Nervous System Flashcards
Development
- 3rd week of development ectoderm of dorsal midline thickens to form the neural plate
- Neural plate > Neural tube > CNS neurons
- Between neural plate / ectoderm > neural crest > peripheral neurons, PNS support cells (Schwann cells and satellite cells), adrenal medulla, meningeal coats (pia mater and arachnoid), melanocytes and facial cartilage
- *Neurons differentiate and stop dividing -> cannot repair themselves / regenerate = problem with neurodegenerative disease
- PNS - ganglia, nerves/endings, receptors on neurons, peripheral targets
- CNS - Nuclei or cortices, nerves, nerve endings, receptors on neurons (or glia, which support migrating neurons)
Neurons
- Cannot regenerate
- Vary in morphology and transmitter content
- Receive, integrate, conduct, transmit information
- 3 types:
- Multipolar motor neurons
- Pseudo-unipolar/bipolar sensory neurons
- Integrative neurons
- All made of dendrites, cell body, axon:
- Dendrites
- Increase surface area
- Dendritic spine “plasticity” to accommodate function (depends on stimulus)
- Receptors on dendrite and proteins hold synapse together
- Generally receive signal
- Sums excitatory/inhibitory signals
- Cell body
- Synthesizes proteins
- Nissl bodies (neurons with lots of RER and ribosomes, euchromatic nucleus, prominent nucleolus, big Golgi)
- Provides protein to axon (which lacks Nissl bodies)
- Axon
- Transmit info to target cell
- No Nissl, need cell body for protein synthesis
- Extensive cytoskeleton for support and axonal growth regulation (intermediate filament and microfilament)
- Microtubules for transport
- Fast transport active:
- Kinesin for anterograde transport (cell body->terminal)
- Dynein for retrograde transport (terminal->cell body) of vesicles, endosome, mitochondria)
- Slow-cytoskeleton elements, proteins
- Microfilament associated with Vesicle release
- Fast transport active:
- Dendrites
Chemical Synapse
- Pathway
- Action potential > calcium enters pre-synaptic membrane > synapsin I phosphorylated > vesicles released from actin microfilaments > dock vesicles to pre-synaptic membrane via VAMPs and t-snares > fusion and exocytosis > NT released via vesicles
- After exocytosis, NT can’t linger in cleft (or else will continuously interact with NT receptors at post-synaptic cleft)
- NT in cleft are:
- Degraded by enzymes (ie acetylcholine)
- Taken up by pre-synaptic terminal (norepinephrine, dopamine, glutamate)
- Taken up by glia (astrocytes)
- Diffuse away
- Exocytosis vesicles:
- Fused with early endosome > vesicular membrane recycled
- Retrograde transport > degraded by lysosome
Diseases Related to Synaptic Transmissions
o Botulinum and tetanus
o Lambert Easton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS)
o Congenital myasthenic syndromes
Peristalsis
- NT released by clusters of vesicles along the axons (aka varicosities)
- Pathway
- Action Potential > axon depolarized > vesicles release NT along the axon > lots of NT released
CNS support cells:
Ependymal
Astrocytes
Oligodendroctyes
Microglia
- Ependymal
- Ciliated > facilitate CSF movement
- Line central canal and ventricles
- Adhering junctions
- CSF can diffuse between brain/spinal cord and ventricles/central canal
- Tight junctions
- Choroid plexus
- Modified so blood can pass through choroid plexus but not to brain/spine
CNS support cells:
Ependymal
Astrocytes
Oligodendroctyes
Microglia
- Intermediate filaments (glial fibrillary acid protein)
- Between neurons and different cell type
- Found in electrically active areas > regulate ionic environment via gap junctions
- Nodes of Ranvier
- Initial segment
- Surround/regulate synapse
- Segregate synapse
- Regulate NT receptors
- Project to capillaries > control tightness of blood/brain barrier & blood flow
- Immune response
- Remove neuronal debris
CNS support cells:
Ependymal
Astrocytes
Oligodendroctyes
Microglia
- Unmyelinated > no ensheathment
- Myelinated
- Initial segment > axon terminal
- Nodes of Ranvier
- A lot of ion channels
- Internodal segments are myelin between nodes
- Paranodal region is the edge of the sheath
- Site of signal between axon and oligodendrocyte
- Loss of signal > MS / AD
- Sheath formation
- Dark lines, dense lines
- Inner membrane faces
- Light lines, intraperiod lines
- Outer membrane faces
- PLP (proteolipid protein)
- Holds intraperiod line together
- Dark lines, dense lines
- *1 oligodendrocyte: many internodes
CNS support cells:
Ependymal
Astrocytes
Oligodendroctyes
Microglia
- Small phagocytes that remove neuronal debris
- Immune response > recruit WBC across blood/brain barrier
PNS support cells
Satellite cells
Schwann Cells
Cell bodies
PNS support cells
Satellite cells
Schwann Cells
- Associated with peripheral nerve axons
- Surround all peripheral neurons (both myelinated and unmyelinated)
- 1 Schwann cell: 1 internode (associated with 1 axon)
- 1 axon surrounded by several Schwann cells, many internodes
- Sheath formation
- Dark lines, dense lines
- Inner membrane faces
- Light lines, intraperiod lines
- Outer membrane faces
- Po (transmembrane glycoprotein)
- Holds intraperiod line together
- Dark lines, dense lines
- Connective tissue coats
- Endoneurium
- Perineurium
- Epineurium
- Basal lamina
Nerve Injury
- Mature neurons can’t divide > injury = serious
- Regeneration depends on arrangement of glial cells and connective tissue coats
- In PNS, if cell body, basal lamina, endoneurium, perineurium, epineurium are intact > functional reconnections may form > axons may regrow along tubes of connective tissue
- Lesion:
- Close to axon terminal > can regenerate
- No tube of connective tissue > cannot regenerate
- Lesion:
- In CNS, nerve and myelin degenerate on either side of the lesion > cell death
- Unable to regenerate because no connective tissue coat?
Sympathetic Distribution to the Trunk
Enter paravertebral ganglion via white ramus communicans
Synapse in corresponding paravertebral ganglion
Exit to corresponding spinal nerve
- Pre-ganglionic multi-polar motor neuron at lateral horn of T2
- T2 ventral root
- T2 spinal nerve
- T2 ventral ramus
- T2 white ramus communicants
- Paravertebral ganglion > SYNAPSE
- Post-ganglionic multi-polar motor neuron at T2 paravertebral ganglion
- T2 gray ramus communicans
- T2 ventral ramus
- Blood vessels / sweat glands
Sympathetic Distribution to the Upper Limb
Enter paravertebral ganglion via white ramus communicans
Ascend sympathetic chain to corresponding ganglion and synapse
Exit to corresponding spinal nerve
- Pre-ganglionic multi-polar motor neuron at lateral horn of T2
- T2 ventral root
- T2 spinal nerve
- T2 ventral ramus
- T2 white ramus communicants
- T2 paravertebral ganglion
- Ascend to C5 paravertebral ganglion
- C5 Paravertebral ganglion > SYNAPSE
- Post-ganglionic multi-polar motor neuron at C5 paravertebral ganglion
- C5 gray ramus communicans
- C5 ventral ramus
- Blood vessels / sweat glands
Sympathetic Distribution to the Lower Limbs
Enter paravertebral ganglion via white ramus communicans
Synapse in corresponding paravertebral ganglion
Exit to corresponding spinal nerve
- Pre-ganglionic multi-polar motor neuron at lateral horn of L1
- L1 ventral root
- L1 spinal nerve
- L1 ventral ramus
- L1 white ramus communicants
- L1 paravertebral ganglion
- Descend to L5 paravertbral ganglion > SYNAPSE
- Post-ganglionic multi-polar motor neuron at L5 paravertebral ganglion
- L5 gray ramus communicans
- L5 ventral ramus
- Blood vessels and glands