Chapter 12: Nervous Tissue Flashcards
Central Nervous System
Consists of the brain and spinal cord.
Brain contains 85 billion neurons.
Spinal cord contains 100 million neurons.
CNS process many different kinds of incoming sensory information.
Source of thoughts, emotions and memories.
Peripheral Nervous System
Consists of all nervous tissue outside the CNS.
Components: nerves and sensory receptors.
Divided into: sensory and motor divisions.
Nerve
A bundle of 100 to 10000 of axons plus associated CT, blood vessel that lies outside the brain and spinal cord.
Cranial Nerves
PNS
12 pairs.
Emerges from the brain.
Spinal Nerves
PNS
31 pairs.
Emerge from the spinal cord.
Each nerve follows a defined path and serves a specific region of the body.
Sensory Receptors
Refers to a structure of the nervous system
Monitors changes in the external or internal environment.
Examples: touch receptors in skin, photoreceptor in the eye, olfactory receptors in the nose.
Sensory Division
Or afferent
PNS
Converts input into the CNS from sensory receptors in the body.
Provides CNS with sensory information about somatic senses.
Somatic Senses
Tactile, thermal, pain and proprioceptive sensations
Motor Division
Or efferent
PNS
Conveys output from the CNS to effectors (muscles and glands).
Division subdivided into:
1. somatic nervous system
2. autonomic nervous system.
Somatic Nervous System
Conveys output from the CNS to skeletal muscles only.
This part of PNS is voluntary due to motor responses are consciously controlled.
Autonomic Nervous System
Conveys output from the CNS to smooth and cardiac muscles and glands.
Involuntary because its motor responses are not under conscious control.
Contains two main branches:
1. sympathetic nervous system
2. parasympathetic nervous system.
Sympathetic Nervous System
Branch of ANS
Helps support exercise or emergency actions: fight or flight
ie: increases heart rate
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Branch of ANS
Takes care of rest and digest activities.
Ie: slows down heart rate
Enteric Nervous System
Third branch of ANS
Can function independently.
Communicates and is regulated by the other branches of ANS.
Extensive network of over 100 million neurons, confided to the wall of the GI tract.
Helps regulate the activity of the smooth muscle and glands of the GI tract.
3 Basic Functions of Nervous System
- Sensory (input): detect internal or external stimuli. Carried to brain and spinal cord by cranial/spinal nerves
- Integrative (process): processes sensory information by analyzing it and making decisions for appropriate responses, known as integration.
- Motor (output): once sensory information is integrated, motor responses are activated by effectors (muscle and glands) through cranial/spinal nerves.
Integration
Activity performed by integrative (process) function
Making decision for appropriate responses.
Neurons
Nerve cells that process electrical excitability
Electrically Excitability
The ability to respond to a stimulus and convert it into an action potential.
Stimulus
Any change in the environment that is strong enough to initiate an action potential.
Action Potential
Nerve impulse that is an electrical signal that propagates (travels) along the surface of the membrane of a neuron.
Parts of Neuron
Contains 3 parts:
1. Cell body
2. dendrites
3. Axon
Cell Body
Known as perikaryon or soma
Contains a nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm.
Includes cellular organelles.
Nissl Bodies
Prominent cluster of rough endoplasmic reticulum.
Found in the soma of a neuron.
Produces newly synthesized proteins used to replace cellular comments, material for growth of neurons and regenerates damaged axons in the PNS.
Neurofibrils
Found in cytoskeleton
Composed of bundles of intermediate filaments that provide cell shape and support.
Microtubules
Found in cytoskeleton
Assist in moving material between the cell body and axon.
Lipofuscin
Product of neuronal lysosomes
accumulates as neurons age.
A pigment, occurs as clumps of yellowish brown granules in the cytoplasm.
Ganglion
Collection of neuron cell bodies located in the PNS.
Nerve Fiber
General term for any neuronal process that emerges from the cell body of a neuron.
Dendrites
Receiving or input portions of a neuron.
Contain numerous receptor sites for binding chemical messengers from other cells.
If damaged it would affect ability to: trigger AP, release neurotransmitters, transmit messages to other neurons.
Axon
Single neuron
propagates nerve impulses (AP) toward another neuron, a muscle fiber, or a gland cell.
Axon Hillock
Cone-shaped elevation where axons join to the cell body.
Initial Segment
Part of the axon closest to the axon hillock.
Trigger Zone
Area of CNS.
Area where nerve impulses arise at the junction of the axon hillock and initial segment.
If damaged causes failure to propagate an action potential in the axon.
Axoplasm
Cytoplasm of axon
Axolemma
Plasma membrane of axon, surrounds axoplasm.
Axon Collaterals
Side branches that are along the length of the axon. May branch off at a right angle to the axon.
Axon Terminals
Or axon telodendria
Fine processes formed when the axon and its collaterals end by dividing.
Synapse
Site of communication between 2 neurons or between a neuron and an effector cell.
Synaptic End Bulbs
Bulb shaped structures formed when tips of axon terminals swell.
Varicosities
String of swollen bumps found of axon terminals
Synaptic Vesicles
Tiny membrane enclosed sacs, stores neurotransmitters
Found in both synaptic end bulb and varicosities
Neurotransmitter
Chemical stored by synaptic vesicles.
When released excites or inhibits another neuron, muscle fiber or gland cell.
Slow Axonal Transport
Slower transport systems
conveys axoplasm in one direction only: from the cell body toward the axon terminals.
Moves materials about 1-5 mm per day.
Fast Axonal Transport
Transport system that is capable of moving materials a distance of 200-400 mm per day.
Uses proteins that function as motors to move material along the surfaces of microtubules of the neurons cytoskeleton.
Moves material in both directions: always from and towards the cell body.
Anterograde
Fast axonal transport that moves in a foreword direction.
Moves organelles and synaptic vesicles from the cell body into the axon terminals.
Retrograde
Fast axonal transport that occurs in backwards direction .
Moves membrane vesicles and other cellular materials from the axon terminals to the cell body to be degraded or recycled.
Structural Diversity in Neurons
- Neurons display great diversity in size and shape.
- Cell bodies can range from small to large in diameter from 5 um - 135 um.
- Axons can be almost as long as a person is tall.
Structural Classification of Neurons
Classified according to the number of processes extending from the cell body.
1. Multipolar neurons: have several dendrites and one axon. Found in brain, spinal cord and motor neurons.
2. Bipolar Neurons: have one main dendrite and one axon. Found in retina of the eye, inner way and olfactory area.
3. Unipolar Neurons: Have dendrites and one axon that are fused together to form a continues process that emerges from cell body.
Pseudounipolar Neurons
Unipolar neurons being in the embryo as bipolar neurons.
During development the dendrites and axon fuse together and become a single process.
Sensory Receptors
Function of dendrites of most unipolar neurons. Detect sensory stimulus such as touch, pressure, pain or thermal stimuli.
Purkinje Cells
Cell found in the cerebellum
Neurons named by histologist who first described them or for an aspect for their shape and appearance.
Pyramidal Cells
Found in the cerebral cortex of the brain. Have pyramid shaped cell bodies.
Functional Classification of Neurons
Classified according to the direction in which the nerve impulse is conveyed with respect to the CNS.
1. Sensory Neurons or afferent: Forms action potential in its axon and is conveyed into the CNS through cranial or spinal nerves. Unipolar polar structure.
2. Motor Neurons or efferent: convey action potentials away from the CNS to effectors in the PNS through cranial or spinal nerves. Multipolar in structure.
3. Interneurons or association: mainly located within the CNS between sensory and motor neurons. Multipolar in structure.
Neuroglia of CNS
Make up about half the volume of CNS.
Consider as the glue that hold nervous tissue together.
Can be classified on basis of size, cytoplasmic processes and intracellular organization.
Glia
Do not generate or propagate action potentials. Can multiply and divide in mature nervous system.
Gliomas
Brain tumors derived from glia. Tend to be malignant and grow rapidly.
Astrocytes
Star shaped cell that have many processes
The largest and most numerous Neuroglia of CNS.
Processes make contact with blood capillaries, neurons and pia matter.
2 types:
1. Protoplasmic: many short branching processes, found in gray matter.
2. Fibrous: many long unbranching processes, located mainly in white matter.