Nerve Physiology Flashcards
It is a communications and control network that allows an organism to interact rapidly and adaptively with its environment, where environment includes both the external environment (the world outside the body) and the internal environment (the components and cavities of the body)
Nervous System
It involves the brain and spinal cord
CNS
It involves nerves and ganglia (group of neurons)
PNS
These are the 💡major cell type in the nervous system.
Neurons and Glia
It functions as 💡generation of signals (to be sent to other neurons or effector cells [e.g., muscle cells]) based on an integration of its own electrical properties with electrochemical signals from other neurons.
Neuron
It is the points where specific neuron-to-neuron communication occurs.
Synapses
It is critical to neuronal function.
Synaptic transmission
Nerve glue
Neuroglia/ glia
It is characterized as 💡supportive cells that sustain neurons both metabolically and physically, isolate individual neurons from each other, and 💡help maintain the internal milieu of the nervous system.
Neuroglia/ glia
These are the three main cellular compartments of neurons:
Cell body
Dendrites
Axon
It is the other name for the cell body.
Perikaryon
Soma
It is the 💡main genetic and metabolic center of the neuron
It possesses a well-developed biosynthetic apparatus for manufacturing membrane constituents, synthetic enzymes, and other chemical substances needed for the specialized functions of nerve cells.
It contains numerous 💡mitochondria and cytoskeletal elements, including neurofilaments and microtubules.
It is also a region in which the 💡neuron receives synaptic input.
Cell body
These are 💡neuronal biosynthetic apparatus which are stacks of 💡rough endoplasmic reticulum, and a prominent 💡Golgi apparatus.
Nissl bodies
These are 💡tapering and branching extensions of the soma and are the main direct recipients of signals from other neurons.
They expand and specialize the surface area of a neuron and they account for more than 90% of the surface area available for synaptic contact.
Dendrites
Two division of dendrites:
Primary dendrites
Higher-order dendrites
Those that extend directly from the soma
Primary dendrites
The daughter branches extending from a more proximal branch, in which proximal refers to closeness to the soma.
Higher-order dendrites
Neuron’s set of dendrites
It can consist of just a few unbranched dendrites or of many highly ramified dendrites.
Dendritic tree
It is a morphological variation of dendrite which are 💡small mushroom- or lollipop-shaped protrusions from the main dendrite.
These are the sites specialized for 💡synaptic contact (usually, but not always) from excitatory inputs.
Spines
It is an 💡extension of the cell that 💡conveys the output of the cell to other neurons or, in the case of a motor neuron, to muscle cells as well.
Axon
Each neuron has only __ axon, and it is usually of uniform diameter.
one
It is a spray of branches seen in axon which is represented by the four terminal branches and their synaptic terminals
Terminal arborization
The __, __, and __ of the terminal arborization determine which other cells it will contact.
size, shape, and organization
It is the the 💡first part of the axon
It is the site where 💡action potentials (spikes) that are propagated down the axon are initiated.
Initial segment
It is a specialized region where initial segment of the axon arise from the soma/ in the proximal dendrite.
Axon hillock
The axon differs from the soma and proximal dendrites in that it lacks __, __, and __.
rough endoplasmic reticulum, free ribosomes, and a Golgi apparatus.
What makes neuron special?
because of their ability to control and respond to electricity
Dendrites have __ that allow neurons to respond to chemicals released by other neurons, and their characteristic branching pattern allows for integration of multiple input signals.
ligand gated ion channels
Axon typically has a long length and high concentration of __ that allows it to convey electrical signals (action potentials) rapidly over long distances without alteration.
voltage-gated channels
What will happen to axon when they disconnected from the cell body?
They will degenerate because they are metabolically dependent to the soma.
Membrane-bound organelles and mitochondria are transported relatively rapidly by __.
fast axonal transport
Substances that are dissolved in cytoplasm (e.g., proteins) are moved by __.
slow axonal transport
What is the role of calcium in the axonal transport?
It triggers movement of the organelles along the microtubules.
Special microtubule-associated motor proteins called __ and __ are required for axonal transport.
kinesin and dynein
It is an axonal transport from the 💡soma toward the axonal terminals.
This process involves 💡kinesin, and it allows 💡replenishment of synaptic vesicles and enzymes responsible for the synthesis of neurotransmitters in synaptic terminals.
anterograde axonal transport
It is an axonal transport in the 💡opposite direction, which is driven by 💡dynein.
This process returns 💡recycled synaptic vesicle membrane to the soma for lysosomal degradation.
retrograde axonal transport
Clostridium tetani is transported __ in the axons of motor neurons. The toxin can escape into the extracellular space of the spinal cord ventral horn and block the synaptic receptors for inhibitory amino acids. This process can result in tetanic convulsions.
Retrogradely