Chr. 12 - Nervous Tissue Flashcards
[12.1] What is the central nervous system, and what is it responsible for?
Consists of the brain and the spinal cord and is responsible for processing information. Also generates thoughts, emotions, memories, and stimulates muscles for contraction and glands for secretions.
[12.1] What is the peripheral nervous system?
Consists of all nervous tissue outside CNS, primarily nerves and sensory receptors.
[12.1] What is a nerve?
A bundle of many neurons and associated connective tissue that lie outside the brain and spinal cord.
[12.1] What is a sensory receptor?
A structure of the nervous system that monitors or detects changes in the external or internal environment.
[12.1] What are the two divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
Sensory and motor.
[12.1] Describe the sensory division of the PNS.
Sends information about stimuli to the CNS from sensory receptors.
[12.1] Describe the motor division of the PNS.
Sends impulses from the CNS to effectors throughout the body.
[12.1] What are the divisions of the motor division?
Somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system.
[12.1] Describe the somatic nervous system.
Subdivision of the motor division, conveys impulses to skeletal muscles only.
[12.1] Describe the autonomic nervous system.
Subdivision of the motor division, conveys impulses to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands.
[12.1] What are the branches of the autonomic nervous system?
The sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric nervous system.
[12.1] List and describe the functions of the nervous system.
Sensory function, to detect internal/external stimuli and relate it to the CNS.
Integrative function, process and analyze sensory information and make decisions accordingly.
Motor function, send impulses to effectors to generate a response to stimuli.
[12.2] Which types of cells compose nervous tissue?
Neurons and neuroglia.
[12.2] What is electrical excitability?
The ability to respond to a stimulus and convert it into an action potential.
[12.2] Define stimuli.
Any change in the environment that initiates an action potential.
[12.2] Define an action potential.
An electrical signal that propagates along the surface of a membrane.
[12.2] List the parts of a neuron.
Cell body, axon, dendrites.
[12.2] Describe the cell body of a neuron.
A nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm and containing typical organelles except for having free floating ribosomes and clusters of rough ERs termed Nissl bodies.
[12.2] What are neurofibrils?
Bundles of intermediate filaments.
[12.2] What is lipofuscin?
A pigment occurring in the cytoplasm as a neuron ages, yellow-brown in colour.
[12.2] What is a ganglion?
A collection of neuron cell bodies outside the CNS.
[12.2] What is a nerve fiber?
Any neuronal process emerging from the cell body of a neuron, termed either an axon or a dendrite.
[12.2] What is a dendrite?
Processes of neurons that exist on a receiving end of a synapse. Usually short, tapering, and highly branches to allow for a large amount of synapses.
[12.2] What is an axon?
A neuronal process that propagates nerve impulses toward n effector or another neuron.
[12.2] Describe the anatomy of an axon.
A long, thin, cylindrical projection that joins to the body at the axon hillock. The initial segment is the portion of the axon that articulates with the axon hillock, and together the are known as the “trigger zone” as this is where action potentials are generated. Axons contain cytoplasm known as axoplasm, and the plasma membrane is known as the axolemma. Side processes of an axon are axon collaterals and the axon processes that form synapses are axon terminals.
[12.2] What is a synapse?
The site of communication between two neurons, or a neuron and an effector cell.
[12.2] What are synaptic end bulbs?
Bulb-shaped structures on axon terminals that contain synaptic vesicles that store a neurotransmitter.
[12.2] What are variscosities?
A string of swollen bumps present on the tips of axon terminal containing synaptic vesicles.
[12.2] What are synaptic vesicles?
Vesicles found in synaptic bulb ends and varicosities containing neurotransmitters.
[12.2] What is a neurotransmitter?
A molecule released from a synaptic vesicle that excites or inhibits another neuron.
[12.2] What is slow axonal transport?
A transport system moving axoplasm from cell body to axon terminals.
[12.2] What is fast axonal transport?
A transport system using proteins the move materials along microtubules of the cytoskeleton, in anterograde or retrograde.
[12.2] List and describe the structural classifications of neurons.
Multipolar neurons, contain several dendrites and one axon. Found primarily in CNS.
Bipolar neurons, contain one main dendrite and one axon. Found in special sensory areas.
Unipolar neurons, contain a dendrite and axon that form a single process, also known as pseudounipolar neurons.
[12.2] What are Purkinje and pyramidal cells?
Purkinje cells are undescribed in the textbook thusfar and are found in the cerebellum.
Pyramidal cells are cells with a pyramid shape and are found in the cerebral cortex.
[12.2] List and describe functional classifications of neurons.
Sensory neurons, unipolar neurons that contain sensory receptors on dendritic ends or are located immediately after sensory receptor cells. Forms action potential that is conveyed towards CNS.
Motor neurons, multipolar neurons that convey action potential away from CNS and to effectors.
Interneurons, multipolar neurons that lie between sensory and motor neurons. Integrate sensory information and elicit a motor response with appropriate motor neurons.
[12.2] What are neuroglia?
Cells making up a large portion of nervous tissue that do not propagate action potentials, are able to multiply, and fills absent spaces.
[12.2] What is a glioma?
A tumour derived from neuroglia.
[12.2] List the neuroglia of the CNS.
Astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglial, ependymal.
[12.2] Describe astrocytes.
Star-shaped cells that support neurons with structure and isolate neurons of the CNS blood supply, forming a part of the blood-brain barrier. Two varieties exist: protoplasmic astrocytes, with many short, branching processes found in grey matter; and fibrous astrocytes with many long, unbranched processes found in white matter.
[12.2] Describe oligodendrocytes.
Cells similar to astrocytes but with fewer processes. Form and maintain the myelin sheath of multiple axons by extending processes and forming sheath from these processes.
[12.2] What is the myelin sheath?
A multilayered lipid-protein covering around axons that provides electrical insulation increasing speed of nerve impulse conduction.
[12.2] Describe microglial cells.
Small cells that act as phagocytes, removing cellular debris and harmful microbes.
[12.2] Describe ependymal cells.
Cuboidal/columnar cells arranged in a single layer. Produce, monitor, and assist in circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.
[12.2] List the neuroglia of the PNS.
- Schwann cells
- Satellite cells
[12.2] What are Schwann cells?
Cells encircling segments of the axon of PNS creating a myelin sheath. Each cell is the myelin sheath, typically myelinates one cell but multiple axons can pass through same cell.
[12.2] What are satellite cells?
Flat cells that provide structure and nutrition for PNS ganglia.
[12.2] What is the neurolemma as it relates to Schwann cells?
The outer cytoplasmic layer of the Schwann cell that contains the nucleus and encloses the myelin sheath. Only found on PNS cells.
[12.2] What are nodes of Ranvier?
Gaps in the myelin sheath appearing at intervals.
[12.2] What is the difference between a ganglion and a nucleus in the nervous tissue?
A ganglion is a collection of neuronal cell bodies in the PNS.
A nucleus is a collection of neuronal cell bodies in the CNS.
[12.2] What is the difference between a nerve and a tract.
A nerve is a bundle of axons located in the PNS.
A tract is a bundle of axons located in the CNS.
[12.2] Describe white matter.
Groups of nervous tissue composed primarily of myelinated axons.
[12.2] Describe grey matter.
Groups of nervous tissue composed of neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, unmyelinated axons, axon terminals, and neuroglia.
[12.3] What are the types of electrical signals used by nervous tissue?
Graded potential and action potential.
[12.3] What is a membrane potential?
An electrical potential difference across the membrane.
[12.3] What is voltage?
A difference in electrical charge.