q

What classification are dorsal root ganglion neurons?

A

Pseudounipolar

39
Q

What is an example of a pseudounipolar neuron?

A

Dorsal root ganglion neuron

40
Q

How are dorsal root ganglion neurons arranged?

A
  • Cell body sits in the dorsal root ganglion
  • One side projects to the periphery and dendritic portion picks up signals
  • Other side projects into the dorsal horn of the spinal cord
41
Q

What does the acronym DAVE mean?

A

Dorsal Afferent Ventral Efferent
(Afferent neurons enter the spinal cord dorsally carrying signals from the body to the brain, efferent neurons exit the spinal cord ventrally carrying signals from the brain to the body)

42
Q

What are the features of pseudounipolar neurons? (3)

A
  • Process projecting into the periphery is part axon
  • Small dendritic portion for receiving synaptic input
  • Reliable relay of information due to not much integration
43
Q

What is an example of a bipolar neuron?

A

Retinal bipolar cells

Between rods/cones and retinal ganglion cells

44
Q

What are the features of bipolar neurons? (2)

A
  • Small area for receiving synaptic input

- Reliable relay of information

45
Q

What are the features of multipolar neurons? (2)

A
  • Large area for receiving synaptic input

- High levels of convergence

46
Q

Which class of neurons is the most common in the brain?

A

Multipolar neurons

47
Q

What is an example of a multipolar neuron?

A

Purkinje cell

48
Q

What are the classifications of neurons based on dendritic geometry? (2)

A
  • Pyramidal

- Stellate

49
Q

What are the features of pyramidal neurons? (2)

A
  • Pyramid shaped soma

- Apical and basal dendritic tress

50
Q

Where are pyramidal neurons found in the brain? (2)

A
  • Neocortex

- Hippocampus

51
Q

What are the features of stellate neurons? (1)

A

Star shaped dendritic arbour

52
Q

Where are stellate neurons found in the brain?

53
Q

Are sensory neurons afferent or efferent?

54
Q

Are motor neurons afferent or efferent?

55
Q

How are motor neurons arranged?

A

Project from the ventral horn into the periphery

56
Q

What part of the nervous system contains interneurons?

57
Q

What is the largest class of neurons?

A

Interneurons

58
Q

What are the 2 classes of interneurons?

A
  • Relay/projection neurons

- Local interneurons

59
Q

What do relay/projection neurons do?

A

Connect brain regions

60
Q

What do local interneurons do?

A
  • Process information in local circuits

- Short axons

61
Q

What is the main difference between neurons and glia?

A

Glia can proliferate throughout life but neurons don’t regenerate

62
Q

What are the glial cells in the CNS? (3)

A
  • Astrocytes
  • Oligodendrocytes
  • Microglia
63
Q

What are the glial cells in the PNS? (3)

A
  • Satellite cells
  • Schwann cells
  • Macrophages
64
Q

What are the glial cells in the ENS? (1)

A

Enteric glia

65
Q

Which glial cells in the CNS have a homeostatic function?

A

Astrocytes

66
Q

Which glial cells in the PNS have a homeostatic function?

A

Satellite cells

67
Q

Which glial cells in the ENS have a homeostatic function?

A

Enteric glia

68
Q

Which glial cells have a homeostatic function? (3)

A
  • Astrocytes
  • Satellite cells
  • Enteric glia
69
Q

Which glial cells in the CNS are myelinating?

A

Oligodendrocytes

70
Q

Which glial cells in the PNS are myelinating?

A

Schwann cells

71
Q

Which glial cells are myelinating? (2)

A
  • Oligodendrocytes

- Schwann cells

72
Q

What are astrocytes?

A

Glial cells in the CNS with homeostatic functions

73
Q

What are satellite cells?

A

Glial cells in the PNS with homeostatic functions

74
Q

What are enteric glia?

A

Glial cells in the ENS with homeostatic functions

75
Q

What are oligodendrocytes?

A

Glial cells in the CNS that are myelinating

76
Q

What are Schwann cells?

A

Glial cells in the PNS that are myelinating and phagocytic

77
Q

Which glial cells in the CNS are phagocytic?

78
Q

Which glial cells in the PNS are phagocytic?

A

Schwann cells and macrophages

79
Q

Which glial cells are phagocytic? (3)

A
  • Microglia
  • Macrophages
  • Schwann cells
80
Q

What are microglia?

A

Glial cells in the CNS that are phagocytic

81
Q

What are macrophages?

A

Glial cells in the PNS that are phagocytic

82
Q

What are ependymal cells?

A

Astrocytes which line the ventricles and central canal (CSF)

83
Q

What are the features of astrocytes? (3)

A
  • Store glycogen to supply energy in the form of lactate to the neurons
  • Endfeet around capillaries take up glucose and keep vasculature separate from neurons
  • Modifies synapses
84
Q

What do astrocytes do at synapses?

A
  • Terminates neurotransmitter activity

- Can recycle neurotransmitter back into presynaptic terminal

85
Q

What is a tripartite synapse?

A

Synapse involving 3 different cells

86
Q

What proportion of the CNS glial cells are microglia?

87
Q

Which glial cells are involved in synaptic pruning?

88
Q

How can microglia have detrimental effects?

A

Can play a role in neurodegenerative diseases

89
Q

What is the main difference between oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells?

A

Oligodendrocytes can have many processes from one cell body to myelin sheath whereas Schwann cells only provides one myelin segment to a single axon

90
Q

How do myelin sheaths form?

A
  • A process from a cell wraps around the axon many times

- Cytoplasm is squeezed out by compaction

91
Q

What is the function of myelin?

A

Insulating and creates nodes of Ranvier so action potentials can jump down the axon (saltatory conduction)

92
Q

What is a difference between CNS and PNS axons?

A

PNS axons can regenerate after injury but CNS axons can’t

93
Q

How are myelin sheaths maintained?

A

Stay connected to the Schwann cell/oligodendrocyte for nourishment

Neuroscience (18 decks)

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