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ANSC 3080 > Nerve Cell Function and Synaptic Transmission (Neurophysiology I) > Flashcards

Nerve Cell Function and Synaptic Transmission (Neurophysiology I) Flashcards

1
Q

What structures are part of the CNS?

A

Brain + spinal cord

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2
Q

What is the function of the CNS?

A
  • make decisions
  • integration center
  • operating system of body
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3
Q

What is the function of the PNS?

A
  • move info from CNS to target cells
  • move info from outside environment to CNS
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4
Q

What is afferent movement?

A

information from PNS travels to CNS

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5
Q

What is efferent movement?

A

information travels from CNS to PNS

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6
Q

What does the sensory system consist of? Is it afferent or efferent movement?

A
  • sensory nerve fibers
    -afferent
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7
Q

Describe the somatic systems components + function. Is it afferent or efferent?

A
  • motor nerve fibers travel to skeletal muscles
  • controls movement
  • efferent
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8
Q

Describe the autonomic systems components + function. Is it afferent or efferent?

A
  • motor nerve fibers to glands, heart + smooth muscle

-efferent

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9
Q

What two systems are part of the autonomic system? What are their functions?

A

Sympathetic NS - fight or flight
Parasympathetic NS - rest + digest

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10
Q

What is nervous tissue made of?

A

neurons + glial cells

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11
Q

What are the functions of neurons?

A

generate, transmit + integrate information

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12
Q

What is the purpose of an axon?

A

move information away from cell body

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13
Q

What is the purpose of a dendrite?

A

move information towards cell body

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14
Q

What is the purpose of the cell body?

A

integrates in + outgoing information

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15
Q

What is a multipolar neuron and where is it located?

A
  • multiple dendrites
  • CNS
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16
Q

What is a pseudounipolar neuron? Where is it located?

A
  • continuous axon that bypasses cell body
  • PNS
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17
Q

What is a bipolar neuron? Where is it located?

A
  • 1 dendrite + 1 axon
  • sensory organs
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18
Q

What is the function of a sensory neuron?

A
  • move information from PNS to CNS (afferent)
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19
Q

What is the function of a motor neuron?

A

move information from CNS to muscles + glands (efferent)

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20
Q

What is the function of interneurons (association)?

A

relay info between neurons within the CNS

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21
Q

What is the function of specialized receptors (transducers)?

A

converts stimuli into signal

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22
Q

What are glial cells? Name 4 types.

A
  • non-neuronal cells
  1. oligodendrocytes
  2. astrocytes
  3. ependymal cells
  4. microglia
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23
Q

What neurons not store?

A

glucose + oxygen

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24
Q

What are the functions of glial cells?

A
  • provide structural support to nervous tissue
  • participate in myelin formation
  • secrete glutamate
  • possesses phagocytic activity
  • contacts blood vessels + neurons for nutrient transport
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25
What glial cell participates in myelin formation?
oligodendrocytes
26
What glial cell participates in phagocytic activity?
microglia
27
What glial cell participates in glutamate secretion + why?
- modulates excitatory levels of neurons - astrocytes
28
What is grey matter + where is it located?
- high density cell bodies - nerve cells + integration center
29
What is white matter? What gives it the white appearance?
- bundles of neuron processes - myelin sheath
30
What is ganglia? Where is it located?
- clusters of cell bodies of sensory neurons - outside CNS
31
What is myelin + what is it made of?
- white lipid around nerve fibers - made of phospholipids
32
What is the function of myelin sheaths?
acts as electrical insulate to allow for faster AP transmission between nodes of Ranvier
33
True or False: Denuded axon points allow depolarization + transmission of AP?
True
34
What is the impact of no myelin sheath?
slow transmission of AP
35
Where are oligodendrocytes located?
CNS
36
Where are schwann cells located?
PNS
37
What are the charges in RMP?
- inside membrane (cytosol) = (-) - outside membrane = (+)
38
What are 3 ways to maintain RMP?
- selective permeability - Na+/K+ pump - trap large anions on inner surface of membrane
39
What happens with selective permeability when maintaining RMP?
- allows passive leakage of ions through channels following concentration gradient
40
Where do positive charges accumulate in RMP?
outside
41
What ion is most permeable + what direction does it move (outside to inside OR inside to outside)
K+ -leaks inside to outside
42
Explain ion pumps in maintaining RMP.
Na+/K+ pump moves 3 Na+ out of cell + brings 2 K+ into cell to keep concentration of ions relatively constant
43
What does the ion pump do differently than passive diffusion?
goes against concentration gradient
44
What does Na+ go against in Na+/K+ pump?
goes against membrane polarity as outside is already (+)
45
Does the ion pump require energy?
Yes. Approx 40% ATP
46
What induces a change in membrane potential? Why?
chemical, physical or electrical stimuli - provokes opening of voltage gated ion channels to allow for AP
47
Explain the action potential in neurons?
Depolarization: - Na+ channels open allowing Na+ into cell - inside more (+) Repolarization: - K+ channels open allowing K+ to flow outside - returns potential to RMP Hyperpolarization: - K+ voltage gated channels begin to close - outflow of K+ continues by passive diffusion - ions return to proper places by diffusion + Na+/K+ pump once gated channels close
48
What is the refractory period?
period in which neurons cannot be re-stimulated until RMP is restored
49
What do ligand-gated channels bind?
neurotransmitters
50
What is the function of gap junction channels?
- direct communication between 2 cells - helps all cell depolarize at once
51
What is the all-or-none rule?
if threshold is reached, generate AP (depolarization) if threshold not reached, no AP (no depolarization)
52
Why can an action potential not move backwards?
membrane that was just depolarized is now in refractory period
53
What is saltatory conduction?
- myelin prevents ion leakage - current jumps from one node to next
54
What happens to velocity in a myelinated axon? Why does this happen?
- increases velocity - less energy required to transport ions
55
What impacts nerve velocity?
- thickness of myelin - diameter of fiber (thicker = faster)
56
What is a neuromuscular synpase?
continuity of signal between neuron + target cell
57
What is the synaptic cleft?
gap between pre + post synaptic membrane
58
What is a gap junction? Where does this happen?
- AP jumps from one cell to another - cardiac + some smooth muscle
59
What is a neurotransmitter?
molecule able to transmit information from neuron
60
Explain how a neurotransmitter functions.
1. converts AP into chemical signal 2. released by pre-synaptic neuron into gap 3. binds to specific receptor on post-synaptic membrane 4. elicits a response
61
How is a neurotransmitter classified?
- small molecules vs. neuropeptides (3-40 AA)
62
Where are small molecule neurotransmitters produced?
produced locally in nerve terminals
63
Where are neuropeptides produced + stored for transport?
- produced in cell body + comes from expression of gene - packaged into secretory vesicles during transport
64
Explain the neuromuscular synapse.
1. AP generated 2. voltage gated Ca2+ channels cause influx of Ca2+ 3. Ca2+ triggers exocytosis (vesicles dock to membrane) 4. diffusion in cleft 5. ACh binds to specific receptors 6. ion channels open on post-synaptic membrane causing depolarization (Na+ flows inside ligand-gated channel) 7. ACh inactivated + signal termination
65
What neuromuscular synapse transmitter is used?
Acetylcholine
66
What is common in neuromuscular synpase to increase surface?
post-synaptic folding
67
What happens to small molecules upon termination of transmission?
- picked up by presynaptic neuron via endocytosis + recycled - deactivated by ACh esterase (AChE) in the cleft
68
What happens to neuropeptides upon termination of transmission?
- can be internalized by post-synpatic cell via endocytosis + degraded by enzymes OR - broken down by extracellular peptidase in the gap
69
What happens to the receptor when transmission is terminated?
- receptor becomes desensitized (saturated + cannot generate AP)
70
What does a neuro-muscular synapse consist of?
- 1 neuron (integrates information) - AP - muscle cell depolarization
71
What does a neuron-neuron synapse consist of? Does it always lead to a response?
- 1 neuron that receives impulse from other neurons - synapse can be excitatory or inhibitory - no as impulse must reach threshold to elicit a response
72
What happens in an excitatory synapse?
- depolarization - entry of Na+
73
What happens in an inhibitory synapse?
- hyperpolarization - entry of Cl- - outflow of K+

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