Introduction to the Nervous System and Neurology Flashcards
What are the components of the nervous system?
Brain, spinal cord and nerve cells
What do nerve cells do?
They generate electrical signals
What is the cell body of a neuron?
It is what contains all the normal machinery of life
What is the function of the dendrites found on neurones?
To provide a large surface area for receiving information from other cells
What is the function of the axon of a neuron?
It transmits information to other nerve cells using action potentials
What is a synapse?
It is where one nerve cell passes information to another nerve cell by releasing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft which attach onto receptors and pass on the action potential
What is the function of the cerebrospinal fluid?
To act as a shock-absorber
What physical support/protection does the nervous system have?
- Meninges
- CSF
- Highly specialised capillaries with few gaps in their walls so nothing can diffuse through them
What defence does the nervous system have?
Microglia, blood-brain barrier and glial cells
What is the function of microglia?
It protects the brain against infection- part of the innate immune system
Where do glial cells come from?
The same stem cells as nerve cells
What is the function of glial cells?
To provide biochemical and structural support for nerve cells and helps control the activity of nerve cells
What is the function of astrocytes?
- Keeping the concentration of ions just right to allow optimal function of nerve cells
- Transport of nutrients and waste products between nerve cells and blood vessels
- Clear synaptic cleft for incoming action potentials
What is the structure of astrocytes?
They have long processes that come out of the cell body, processes form sheets that sheath the dendrites and cell bodies of nerve cells
What forms the blood-brain barrier?
The contact between astrocytes and capillaries
