nervous system Flashcards
what does the cell body of the motor neurone do
contains typical organelles with lots of mitochondria and rough ER
what is the axon
long fibres that carry impulses away from the cell body
what do dendrites do
carry nerve impulses to the cell body
what are schwann cells
make up the myelin sheath -> wrap many times around axon and are rich in lipids, providing insulation
what are the nodes of ranvier
gaps between schwann cells
what is the resting potential
the potential difference (voltage) across the membrane of a neurone when not transmitting an impulse
what does the sodium potassium pump do
actively transports 3 sodium ions (Na⁺) out of neurone and 2 potassium ions (K⁺) into neurone → maintains higher concentration of sodium outside neurone and higher concentration of potassium inside
why are membranes more permeable to potassium ions
ion channels
