Glia Cell Vocab Flashcards
Glial Cells
Supporting cells in the nervous system that work to allow neurons to operate
What are the 4 main types of glial cells?
1.) Astrocytes
2.) Oligodendrocytes
3.) Ependyma
4.) Microglia
Astrocytes
-Keeps neurons physically separate from one another
-Takes up excess K+
-Connects neurons to capillaries to channel oxygen and glucose
-Help form blood-brain barrier
-Helps restrict and remove NT
Oligodendrocytes
Responsible for high conduction velocity of messages in the CNS and myelinates multiple neuronal axons
Ependyma
Helps circulate CSF and lines the cavities of the brain and spinal cord
Microglia
Provide immune response to pathogen invasion into CNS tissue and phagocytic
Phagocytic
Engulfs and removes dead cells or debris from dead cells
Vestibular Schwannoma
Growth of Schwann cells (benign tumor) on teh vestibular portion of the 8th cranial nerve
Afferent
Info moving into a system
Efferent
Info going out from a system
Receptors
Transduce stimulus from the environment into neural signal
Receptor cells
Located in the skin, retinas, cochlea, nose, and tongue
Retinal Cells
Receptors in the eye that respond electro-chemically to light
Inner Ear Receptor Cells
Receptors in the cochlea that respond electrochemically to movement of hair cells in the cochlea
Skin Receptors
Can transduce pain, temperature, touch, and pressure stimuli
Gustatory Cells
Receptors that respond to chemical properties of substances from molecules connecting to them
Olfactory cells
Molecules evaporate off from matter and are inhaled into nose and strike olfactory receptor cells
Effectors
Use/Deliver neural signal to create an action
Skeletal Muscle
Combination of afferent sensory info (gives feedback to CNS) and efferent motor units (allows CNS to execute changes)
Myosin
Forms thick muscle fibers
Actin
Forms thin muscle fibers
Smooth Muscle
Used for slower movements over larger segments of the body and largely controlled by the parasympathetic fibers
Motor Unit
-Comprised of motor neurons, peripheral axons, and motor-end plates
-Arise from the spinal cord to connect CNS to PNS
Motor-End Plate
Neuromuscular junction; point at which motor neuron innervates muscle cell
Neuromuscular spindle
Provides afferent info from muscle back into the nervous system about length, stretch, and contraction
-Big part of vestibular system/proprioception
