Lecture 10- Cellular Structure of the Brain Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three types of cells in the nervous system?

A
  • Neurons (nerve cells)
  • Neuroglia (glue)
  • Vascular cells
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2
Q

How to ion channels work in the generation of action potentials?

A
  • Sodium channels open to let sodium in to depolarize

- Potassium channels open to let potassium out in repolarization

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3
Q

What form is energy in as an action potential? What is the role of the synapse in converting this energy?

A
  • Action potential= electrical signal

- Synapses convert an electrical signal to a chemical signal (neurotransmitter) and then back

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4
Q

What is the purpose of the synapse? What does it contain?

A
  • It’s for communication between the neurons and consist of the axon terminal (presynaptic terminal) the clef and then the post synaptic dendrite.
  • There is a bunch of mitochondria and vesicles in the presynaptic axon terminal. This is because a lot of energy is needed to cause binding of vesicles to the membrane and release of neurotransmitter (to facilitate communication).
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5
Q

What are some different shapes that dendritic spines can take? What is most common in a disorder in a disorder like down syndrome?

A
  • Thin
  • Mushroom
  • Stubby

Stubby= the most common in down syndrome because it reduces surface area making communication less efficient.

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6
Q

Does just one dendritic spine typically stick to a presynaptic bouton?

A

No, multiple will make contact with one

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7
Q

What is TEM and it’s purpose?

A
  • Function: let’s users look at a very thin cross section of an object (such as a cell)
  • Maximum magnification: approximately 5,000,000x. Basically focus on a very small portion of tissue and blows it up.
  • Best for: Looking at the internal structure of objects, looking at objects at very high resolution, looking at relationships between structures at high resolutions
  • Disadvantages: Can’t be used to look at living things (samples need to be prepared extensively before visualizing). Costly to run
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8
Q

What’s special about neurons in terms of their shape and size?

A
  • Shapes are specialized (branching) according to how many cells they are listening to/ it’s function
  • In other words by the number of connections (inputs/ outputs) the neuron has
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9
Q

What is the difference between an axon and dendrite?

A
  • A dendrite is receiving it therefore has a lot more membrane proteins (receptors)
  • Dendrite is also not smooth. It has dendritic spines and these a labile (adaptable)
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10
Q

How are dendritic spines stabilized?

A

Proteins- everything comes back to this!

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11
Q

Why does a neuron have it’s shape and how does it maintain this shape?

A
  • Had it’s shape to establish a network that allows a pathway for transmission of information
  • How? the cytoskeleton (made of proteins)
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12
Q

What are the three elements of the neuronal cytoskeleton? Order the elements from biggest to smallest…

A
  • Microtubules (tubulin)
  • Neurofilament (intermediate filament)
  • Microfilament (F-action= filamentous, G-action= monomeric)

Getting smaller and smaller as move down this list

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13
Q

How are microtubules orientated in axons and why? What is there function?

A
  • Orientated lengthwise, held in place
  • Positive end is orientated to the axon end
  • Need to be orientated like this to allow for axonal transport (the trafficking of vesicles, mitochondria, protein, receptors etc. down). In other words the microtubules act as highways.
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14
Q

What motor protein is responsible for transporting vesicles down microtubules?

A

Kinesin (the one that looks like a walking person!)

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15
Q

How is Alzheimer’s linked with microtubule dysfunction at a very basic level?

A
  • Generally, tau proteins stick to microtubules mean they stabilize
  • In Alzheimer’s tau is abnormally shaped/ dysfunctional meaning it no longer sticks. When Tau is not there to stabilize the microtubules fall apart causing tangles= preventing trafficking of proteins down
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16
Q

How can brain injury/ concussion drive dementia?

A
  • White and gray matter are different densities
  • Therefore, when make sudden movement/ have sudden whack to the head they move at different rates
  • Thought this causes tangles of microtubules
17
Q

Are glial cells electrical? What are the five main types?

A
  • No

- Oligodendrocytes, Microglia, Ependymal, Schwann Cells, Astrocytes