Chapter 11 Fundamentals of NS and Nervous Tissue Flashcards
Nervous system functions
Master rapid control and communicating system of body
Nervous System:
Two major anatomical components
*Central Nervous System (CNS):
brain and spinal cord
*Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): all nerves that enter and exit from CNS ganglia – clusters of nerve cell bodies
Nervous System:
Three major physiological divisions
Sensory division:
detects environmental changes (internal and external)
Integrative division:
processes and stores sensory information and decides if output needed
Motor division
generates movements and glandular secretions
PNS divided into two functional subdivisions:
- Sensory, or afferent
- Motor, or efferent
Sensory, or afferent – convey impulses into CNS
* somatic sensory nerves – from skin, skeletal muscle and joints * visceral sensory nerves – from organs
Motor, or efferent – convey impulses from CNS
*somatic motor nerves – to skeletal muscle
*autonomic nervous system (ANS) – involuntary system:
visceral motor nerves – smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, glands
sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions
Neuroglia Cells:
Small support cells of nervous system
Astrocytes Microglial cells Ependymal cells Oligodendrocytes Satellite cells Schwann cells
Neuroglia Cells:
Astrocytes
Astrocytes – in CNS
* make exchanges between capillaries and neurons * control chemical environment * guide migration of young neurons and formation of synapses
Neuroglia Cells:
Microglia Cells
Microglial cells – in CNS = resident phagocytic cells
Neuroglia Cells:
Ependymal Cells
Ependymal cells – in CNS – line central cavities and spinal cord – cilia help circulate CSF
Neuroglia Cells:
Oligodendrocytes
Oligodendrocytes – in CNS – processes wrap around fibers forming myelin sheath
Neuroglia Cells:
Satellite Cells
Satellite cells – in PNS – similar function as astrocytes in CNS
Neuroglia Cells:
Schwann Cells
Schwann cells – in PNS – surround nerve fibers forming myelin sheath – important in regeneration of damaged fibers
Neurons
• structural units of nervous system • have extreme longevity • high metabolic rate • post-mitotic • morphology (shape) varies but contains the same basic components: *Soma or cell body *Processes – extend from cell body *Dendrites *Axon
Neurons:
Soma or cell body
Soma or cell body – contains nucleus – most located within CNS:
nuclei = clusters of nerve cell bodies in CNS
ganglia = clusters of nerve cell bodies in PNS
Neurons:
Processes
Processes – extend from cell body
* tracts = bundles of processes in CNS * nerves = bundles of processes in PNS
Neurons:
Dendrites
Dendrites – receptive or input region – carry information toward cell body
Neurons:
Axon
Axon - one per neuron - carries action potential to other nerve cells or to effectors
**axon hillock initial section of axon where axon leaves cell body
• usual site where action potential generated
**axon collaterals – occasional branch off length of axon
**axon terminals - contain neurotransmitter vesicles (chemical packets)that transmit information to other nerve cells at junctions called synapses
Neurons:
Morphology types
Multipolar – 99% of neurons – have multiple dendrites plus one axon
Bipolar – one dendrite and one axon from cell body – found in retina of eye and olfactory mucosa Unipolar – short process from cell body into T-like central and peripheral processes – primary sensory neurons
Myelin Sheath
Myelin = lipid material formed from membranes of cells or processes of cells that covers axons
Schwann cells in PNS, oligodendrocytes in CNS * *Acts as an insulator * *Nodes of Ranvier = gaps that occur between myelin producing cells and only place where ion exchange can occur * *Increases velocity of action potential up to 50x faster than unmyelinated neurons * *Conserves energy
Resting Membrane Potential (RMP)
Voltage = measure of potential energy generated by separated electrical charges
All cells have a negative resting membrane potential
*ICF of the cell is negatively charged with respect to the ECF
Most cells maintain resting membrane potential within a narrow range
**Excitable cells = nerve and muscle cells have a more polarized (negative) RMP than non-excitable cells
(-40 to -90 mV)
Factors contributing to Resting Membrane Potential
Differences in ionic distribution and permeability of membrane to various ions
K+ high inside cell, Na+ high outside cell
conductance to K+ large - leakage of out of cells results in negative charge within cells
Large negatively-charge proteins trapped within cell - influence ion distribution
Electrogenic pump (Na+-K+ ATPase) pumps 3 Na+ out, 2 K+ in - produces net negative charge within cells
Changing RMP
Stimulus alters ion permeability - e.g. opening ligand-gated channel
Causes local reduction in membrane potential:
**Depolarizing stimulus - cell less negative/ less polar, moves membrane potential closer to zero
**Hyperpolarizing stimulus
cell more negative/more polar, moves membrane potential more negatively
Changing RMP:
Graded potential
Graded potential = stimulus that produces a local response
**produces non-propagated potential where size of potential decreases exponentially with distance from initiation site
Action potential
Action potential – initiated if stimulus large enough & threshold point reached
an “all-or-none” response
**positive feedback occurs and polarity of cell reverses
self-propagating electrical impulse depolarizes adjacent membrane
AP carried along whole length of cell membrane without decrement
**constant amplitude, shape and speed for a given excitable cell type
size and shape differ from one excitable tissue to the next (e.g. neurons vs cardiac muscle)
**AP duration for neurons and skeletal muscle ~ 4 ms
Phases of an AP
Phases of an AP
involves changes in conductance of Na+ and K+ ions via voltage-gated channels
**resting state - sodium gates inactive and Na+ not moving
some potassium leak channels are open and K+ moving freely according to its equilibrium
depolarizing stimulus is applied
**depolarization – local depolarization current open voltage-gated Na+ channels threshold point (15 to 30 mV change from RMP) = point of no return - AP initiated positive feedback mechanism initiated – triggers opening of critical number of fast activating voltage-gated (fVG) Na+ channels Na+ entry pulls the membrane potential towards Na+ equilibrium potential (lasts ~1 ms) self-limiting as fVG Na+ channels have automatic inactivation gates
**repolarization fVG Na+ channels closing - rapid decrease in Na+ conductance (entry) slow activating voltage-gated (sVG) K+ channels open increase in K+ conductance - leaves cell returns membrane potential toward RMP **hyperpolarization stage = slower phase of AP sVG K+ channels slow to close membrane potential pulled toward K+ equilibrium potential membrane potential more negative than resting levels sVG K+ channels close and cellular pumps restore proper ion distribution