How nerves work

Question 1

What are the 3 main sub-divisions of the nervous system?

Answer 1

Brain
Spinal Cord
Peripheral nerves

Question 2

What does the soma of a nerve contain?

Answer 2

The nucleus

Question 3

What are dendrites of nerves used for?

Answer 3

An important route for information from other neurones

Question 4

What does the axon of a nerve do?

Answer 4

Takes the AP elsewhere

Question 5

What are the neurones typical resting membrane potential?

Answer 5

Around -70mV

Question 6

What does the axon hillock do?

Answer 6

Triggers the action potential

Question 7

What do the afferent neurones carry?

Answer 7

Sensory information

Question 8

What do oligodendrocytes form in the CNS?

Answer 8

Glia

Question 9

What do neurones exist to send?

Answer 9

Electrical signals

Question 10

What do action potentials transmit?

Answer 10

Signals over long distances

Question 11

What decides when an AP should be fired?

Answer 11

Graded potentials

Question 12

What does the resting membrane potential rely on?

Answer 12

The permeability of the membrane to K+ ions

Question 13

If the RMP is reduced, what is the cell doing?

Answer 13

Depolarising

Question 14

If more K channels were to open, what would happen to the cell?

Answer 14

It would hyperpolarise

Question 15

Where are endplate potentials found?

Answer 15

The NMJ

Question 16

Why can graded potentials only work very locally?

Answer 16

They are decremental

Question 17

What is required for long distance transmission?

Answer 17

Action Potentials

Question 18

To hyperpolarise a postsynaptic potential, what channels can be opened?

Answer 18

K or Cl

Question 19

Give 2 examples of IPSPs

Answer 19

GABA and glycine

Question 20

Ligand-gated ion channels can produce what?

Answer 20

Postsynaptic potentials

Question 21

Voltage-gated ion channels can produce what?

Answer 21

Depolarisation of the membrane potential

Question 22

Action potentials are only fired when?

Answer 22

When the threshold is reached

Question 23

What are action potentials mediated by?

Answer 23

Voltage-gated channels

Question 24

Where does myelin originate from?

Answer 24

Schwan cells

Oligodendrocytes

Question 25

Myelination allows what?

Answer 25

Nerve impulses to move quicker

Question 26

Name the most known de-myelinating disease

Answer 26

Multiple sclerosis

Question 27

Where is the AP triggered to contract muscle?

Answer 27

Sarcolemma

Question 28

What is primarily opened following an AP in the motor neurone?

Answer 28

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in presynaptic terminal

Question 29

Where does ACh diffuse across in the NMJ?

Answer 29

The synaptic cleft

Question 30

What does tetrodotoxin block in the NMJ?

Answer 30

Na+ channels

Action potential

Question 31

What do anticholinesterases block in the NMJ?

Answer 31

ACh breakdown

Question 32

What is ACh inactivated by?

Answer 32

Breakdown

Question 33

The NMJ is always a what cell?

Answer 33

Motorneurone-muscle cell

Question 34

What is the collective name for the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems?

Answer 34

Autonomic nervous system