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physiological psychology > chapter 2: structure and function of cells in the nervous system > Flashcards

chapter 2: structure and function of cells in the nervous system Flashcards

cells of the nervous system, communication within neurons, and communication between neurons

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1
Q

what does the central nervous system (CNS) consist of?

A

the brain and spinal cord

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2
Q

what does the peripheral nervous system (PNS) consist of?

A

nerves and most of the sensory organs

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3
Q

nerve

A

bundle of thousands of individual neurons wrapped in a tough protective membrane

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4
Q

nerve fibers

A

transmit messages through the nerves from sensory organs to the brain or from the brain to muscles and glands

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5
Q

sensory neurons

A

process sensory information gathered from the environment

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6
Q

motor neurons

A

control motor behavior and muscle contractions

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7
Q

interneurons

A

lie entirely within the CNS integrating sensory and motor stimuli

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8
Q

local interneurons

A

communicate with nearby neurons to analyze small pieces of information

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9
Q

relay interneurons

A

connect circuits of local interneurons between brain regions

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10
Q

neurons

A

primary information-processing cells that transmit signals throughout the brain and body

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11
Q

soma

A

cell body of a neuron which contains the nucleus

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12
Q

dendrites

A

tree branches extending from the soma that receive messages transmitted across the synapse

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13
Q

axon

A

a long thin tube thats outside surface carries information from the soma to the terminal buttons

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14
Q

anterograde axonal transport

A

relies on kinesin to move information toward the terminal buttons

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15
Q

retrograde axonal transport

A

relies on dynein to move information toward the soma at half the rate of anterograde axonal transport

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16
Q

myelin sheath

A

a protective layer of fats and proteins covering the axon that allows efficient transmission of action potentials

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17
Q

multiple sclerosis

A

deterioration of the myelin sheath that can lead to slower nerve transmission and axonal degeneration

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18
Q

terminal buttons

A

knobs at the end of the axon terminal that secrete neurotransmitters

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19
Q

synapses

A

small spaces in between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of another

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20
Q

glia

A

supporting cells of the nervous system that provide protection and nutrients, fight and remove pathogens and dead neurons, facilitate communication, and assist with the growth and repair of cells

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21
Q

astrocytes

A

star-shaped glial cells that surround soma and dendritic membranes to nourish neurons and perform phagocytosis, ingesting dead cells and replacing the vacant area with scar tissue, as well as maintain the blood brain barrier

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22
Q

oligodendrocytes

A

glial cells that form the myelin sheath with segments of space for faster transport along axons, and provide immune support and respond to inflammation after injury

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23
Q

nodes of ranvier

A

uncoated portions of axons between segments of myelin sheath

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24
Q

microglia

A

smallest of the glial cells that provides immune support by protecting the brain against invading microorganisms, responsible for neuroinflammation after injury, act as phagocytes that enable astrocytes to remove dead cells

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25
Q

schwann cells

A

glial cells in the PNS that serve the same function as oligodendrocytes, while promoting regrowth by digesting dying axons after nerve damage and forming cylinders to guide axonal regrowth

26
Q

paul ehrlish

A

-discovered the blood brain barrier by injecting blue dye into the bloodstream that tinted all tissue except the brain and spinal cord
-when he injected the dye into the ventricles in the brain, the CNS turned blue

27
Q

blood brain barrier

A

-a selectively permeable barrier between the blood and the fluid that surrounds the cells of the brain regulating the composition of fluid within and outside of neurons
-lined with capillaries that carry blood into the CNS

28
Q

what is one reason the permeability of the blood brain barrier differs throughout the brain?

A

in the area postrema, neurons can enter and detect toxic substances in the blood that can induce vomiting

29
Q

how do cells communicate with each other?

A

through electrical signals

30
Q

what is the resting potential of an axon?

A

-70 mV

31
Q

depolarization

A

membrane potential becomes more positive increasing the likelihood of an action potential

32
Q

action potential

A

a burst of rapid depolarization that facilitates communication between neurons, followed by hyperpolarization back to resting potential

33
Q

what two forces can change the membrane potential of a neuron?

A

diffusion and electrostatic pressure

34
Q

what ions are present in the intracellular and extracellular fluid of a neuron and what are their charges?

A

sodium (Na+)
potassium (K+)
chloride (Cl-)
organic anions (A-)

35
Q

which of the ions present in a neuron cannot leave the neuron and contributes to its negative internal charge?

A

organic anions (A-)

36
Q

what is the role of sodium in depolarization?

A

sodium from the extracellular fluid enters the cell through diffusion and remains there due to electrostatic pressure

37
Q

what is the role of potassium in depolarization?

A

potassium from the intracellular fluid exits the cell through diffusion but is pushed back in due to electrostatic pressure

38
Q

what is the role of chloride in depolarization?

A

chloride from the extracellular fluid enters the cell through diffusion but is pushed back out due to electrostatic pressure

39
Q

what is the purpose of the sodium-potassium pump?

A

it keeps the intracellular concentration of sodium low

40
Q

how does the sodium-potassium pump work?

A

for every two potassium ions pushed in, three sodium ions are pushed out of the cell

41
Q

all-or-none law

A

an action potential either occurs or doesn’t, the size is always constant

42
Q

rate law

A

an axon’s firing rate represents varying information

43
Q

saltatory conduction

A

messages get smaller as they pass down the axon but are still large enough to trigger action potentials at the next node

44
Q

what are the six steps of an action potential?

A
  1. membrane potential reaches the threshold of excitation, where the sodium channels open and sodium rushes into the cell
  2. potassium channels open and potassium rushes out of the cell
  3. sodium channels become refractory
  4. potassium continues to leave the cell until the membrane returns to resting potential
  5. potassium channels close and sodium channels reset
  6. membrane becomes briefly more negative than resting potential while the sodium potassium pump gathers potassium
45
Q

what are the two advantages of saltatory conduction?

A

less energy is required and action potentials are conducted faster

46
Q

how do neurons communicate with each other?

A

neurotransmitters are released from the terminal buttons of the presynaptic neuron and attach to the binding sites of the postsynaptic neuron

47
Q

ligand

A

a chemical that binds to a receptor site

48
Q

what can binding to a receptor trigger?

A

opening of ion channels that all ions can use to enter and exit the cell

49
Q

synaptic vesicle

A

small, round structures that are packaged by transport proteins with several neurotransmitters, peptides, or other ligands to be taken across the synaptic cleft by trafficking proteins

50
Q

what are the four types of synapses?

A

axo-dentritic, axo-somatic, axo-axonic, and dendro-dendritic

51
Q

exocytosis

A

mechanism of active transport by which molecules are released from the cell through calcium channels that are opened by depolarization during action potentials

52
Q

ionotropic (direct) receptor

A

ligands bind to receptor site and ion channel opens

53
Q

metabotropic (indirect) receptor

A

ligands bind to receptor site which activates a g-protein to activate second messengers to induce ion release

54
Q

excitatory postsynaptic potential

A

sodium and calcium channels are opened to increase the likelihood action potentials by depolarizing the postsynaptic cell

55
Q

inhibitory postsynaptic potential

A

potassium and chloride channels are opened to hyperpolarize the postsynaptic cell and decrease the likelihood of action potentials

56
Q

reuptake

A

the rapid removal of neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft back into the terminal buttons of the presynaptic neuron by transporter molecules

57
Q

enzymatic degradation

A

enzymes break apart neurotransmitters released from terminal buttons to prevent the overstimulation of postsynaptic cells and excessive firing

58
Q

autoreceptor

A

located on the terminal button of the presynaptic cell and regulates the amount of neurotransmitters released

59
Q

neuromodulators

A

chemicals released that alter the transmission of signals between neurons, helping or inhibiting receptors

60
Q

hormones

A

neuromodulators secreted into extracellular fluid by endocrine glands or cells in various organs and bound to target cells

61
Q

peptide hormones

A

bind to metabotropic receptors and alter the physiology of a cell

62
Q

steroid hormones

A

alter protein production of cell because they are smaller and more fat soluble than peptide hormones

physiological psychology (3 decks)

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