Nerves Flashcards
How are the nerves organised
The Central Nervous system and The peripheral nervous system
What is the CNS
Central nervous system which includes the brain and spinal cord
It receives, processes, interprets and stores information and sends messages destined for muscles, glands and organs
What is the PNS
The peripheral nervous system
Which transmits information to and from the CNS by way of sensory and motor nerves
What are the two divisions of the PNS
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
How can the autonomic nervous system be further divided
Sympathetic: fight to flight
Parasympathetic: rest and digest
Enteric and cardiac plexus
What is the role of the autonomic nervous system
Regulates involuntary processes, including heart rate, respiration, digestion and pupil contraction
Operates automatically without conscious direction
What is the role of the somatic nervous system
Carries sensory information form the sensory organs to the CNS and relays motor commands to the muscle
Controls voluntary movements
What are the characteristics of neurones
Cells specialised for fast communication
High metabolic rates
Main component of brain’s grey matter
Can be classified by size, shape, connections, function, transmitters
What are the dendrites, axon, and synaptic terminals
Dendrites: signal inputs
Axon: signal conduction
Synaptic terminals: signal output
What are the three sizes of neurones
Multipolar neurone
Unipolar neurone
Bipolar neurone
What is contained within white matter
Axons carrying information to and from the brain
What are ganglia
Nodular masses of neurone cell bodies (ganglion cells) and supporting neuroglia (satellite cells)
What are the two types of ganglia in the PNS
Sensory: cell bodies of sensory neurones
Autonomic: cell bodies of efferent neurones from the autonomic nervous system
What are neuroglia
Supporting cells for neurones Regulate neurone metabolism and function Repair and recovery from injury Regulate blood brain barrier Destroy pathogens and remove dead neurones
What are the main types of neuroglia in the CNS
Astrocytes
Oligodendrocytes
Microglia
Ependyma
What are the main types of glial cells in the PNS
Satellite cells
Schwann cells
What is myelination
The process by which the fact membrane is generated around the axon
What is the spinal cord reflex pathway
Sensory receptor (site of stimulus) -> Sensory neurone (transmits afferent information to the CNS) -> Integration centre (one or more synapses within the CNS) -> Motor neurone (conducts efferent impulses to the effector organ) -> Effector (muscle fibre or gland response to impulses)
What is the average resting membrane potential
-65mV
What factors contribute to the resting membrane potential
Charged intracellular proteins
Na+/K+ pump
Potassium ions
Sodium ions