Chapter 0: Foundations of Biopsychology - Cells of the Nervous System Flashcards
The nervous system is made up of two (2) types of cells, which are?
- Neurons
- Glia
Is specialized to carry out the functions of information processing and communication.
Neuron.
Cells in the nervous system that support the activities of neurons.
Glia.
A small structure within a cell that carries out a specific function.
Organelle.
The main mass of a neuron, containing the nucleus and many organelles.
Cell body / soma.
The branch of a neuron usually responsible for carrying signals to other neurons.
Axon.
The branch of a neuron that generally receives information from other neurons.
Dendrite.
Its primary task is to form a boundary between the cell and its external environment.
Neuron membrane (cell membrane).
Separates the intracellular fluid of the cell’s interior from the extracellular fluid surrounding the neutron.
Neural membrane.
Neural membranes consist of?
Double layers of phospholipid molecules.
Embedded within the lipid layers are ________ that serve as ion channels and ion pumps.
Proteins.
A protein structure embedded in a cell membrane that allows ions to pass without the use of additional energy.
Ion channel.
A protein structure embedded in a cell membrane that uses energy to move ions across the membrane.
Ion pump.
These open and close in response to the electrical status of adjacent areas of membrane.
Voltage-dependent channels.
An ion channel in the neural membrane that responds to chemical messengers.
Ligand-gated channel.
An ion pump that uses energy to transfer three (3) sodium ions to the extracellular fluid for every two potassium ions retrieved from the extracellular fluid.
Sodium-potassium pump.
A protein structure embedded in the neural membrane that uses energy to move calcium ions out of the cell.
Calcium pump.
These help to maintain the differences in chemical composition between the intracellular and extracellular fluids.
Sodium-potassium and calcium pumps.
The structural support that maintains the shape of the neuron is provided by the?
Cytoskeleton.
The largest fiber in the cell cytoskeleton, responsible for the transport of neurotransmitters and other products to and from the cell body.
Microtubule.
These run parallel to the length of the axon and provide structural support.
Neurofilaments.
The smallest fiber found in the cell cytoskeleton that may participate in the changing of the length and shape of axons and dendrites.
Microfilament.
The substructure within a cell body that contains the cell’s DNA.
Nucleus.