Cells of the Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the four functional regions of the cerebral hemispheres?

A

frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital

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2
Q

Whis the function of the frontal lobe?

A

emotions, feelings etc

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3
Q

What are the functions of the parietal lobe?

A

motor and sensory processing

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4
Q

What are the functions of the temporal lobe?

A

sound and hearing

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5
Q

What are the functions of the occipital lobe?

A

visual processing

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6
Q

What are the three main parts of the brain stem in descending order?

A

midbrain, pons, medulla

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7
Q

What is special about the midbrain in terms of cranial nerves?

A

it is the target/ source of all cranial nerves and numerous functions

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8
Q

What does the cerebellum control?

A

motor coordination, balance and posture

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9
Q

What is the cerebellum?

A

hindbrain structure attached to the brainstem

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10
Q

What is the spinal cord?

A

nerve cells (protected by the vertebrae) which are projected out to areas of the peripheral nervous system. (It is a conduit for neural transmission and co-ordinates some reflex actions)

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11
Q

Where does the spinal cord extend from?

A

medulla

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12
Q

Name and describe types of neuron

A
  1. unipolar (1 axonal projection from cell body) 2. Psuedo-unipolar (one projection that divides into two) 3. Bipolar (2 projections from the cell body) 4. multipolar (numerous projections from cell body (100s to 1000s)
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13
Q

What are the three types of multipolar neuron?

A

pyramidal (pyramid shaped cell body), purkinje cells (GABA neurons found in cerebellum), golgi cells (GABA neurons found in the cerebellum

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14
Q

What are 3 features of neurons?

A

excitable cells of CNS, heterogeneous morphology, non-dividing cells

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15
Q

What is the Soma and what does it contain?

A

(cell body; perikaryon), contains nucleus and ribosomes, neurofilaments for structure and transport.

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16
Q

What is the axon and what are some features?

A

long process (nerve fibre) originates from soma at axon hillock, can branch into collaterals, usually covered in myelin

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17
Q

what are the dendrites and what are their features?

A

highly branched cell body not covered in myelin, receive signals from other cells

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18
Q

what is the most abundant cell type of the CNS?

A

astrocytes

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19
Q

astrocyte 3 functions

A
  • structural cells (of blood-brain barrier, and holding neurons together)
  • cell repair (produce neurotropic factors for growth and maintenance of neuronal cells)
  • homeostasis (neurotransmitter removal and reuptake)
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20
Q

oligodendrocyte function

A

produce myelin

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21
Q

oligodendrocyte description

A

CNS - numerous projections that form internodes of myelin. One oligodendrocyte myelinates many axons.

22
Q

schwann cell

A

produce myelin for peripheral nerves (not CNS), one schwann cell myelates one axon segment (wraps around the axon).

23
Q

microglial cells

A

specialised cells similar to macrophages that perform immune function in CNS

24
Q

ependymal cell

A

epithelial cells that line fluid filled ventricles, regulating production and movement of cerebrospinal fluid

25
Q

list the types of neuroglia

A
26
Q

how do the CNS cells all fit together?

A
27
Q

which are the four major ions of the resting membrane potential

A

K+, Na+, Cl-, Ca2+

28
Q

What are the relative concentrations of Na+ and Cl- extracellularly to neurons?

A

high

29
Q

what is the relative concentration of potassium outside of neurons

A

low extracellular K+

30
Q

why does myelin prevent action potentials from spreading?

A

high resistance and low capacitance

31
Q

where do sodium and potassium pumps accumulate in the membrane?

A

nodes of ranvier (between myelin sheaths)

32
Q

what is a node of ranvier?

A

small gap of myelin intermittently along axon

33
Q

what happens during the propagation of an action potential?

A
  • propagated by VG Na+ channels opening
  • Na+ influx
  • Membrane depolarisation
  • AP moves along neuron
  • VG K+ channels open and K+ efflux from axon
  • Repolarisation
34
Q

What happens when the action potential reaches the voltage gated Calcium channels at the presynaptic terminal?

A

Ca2+ influx –> vesicle exocytosis, neurotransmitter released from vesicle

35
Q

What happens after neurotransmitter is released into synaptic cleft?

A

binds to receptors on post synaptic membrane, then dissociates from the receptor

36
Q

how is neurotransmitter reuptaken?

A
  • metabolised by enzymes in post synaptic cleft
  • recycled by transporter proteins
37
Q

types of synapse

A
  • axodendritic synapse - connection between presynaptic terminal and neuronal dendrite
  • axosomatic synapse - presynaptic terminal terminates on cell body
  • axoaxonic synapse - presynaptic terminal terminates on axon of another neuron
38
Q

what is the muscle membrane known as?

A

sarcolemma

39
Q

After Ca2+ enters the presynaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction, which neurotransmitter is released?

A

acetylcholine (ACh)

40
Q

What is the cytoplasm of a muscle cell known as?

A

sarcoplasm

41
Q

which receptors does ACh bind to when it reaches the sarcolemma at the neuromuscular junction?

A

nicotinic ACh receptors

42
Q

What happens when ACh binds to nicotinic ACh receptors on the sarcolemma?

A

Depolarisation - Na+ influx and change in end-plate potential (EPP) (same as membrane potential)

43
Q

how does the action potential at the sarcolemma spread to the rest of the muscle

A

T-tubule membrane

44
Q

what is a minature EPP?

A

one molecule of ACh released - causes minature end plate potential, not enough to cause entire action potential. To depolarise the muscle, you need a summation of mini EPPs.

45
Q

What is the location, function and effect of sarcoplasmic reticulum?

A
  • surrounds each myofibril - contractile units of muscle
  • Stores Ca2+ ions for Ca2+ release following sarcolemma depolarisation
  • Ca2+ release causes myofibril contraction and muscle contraction
46
Q

what does Ca2+ release do to the myofibril?

A

activates actin and myosin

47
Q

what does the botulinum toxin do?

A

acts on area of cell membrane and prevents release of ACh by preventing vesicle fusion to the membrane

48
Q

what happens in myasthenia gravis?

A
  • autoimmune disorder forming antibodies to the nicotinic ACh receptor (specifically the muscle type receptors)
  • causes muscle weakness
49
Q

what happens in lambert-eaton myastenic syndrome?

A
  • antibodies directed at voltage gated calcium channels on pre sysnaptic terminal
  • causes muscle fatigue
50
Q

What causes AP to spread?

A

Slight depolarisation of adjacent segment of axon causes influx of sodium ions