Chapter 15: Nervous coordination (Part I) Flashcards
what are the two main forms of communication in animals?
the nervous system
the hormonal system
give one example of a nervous coordination and a hormonal coordination
hormonal: control of blood glucose conc
nervous: reflex action
compare and contrast the hormonal and nervous systems
hormonal: communication by chemicals: hormones transmission by blood system transmission relatively slow hormones travel all over body, but only target cells respond response is widespread response is slow response is often long-lasting effect may be permanent/irreversible
nervous: communication by nerve impulses transmission by neruones transmission is very rapid nerve impulses travel to specific parts of body response is localised response is rapid response is short-lived effect usually temporary/reversible
role of sensory neurons in the nervous system
- transmit nerve impulses from receptor to intermediate or motor neuron
- has 1 dendron (often long), it carries impulses towards cell body and 1 axon that carries it away from cell body
role of motor neurons in the nervous system
- transmit nerve impulses from intermediate neuron to effector (e.g. gland/muscle)
- has long axon and many short dendrites
role of intermediate/relay neurons in the nervous system
- transmit impulses between neurons
- has numerous short processes (axons and dendrites)
describe the general structure of a motor neuron
cell body: contains organelles and high proportion of RER, also associated w/ production of proteins and neurotransmitters
dendrons: extensions of cell body that branch into dendrites which carry impulses towards cell body
axon: long, unbranched fibre carries nerve impulses away from cell body.
describe the additional features of a myelinated motor neuron
● Schwann cells: wrap around axon many times (so layers build up)
● Myelin sheath: made from myelin-rich membranes of Schwann cells.
● Nodes of Ranvier: very short gaps between neighbouring Schwann cells where there is no myelin sheath.
state (2) role(s) of schwann cells
- surround axon to protect it and provide electrical insulation
- carry out phagocytosis and play a part in nerve regeneration
(schwann cells have membranes rich in fatty substances called myelin)
state three main functions of the myelin sheath
1 - acts as an electrical insulator for the neurone - it prevents electrical impulses travelling through the sheath.
2 - The sheath prevents the movement of ions into or out of the neurone/ it prevents depolarisation.
3 - speeds up conduction/ transmission of electrical impulse in the neurone - impulses cannot travel through the sheath instead, impulses ‘jump’ from a gap in the myelin sheath to another gap (it jumps from one Node of Ranvier to another Node). This is a process called Saltatory Conduction.
role of nodes of Ranvier
periodic gaps in myelin sheath on axon of certain neurons, that assist rapid conduction of nerve impulses
what is myelin sheath formed from in the CNS and PNS?
- formed by Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
- oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS)
list three ways in which a response to a hormone differs from a response to a nerve impulse [ 3 MARKS ]
- hormone response is slow, wide-spread and long-lasting
- nervous response is rapid, localised and short-lived
define a nerve impulse
- self propagating wave of electrical activity that travels along the axon membrane
- temporary reversal of electrical potential difference
what is an action potential?
- rapid changes in charge across the membrane that occur when a neuron is firing
- occurs in three stages: depolarisation, repolarisation and refractory period
what does the resting potential mean?
- the difference in electrical charge across neurone membrane while neurone is not stimulated (i.e. at rest)
- (-50 to -90 mV, usually about -70 mV in
humans) . - maintained through action of the sodium-potassium pump
name three processes schwann cells are involved in
● electrical insulation
● phagocytosis
● nerve regeneration
name three ways resting potential is maintained across the axon membrane (i.e. neuron is polarised)
- phospholipid bilayer of axon plasma membrane prevents Na+ and K+ ions diffusing across
- channel proteins (they have gates), some remain open so Na+ and K+ move freely through them by facilitated diffusion
- sodium-potassium pump moves Na+ ions out of axon (and K+ in) creating an electrochemical gradient
what does it mean for a neuron to be polarised?
- neuron not stimulated therefore its membrane is polarised
- being polarised means that electrical charge on outside of membrane is positive while electrical charge on inside of membrane is negative (resting potential = 70mv)
- therefore generates a potential difference
why is the resting potential of a neurone -70mV?
- net movement of positive ions out of the cell making the inside of the cell negatively charged, relative to the outside
- this charge is the resting potential of the cell and is about -70mV
Describe the action of the membrane in maintaining the resting potential of the neurone
- Na+/K+ pumps move (3) Na+ ions out of the neurone but membrane isn’t permeable to Na+ so they can’t diffuse back in
- creates Na+ electrochemical gradient because more positive Na+ ions outside cell than inside
- Na+/K+ pumps also move (2)K+ ions into the neurone down their electrochemical gradient but membrane is permeable to K+ so they diffuse back out through potassium ion channels by FD
- which makes outside positively charged compared to inside (bc results in net loss of 1 +ve charge each time)
during the resting membrane potential there are:
more sodium ions (Na+) outside than inside the neuron
more potassium ions (K+) inside than outside the neuron
Explain how the resting potential of –70 mV is maintained in the sensory neurone when no pressure is applied (i.e. no action potential generated)
- Membrane more permeable to potassium ions and less permeable to sodium ions;
- Sodium ions actively transported/pumped out and potassium ions in;
Explain why K+ and Na+ can only pass through membrane through proteins.(2)
- Cant pass through phospholipid bilayer
- As water soluble/ not lipid soluble/ CHARGED
why is there no net movement of K+ ions during the resting potential
- bc they diffuse back out of membrane bc membrane is more permable to them (sodium channels blocked)
- electrochemical gradient moves K+ back in bc repelled by +ve charges out of channel
(two electrochemical gradients counteract each other and there’s no net movement of K+)
Name the stages in generating an action potential.
- Depolarisation
- Repolarisation
- Hyperpolarisation
- Return to resting potential
What happens during depolarisation?
- energy from stimulus→ causes some Na voltage-gated channels in axon membrane to open and so Na+ ions diffuse down their electrochemical gradient through sodium channels into axon (If membrane reaches threshold potential (-50mV), voltage-gated Na+
channels open) - being positively charged, they trigger a reversal in p.d. across membrane [positive feedback]
- so as more Na+ ions diffuse into axon, more sodium channel open, causing even greater influx of Na+ ions by diffusion
- once A.P around +40mv established, sodium voltage gated channels close and voltage-gated potassium channels begin to open
what happens during repolarisation?
1. Voltage-gated Na+ channels close and voltage-gated K+ channels open. 2. Facilitated diffusion of K+ ions out of cell down their electrochemical gradient (starting repolarisation of axon) 3. p.d. across membrane becomes more negative.
what happens during hyperpolarisation?
- temporary ‘Overshoot’ when K+ ions diffuse out = p.d. becomes more negative than usual resting potential (= hyperpolarisation)
- Refractory period: no stimulus is large enough to raise membrane potential to threshold (i.e. no A.P can be generated)
- Voltage-gated K+ channels close &
sodium-potassium pump re-establishes resting potential.
why are the terms resting and action potential misleading?
- action potential involves movement of Na+ inwards due to diffusion - which is passive
- resting potential is maintained by active transport, which is an active process.
Explain the importance of the refractory period.
No action potential can be generated in hyperpolarised sections of membrane: ● Ensures unidirectional impulse ● Ensures discrete impulses ● Limits frequency of impulse transmission
what are the two types of gradients acting on K+ ions during resting potential, and which is stronger?
electrical gradient → Pull K+ into cell
conc gradient → Pulls K+ out of cell
conc. gradient has stronger effect and so even more K+ ions leave the cell (so more +ve charge has left cell, resting potential of neurone decreases further)
What do diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) cause?
- myelin acts as an insulator that prevents current from leaving the axon, increasing the speed of action potential conduction
- diseases like MS cause degeneration of myelin, which slows action potential conduction because axon areas are no longer insulated so the current leaks.
what is saltatory conduction?
- describes the way an electrical impulse skips from node to node down the full length of an axon (speeding the arrival of the impulse at nerve terminal in comparison with the slower continuous progression of depolarization spreading down an unmyelinated axon)
what’s a generator potential?
- small depolarization that isn’t large enough to cause an action potential
- A.P occurs when there are enough generator potentials and and so enough Na+ channels open, to cause significant depolarisation of the neurone.
when do voltage-gated sodium channels open?
at membrane potentials above -50mV
Draw and label the graph when an action potential is fired
Refer to nervous co-ordination notes or page 352 of textbook
describe the passage of an action potential along an umyelinated neurone
- when A.P happens, some of Na+ ions that enter neurone diffuse sideways
- causes Na+ ion channels in adjacent resting region of neurone to open and Na+ ions diffuse through that part
- causes wave of depolarisation to travel along neurone (bc Na+ ions trigger change in P.D stimulating another A.P)
- wave moves away from parts of membrane in refractory period b/c these parts can’t fire A.P
where are sodium ions channels concentrated on a myelinated neurone?
- concentrated at the nodes (of ranvier)