Ch. 12 Nervous Tissue and Neurophysiology Flashcards
What are the structural divisions of the nervous system?
1) Central nervous system CNS
Brain and spinal cord of dorsal body cavity, integration and control center (interpret sensory input and dictates motor output)
2)Peripheral nervous system. PNS
The portion of the nervous system outside the CNS, consist mainly of nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord. Contains sensory and motor fibers. (spinal nerves two and from spinal cord - cranial nerves to and from brain)
- sensory (afferent) division
- motor (efferent) division
3) PNS - sensory division - the sensory division contains:
- somatic sensory fibers which convey impulses from skin, skeletal muscles and joint to CNS
- visceral sensory fibers which convey impulses from visceral organs to CNS
4) PNS - motor division - transmit impulses from CNS to effector organs, the muscles and glands. It contains two divisions, the somatic nervous system. (voluntary nervous system.) and the autonomic nervous system(involuntary nervous system)
What are the functions of the nervous system
Sensory input - information is gathered by millions of sensory receptors about internal and external changes
Integration - the nervous system processes and interprets the sensory input (reflexes)
Motor input - the nervous system activates effector organs (muscles and glands) and produces a response
Sensory (afferent) division
Somatic sensory fiber - convey impulses from the skin, skeletal muscle and joints to CNS
Visceral sensory fibers - convey impulses from visceral organs to CNS
Motor (efferent) division
Transmit impulses from CNS to effector organs (muscles and glands)
Two divisions
- somatic nervous system
- autonomic nervous system
Describe this somatic nervous system
The somatic nervous system is composed of somatic motor nerve fibers
- conduct impulses from CNS to skeletal muscle
- it is often referred to as a voluntary nervous system because it allows us to voluntary contract out muscles
Describe the autonomic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system consist of visceral motor fibers that regulate smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands
It is often referred to as the involuntary nervous system
Two functional subdivisions
- Sympathetic
- parasympathetic
Opposition to each other (one stimulates, the other inhibits)
Levels of organization in the nervous system
Identify the types of cells found in the nervous system
CNS
Astrocytes
Microglial cells
Ependymal cells
Oligodendcytes
PNS
Satelite cells
Schwann cells
Astrocytes
Most abundant glial cell of the CNS; physically support neurons
- Highly branched their process, clings to neurons, synaptic, endings and capillaries
Exchanges between capillaries and neurons
Guide migration of neurons and the formation of synopsis between neurons
Control chemical environment around neurons
Respond to nerve impulses and releases neurotransmitters
Participate in information processing in brain
Role in neuron-inflammation
Microglial cell
Defensive cells of the CNS - have phagocytic activity
Small, ovoid cells with thorny processes that monitor neurons
Sense and migrate toward injured neurons
Can transform to phagocytize microorganisms and neuronal debris
Ependymal cells
Line the cavities of the CNS where they form a permeable barrier between CSF and cells of CNS
Ependymal cells formed the epithelial lining of the ventricles of the brain and central canal of the spinal cord
They form a permeable barrier between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the cavities and brain or spinal cord tissue
May be ciliated - help circulate CSF
Oligodendrocytes
Oligodendrocytes are moderately branch cells
Their processes wrap CNS nerve fibers, forming insulated Mylin sheets around thicker nerve fibers
Satellite cell
Surround and support neurons cell bodies in the PNS
- Function similar to astrocytes of CNS
Schwan cells (neurolemmocytes)
Surround all nerve fibers in the PNS and form the myelin sheath in thicker nerve fibers
- Function as Oligodendrocytes (Were they playing important role in nerve impulse transmission speed
- Vital to regeneration of damaged, peripheral nerve fibers
Neuron
Large, highly specialized cells that transmit impulses from one part of the body to another (main impulse transmitting cells of the nervous system)
Describe and identify the structure and function of neurons
Cell body
Nucleus
Dendrites
Axon
Axon hillock
Myelin sheath
Describe the two main functions of the myelin sheath
Function of the mylin sheet is to protect and electrically insulate the axon - increase speed of nerve impulses.
Because voltage gated ion channels are only found in the gaps, action potential seem to “jump” from gap to gap, rather than having to travel continuously down the axon
Myelinated fibers conduct nerve impulses quickly, whereas nonmyelinated fibers conduct impulses more slowly(dendrites are always nonmyelinated)
Describe how the myelin sheath is created and how this differs in the CNS and PNS
PNS - myelin sheath are formed by schwann cells
- wraparound axon in Jelly roll fashion
- One cell forms, one segment of myelin sheath
- The contents of the cytoplasm end up squeezed into a ridge.
CNS - myelin sheaths our formed by multiple flat processes of Oligodendrocytes not whole cells oligodendrocytes not whole cells
- Can wrap up to 60 axons at once
- myelin sheath gap is present
- No outer ridge of cytoplasm
Describe an identify the three “structural classifications” of neurons
Describe the three “functional classifications” of neurons
Functionally, neurons are grouped by the direction in which nerve impulse travels relative to CNS
SENSORY (afferent) (in) FUCK AROUND
- transmit impulses from sensory receptors towards CNS
- almost are all our unipolar
- Cell bodies are sensory ganglia located in the PNS
MOTOR (efferent) (out) FIND OUT
- Carry impulses from CNS to effectors
- multipolar
- most bodies in CNS
(except some autonomic neurons)
INTERNEURONS (association neurons)
- 99% of bodies neurons
- lay between motor and sensory neurons
- shuttle signals through CNS pathways
- are multipolar
- mostly confined in CNS