Cells of the Nervous System & Neuromuscular Junction

Question 1

What are the 4 regions of the brain?

Answer 1

Cerebral hemisphere
Brainstem
Cerebellum
Spinal cord

Question 2

What are the 4 functional regions of the cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 2

Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital

Question 3

What makes up the brainstem?

Answer 3

Midbrain
Pons
Medulla

Question 4

What are the different forms of neurones?

Answer 4

Unipolar
Pseudo-unipolar
Bipolar
Multipolar

Question 5

What is the most common type of neuron?

Answer 5

Multipolar

Question 6

Heterogenous Morphology

Answer 6

Takes up lots of shapes

Question 7

Outline the characteristics of a neurone.

Answer 7

Soma
Axon
Dendrites

Question 8

What part of the neurone is myelinated?

Answer 8

Axon. Dendrites are unmyelinated

Question 9

How do astrocytes differ to neurones?

Answer 9

Ability to proliferate

Question 10

Outline the 3 main roles of astrocytes.

Answer 10

Structure - blood-brain barrier
Cell repair - synthesis of neurotrophic factors
Homeostasis - neurotransmitter regulation

Question 11

What are the 2 myelin-producing cells?

Answer 11

Oligodendrocyte and Schwann cell

Question 12

How do the 2 myelin-producing cells differ?

Answer 12

One oligodendrocyte –> myelinates many axons

One Schwann cell –> myelinates one axon segment

Question 13

What his the function of microglial cells?

Answer 13

Neuronal macrophages

Question 14

What is the function of ependymal cells?

Answer 14

Epithelial cells lining the ventricles

Question 15

What are the 4 major ions involved in RMP?

Answer 15

K+, Na+, Cl-, Ca2+

Question 16

Which ions have a higher extracellular concentration?

Answer 16

Na+, Cl-, Ca2+ (small conc. but large gradient)

Question 17

Is a less negative RMP making the cell more or less excitable?

Answer 17

More excitable

Question 18

What are the changes in membrane depolarisation?

Answer 18

VGSCs open –> Na+ influx –> further depolarisation

Question 19

What are the changes in membrane repolarisation?

Answer 19

VGKCs open at a slower rate –> efflux of K+ from cell

Question 20

What are the features of myelin that prevent depolarisation?

Answer 20

High resistance, low capacitance

Question 21

Axodendritic Synapse

Answer 21

Presynaptic terminal to neuronal dendrite

Question 22

Axosomatic Synapse

Answer 22

Presynaptic terminal to neuronal soma

Question 23

Axoaxonic Synapse

Answer 23

Presynaptic terminal to neuronal axon

Question 24

What is the neurotransmitter used at a neuromuscular junction?

Answer 24

Acetylcholine ACh

Question 25

What are the receptors on the sarcolemma that bind ACh?

Answer 25

Nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR)