Chapter 12: Nervous Tissues Flashcards
How does the spinal cord connect to the brain?
The foramen magnum of the occipital bone.
What is the PNS?
All nervous tissue outside of the CNS including cranial nerves, spinal nerves and sensory receptors.
Somatic and autonomic nervous systems are part of which division of the nervous system?
PNS; motor
What is the somatic nervous system?
Conveys output from CNS to skeletal muscles for voluntary movement.
What is the autonomic nervous system?
Conveys output from CNS to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands for involuntary movement.
Which nervous system controls fight or flight?
Sympathetic.
Which nervous system controls rest and digest?
Parasympathetic.
Sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric nervous systems are part of which division?
Autonomic.
What does the enteric nervous system do?
Regulate activity of smooth muscle and glands of GI tract.
Nerve.
Bundle of axons and associated tissue and blood vessels in the PNS.
Tract.
Bundle of axons in the CNS that interconnect neurons in the spinal cord and brain.
How many pairs of cranial nerves and spinal nerves are in the human body?
Cranial: 12. Spinal: 31.
What are the 3 basic functions of the nervous system?
Sensory, integrative and motor.
Stimulus.
Any change in the environment strong enough to elicit an AP.
How does a nerve impulse travel?
Rapidly and at a constant strength.
What are the components of a neuronal cell body?
Nucleus, cytoplasm, cellular organelles, cytoskeleton, neurofibrils, microtubules.
Neurofibrils.
Bundles of intermediate filaments that provide cell shape and support.
Microtubules.
Assist in moving materials between cell body and axon.
Ganglion.
Collection of neuronal cell bodies in the PNS.
Nucleus.
Collection of neuronal cell bodies in the CNS.
Lipofuscin.
Pigment found as clumps of granules in the cytoplasm of aging neurons. Is not harmful for the neuron.
What are the components of neuronal dendrites?
They are short and highly branched processes that receive input. The PM contains receptors sites for NTs, and the cytoplasm contains organelles.
Describe the neuronal axon.
Long and thin process that propagates nerve impulses.
Initial segment.
The part of the axon closest to the axon hillock.
Trigger zone.
Where the nerve impulses arise and is the junction between the axon hillock and initial segment.
Axoplasm.
The cytoplasm surrounded by plasma membrane (which is also called axolemma).
Axon collaterals.
Side branches off of the axon.
Axon hillock.
Where the axon joins the cell body of the neuron.
Does protein synthesis occur in the axon?
No, because there is no RER.
Slow axonal transport.
Moves materials 1-5mm a day to convey axoplasm in one direction only (from cell body to axon terminal).
Fast axonal transport.
Moves materials 200-400mm a day and uses proteins to transport along microtubule surfaces in two directions.
Anterograde.
Forward. Cell body to axon terminals.
Retrograde.
Backward. Axon terminals to cell body.
Retrograde.
Backward. Axon terminals to cell body.
How are neurons structurally classified?
Based on their number of processes.
Multipolar neuron.
Many dendrites and a single axon. Most commonly found in CNS.
Bipolar neuron.
One main dendrite and a single axon. Found in retina, inner ear and olfactory area of brain.
Unipolar neuron.
Many dendrites and a single axon are fused together to form a continuous process that emerges from the cell body. The trigger zone is at the junction of the dendrites and axon.
Why is the unipolar neuron also called the pseudounipolar neuron?
They begin in embryo as bipolar neurons.
How are neurons functionally classified?
Based on the direction in which the impulse is conveyed.
Sensory neuron.
Contains sensory receptors at dendrites or is located right after a sensory receptor. Forms APs activated by stimuli. Most are unipolar.
Motor neuron.
Convey APs away from the CNS. Most are unipolar.
Interneuron.
Usually located in CNS between sensory and motor neurons. Most are multipolar.
Neuroglia.
Smaller than neurons, makes up half the volume of the CNS, cannot generate or propagate APs, and can multiply and divide in the mature nervous system.
What is the function of neuroglia?
They multiply to fill in spaces formerly occupied by neurons.
Glioma.
Highly malignant brain tumour derived from glia.
What are the 6 types of neuroglia and where are they located?
Astrocytes (CNS), oligodendrocytes (CNS), microglia (CNS), ependymal cells (CNS), Schwann cells (PNS), satellite cells (PNS).
What characteristics can neuroglia of the CNS be classified by?
Size, cytoplasmic processes, and intracellular organization.
Astrocytes.
Large star-shaped neuroglia with many processes that make contact with capillaries, neurons and pia mater.
Protoplasmic astrocytes.
Neuroglia in gray matter with short branching processes.
Fibrous astrocytes.
Neuroglia in white matter with many long unbranched processes.
What are the functions of astrocytes?
1) They contain microfilaments which give them strength and allow them to support neurons. 2) Processes of astrocytes wrapped around capillaries isolate neurons of the CNS from harmful substances in the blood by secreting chemicals. 3) In embryo, astrocytes secrete chemicals that regulate growth, migration and interconnection of neurons in the brain. 4) They maintain appropriate chemical environment for the generation of nerve impulses. 5) They play a role in learning and memory by influencing the formation of neural synapses.
Oligodendrocytes.
Resemble astrocytes, but are smaller and have fewer processes. Processes form the myelin sheath.
Microglia.
Small neuroglia with slender processes that give off spineline projections. Function as phagocytes.
Ependymal cells.
Cuboidal and columnar-shaped neuroglia arranged in a single layer. Line ventricles of the brain and central canal of spinal cord. Produce CSF and form the blood-CSF barrier.
Schwann cells.
Neuroglia that encircle PNS axons, form myelin sheath, and has a role in axon regeneration.
Satellite cells.
Flat neuroglia that surround PNS cell bodies, provide structural support, and regulate the exchanges of materials between cell bodies and interstitial fluid.
Which neuroglia completely surround axons and cell bodies?
Neuroglia of the PNS.
Myelin sheath.
Layers of lipids and proteins that cover axons.
Which neuroglial cells are involved in myelin sheath formation?
Schwann cells (PNS) and oligodendrocytes (CNS).
What is the role of a Schwann cell in myelin sheath formation in the PNS?
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development by spirally many times around axons.