Chapter 3_Cellular Anatomy of the Nervous System

Question 1

Extracellular space

Answer 1

The area outside of cells, filled with extracellular fluid that bathes and supports cells.

Question 2

Cell membrane

Answer 2

Also known as the plasma membrane, it is the biological membrane that separates the interior of all cells from the outside environment.

Question 3

Nucleus

Answer 3

The membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells that contains the genetic material.

Question 4

Intracellular space

Answer 4

The area inside a cell, containing the cytoplasm and organelles.

Question 5

Lipid bilayer

Answer 5

The fundamental structure of the cell membrane, consisting of two layers of lipid molecules.

Question 6

Phospholipid

Answer 6

A type of lipid molecule that is a major component of the cell membrane, with a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails.

Question 7

Hydrophilic head

Answer 7

The part of a phospholipid that is attracted to water and faces the aqueous environments inside and outside the cell.

Question 8

Hydrophobic tail

Answer 8

The part of a phospholipid that repels water and faces inward, away from the aqueous environments inside and outside the cell.

Question 9

Proteins

Answer 9

Large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules.

Question 10

Neuron

Answer 10

The basic working unit of the brain, a specialized cell designed to transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells.

Question 11

Cytoplasm

Answer 11

The material within a cell, excluding the nucleus, containing organelles, cytoskeleton, and various particles.

Question 12

Plasma membrane

Answer 12

Another term for the cell membrane, the boundary that separates the interior of the cell from its environment.

Question 13

Phospholipid bilayer

Answer 13

The two-layer structure of the cell membrane, consisting of phospholipid molecules arranged with their hydrophobic tails inward and hydrophilic heads outward.

Question 14

Membrane potential

Answer 14

The electrical potential difference across a cell’s membrane, resulting from the difference in ion concentrations inside and outside the cell.

Question 15

Vm

Answer 15

The abbreviation for membrane potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) in neurons.

Question 16

Neurogenesis

Answer 16

The process of generating new neurons, which occurs primarily during embryonic development but also in certain brain regions throughout life.

Question 17

Plasticity

Answer 17

The ability of the brain to change its structure and function in response to experience or injury.

Question 18

Dendrites

Answer 18

Branch-like extensions from the neuron cell body that receive signals from other neurons.

Question 19

Spines

Answer 19

Tiny protrusions on dendrites that are sites of synaptic connections with other neurons.

Question 20

Soma

Answer 20

The cell body of a neuron, containing the nucleus and much of the cytoplasm.

Question 21

Axon

Answer 21

A long, thin projection of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron’s cell body.

Question 22

Synapse

Answer 22

The junction between two neurons, where neurotransmitters are released to transmit signals from one neuron to another.

Question 23

Astrocytes

Answer 23

Star-shaped glial cells in the brain and spinal cord, playing roles in supporting neurons and maintaining the blood-brain barrier.

Question 24

Endfeet

Answer 24

Extensions of astrocytes that wrap around blood vessels in the brain, helping to maintain the blood-brain barrier.

Question 25

Glutamate

Answer 25

A major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, involved in cognitive functions like learning and memory.

Question 26

Tripartite synapse

Answer 26

A model of synaptic transmission that includes the presynaptic neuron, the postsynaptic neuron, and astrocytes.

Question 27

Trophic factors

Answer 27

Molecules that support the growth, survival, and differentiation of neurons and other cells.

Question 28

Camillo Golgi

Answer 28

An Italian physician and scientist known for developing the Golgi stain and advocating the reticular theory of the nervous system.

Question 29

Golgi stain

Answer 29

A method of staining brain tissue that highlights individual neurons, developed by Camillo Golgi.

Question 30

Reticular theory

Answer 30

An early hypothesis suggesting that the nervous system is a continuous network of interconnected cells.

Question 31

Neuron doctrine

Answer 31

The theory that the nervous system is made up of discrete individual cells, known as neurons, a concept developed by Santiago Ramon y Cajal.

Question 32

Santiago Ramon y Cajal

Answer 32

A Spanish neuroscientist who provided evidence for the neuron doctrine and made significant contributions to the understanding of the nervous system.

Question 33

Nerves

Answer 33

Bundles of axons in the peripheral nervous system that transmit information to and from the brain and spinal cord.

Question 34

Axon hillock

Answer 34

The cone-shaped region of an axon where it joins the cell body and where action potentials are initiated.

Question 35

Axon terminal

Answer 35

The endpoint of an axon where neurotransmitters are stored and released.

Question 36

Terminal bouton

Answer 36

The rounded ending of an axon terminal that makes synaptic contact with another cell.

Question 37

Active zone

Answer 37

The area within the terminal bouton where synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.

Question 38

Microtubules

Answer 38

Cytoskeletal structures in neurons that help in the transport of organelles and vesicles within the cell.

Question 39

Neurofilaments

Answer 39

Intermediate filaments in neurons that provide structural support and help maintain the shape of the cell.

Question 40

Vesicles

Answer 40

Small membrane-bound sacs that transport and store neurotransmitters within the neuron.

Question 41

Myelin sheath

Answer 41

A fatty layer that covers and insulates axons, speeding up the transmission of electrical impulses.

Question 42

Nodes of Ranvier

Answer 42

Gaps in the myelin sheath along an axon where action potentials are regenerated.

Question 43

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Answer 43

A chronic disease characterized by damage to the myelin sheath, leading to disruptions in nerve signal transmission.

Question 44

Unipolar neuron

Answer 44

A type of neuron with only one projection from the cell body, typically found in sensory neurons.

Question 45

Bipolar neuron

Answer 45

A type of neuron with one axon and one dendrite extending from the cell body, commonly found in sensory systems like vision and olfaction.

Question 46

Multipolar neuron

Answer 46

A type of neuron with one axon and multiple dendrites, the most common type of neuron in the central nervous system.

Question 47

Sensory neurons

Answer 47

Neurons that carry information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system.

Question 48

Motor neurons

Answer 48

Neurons that carry information from the central nervous system to muscles and glands.

Question 49

Interneurons

Answer 49

Neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons and facilitate communication within the central nervous system.

Question 50

Electron microscopy (EM)

Answer 50

A technique that uses a beam of electrons to create an image of a specimen, allowing for very high resolution and magnification.

Question 51

Glia

Answer 51

Non-neuronal cells in the nervous system that provide support and protection for neurons.

Question 52

Astrocytes

Answer 52

Star-shaped glial cells in the brain and spinal cord, playing roles in supporting neurons and maintaining the blood-brain barrier.

Question 53

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)

Answer 53

A protein expressed by astrocytes, used as a marker for astrocytes in research.

Question 54

Oligodendrocytes

Answer 54

Glial cells in the central nervous system that produce the myelin sheath.

Question 55

Schwann cells

Answer 55

Glial cells in the peripheral nervous system that produce the myelin sheath.

Question 56

Microglia

Answer 56

Glial cells that act as the main immune defense in the central nervous system.

Question 57

Ependymal cells

Answer 57

Glial cells that line the ventricles of the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord, involved in the production and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.