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Fundamentals of Physiology PM1A > Nervous system > Flashcards

Nervous system Flashcards

1
Q

what is the nervous system divided into?

A

Central nervous system - brain & spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system - somatic (motor), and autonomic (sympathetic and parasympathetic)

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2
Q

what are the 3 regions of the brain?

A

fore brain
mid brain
hind brain

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3
Q

what are the 3 membranes in the brain?

A

arachnoid
pia mater
dura mater

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4
Q

Role of the cerebrospinal fluid

A

lies between the membranes - is a cushion, protective 7 homeostatic layer - prevents brain from knocking against the skull and provides nutrients to it e.g glucose & oxygen

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5
Q

what is the spinal cord?

A

delicate with a central grey area (2 dorsal & 2 ventral horns), and surrounding white matter (nerve fibres connecting spinal cord to brain).

  • Afferent nerve fibres enter via dorsal root e.g sensory pain info via DRG cells
  • Efferent nerve fibres leave through the ventral root e.g to skeletal muscle or glands
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6
Q

what is the functional unit of the nervous system

A

neurone

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7
Q

what are the 2 main types of cell in NS

A

non neuronal cells & neurons

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8
Q

name 4 non neuronal cells

A
  • astrocytes
  • oligodendrocytes
  • microglial
  • ependymal cells
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9
Q

what are astrocytes?

A

supportive function for CNS neurons. Contribute to the protective blood brain barrier

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10
Q

what are oligodendrocytes?

A

form the myelin sheath around axons in the CNS

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11
Q

what are microglial?

A

phagocytic action in Cns

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12
Q

what are ependymal cells?

A

epithelial cells in the fluid filled spaces brain and central canal of spinal cord - have microvilli which help circulate CSF around CNS

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13
Q

what are the 2 primary functions of neurons?

A

1- rapid transmission of information from specific sources to selected targets

  1. integration (summation) of information from many sources
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14
Q

what is role of dendrites?

A

receive information from other neurons - “convergence”

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15
Q

role of the axon

A

transmit information to other neurons, or non neuronal cells

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16
Q

role of axon collaterals

A

increase the transmission speed of information - divergence 10^3 - 10^4 contacts

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17
Q

what happens at the axon hillock?

A

action potential generated

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18
Q

what do nodes of ranvier contain

A

high in Na+ channels

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19
Q

how do nerves signal?

A

using action potentials

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20
Q

what is the equilibrium potential?

A

the potential at which the tendency of an ion to move down its concentration gradient is balanced by the resting membrane potential

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21
Q

what is the generation of an AP dependent on?

A

the pre existence of a resting membrane potential

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22
Q

what 2 major currents determine the action of the nerve AP?

A

1- Na+ current - inward, depolarising current

2- K+ current - outward, hyperpolarising current

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23
Q

where are Na+ channels activated and inactivated?

A

activated at M-gate

Inactivated at h-gate

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24
Q

where are K+ channels activated?

A

n-gate

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25
Q

what happens is if the threshold is exceeded?

A

APs have a similar magnitude and duration - an all or nothing principle

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26
Q

what is the absolute refractory period?

A

the period that Na+ channels are inactivated, another AP cannot be generated

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27
Q

what is the relative refractory period?

A

prolonged K+ channel activation makes it more difficult for an AP to fire (need a stronger stimuli)

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28
Q

how are APS generated?

A

all or nothing events generated by stimulation above a threshold value at the axon hillock (very rapid <1m/s)

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29
Q

what does myelination do?

A

speeds conduction velocity by salutatory conduction

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30
Q

what myelinates axons in CNS?

A

oligodendrocytes

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31
Q

what myelinates axons in the PNS?

A

Schwann cells

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32
Q

what is myelin?

A

phospholipid that wraps around and insulates an axon (minimise the dissipation of the signal as it travels down)

33
Q

How do neurons send and receive signals ?

A

Specialised junctions called synapses

34
Q

What are the 2 types of synapse

A

Chemical (mainly)

Electrical (open channels that conduct directly via gap junctions)

35
Q

Where do axons of the pre synaptic neurons make contact with target post synaptic cells?

A
  • dendrites (axo-dendritic)
  • soma (axo-somatic)
  • other axons - axo-axonal
36
Q

How is NT release regulated ?

A

Gaps between synapses called synaptic clefts

37
Q

How is NT release triggered?

A

By arrival of an action potential at the pre synaptic terminal. Vesicles fuse with the pre synaptic membrane and release the Nt into the cleft

NT act on receptors on the post synaptic membrane to propagate neuronal signals

38
Q

what are the 2 types of chemical neurotransmitter & describe (give examples )

A

Excitatory - increase nerve activity, cause depolarisation, initiate exitatory post synaptic potentials EPSPS

Example: glutamate, acetylcholine

Inhibitory- decrease nerve activity, cause hyper polarisation, initiate inhibitory post synaptic potentials IPSPS

Examples: g-aminobutyric acid (GABA), opioids, acetylcholine

39
Q

What does the generation of an AP depend on?

A

The balance of EPSPS and IPSPS converging on a neuron at any given moment - synaptic integration

40
Q

Give example of excitatory synapse and what ion involved

A

Acetylcholine at nicotinic Ach receptor (nAChR)

Na+

41
Q

What does Na+ entry cause?

A

Depolarises the post synaptic membrane
Causes an EPSP
Generates an action potential if the threshold is reached

42
Q

In comparison to all or nothing potentials - what are EPSPS and IPSPS?

A

Smaller and are:

  • graded (very in amplitude)
  • temporal (decay with distance)
  • summate (add to eachother)
43
Q

How is an AP generated at the synapse via Na+ entry?

A

Transmitter release at 40-80 presynaptic terminals simultaneously needed to pass threshold and generate AP

44
Q

Example of an inhibitory synapse and what ion is involved

A

GABA at GABA A receptor

Cl- ion

45
Q

What happens with Cl- entry?

A
  • hyper polarises post synaptic membrane
  • causes IPSP
  • inhibits AP generation
46
Q

How is an AP not generated at the synapse via Cl- entry?

A

Cl- influx (via inhibitory receptors) and K+ efflux (via leak channels) makes the neuron interior negative and thus inhibits an AP generation

47
Q

What is synaptic integration?

A

Neuron receives both excitatory and inhibitory inputs - it must integrate these inputs and decide whether to signal to next neuron or not (balance of these)

48
Q

What determines whether a neurone will fire or not?

A

The relative balance of IPSPS and EPSPS

49
Q

In a neuron with aXo-somatic and axo-dendritic synapses- which axon requires the most pulses to depolarise the post synaptic cell to threshold?

A

Distal dendrites

50
Q

Why does the axon on the distal-dendrites require more stimulus pulses to depolarise the post synaptic cell to threshold?

A

Synaptic potentials dissipate as they travel along the membrane (EPSPS-temporal- decay with distance) so the further away the input the lower it is when it gets there

51
Q

What happens if for example at 16 synapses firing, there is an AP generated- (+20Mv)
and the number of synapses firing increases to 24, what is the maximum voltage?

A

APs are all or nothing - after an AP is generated, the Na+ channels inactive in what is called he absolute refractory period - where no AP can be generated. So -
We can’t go much higher than the voltage that is already achieved

52
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system comprised of?

A

Autonomic - non voluntary control

Somatic - conscious - motor control

53
Q

what are the 3 regions of the ANS

A

1 parasympathetic - cranial sacral output. Synapse at ganglia and close to innervated tissue

  1. sympathetic - throracic-lumbar output. Synapse at ganglia
  2. Enteric NS - neurones with cell bodies in wall of intestine which innervates the GI tract, pancreas & gall bladder
54
Q

what is the ANS and what does it regulate?

A 
Visceral. 
it regulates - cardiac muscle
Smooth muscle contraction&amp; relaxation
exocrine gland function 
intermediate metabolism
55
Q

What is acetylcholine

A

released from parasympathetic ns.
- all preganglionic neurons of both sympathetic and para
- All postganglionic neurons in just para
Results in cholinergic transmission

56
Q

What is noradrenaline

A

released from sympathetic ns.

  • Most postganglionic neurons in sympathetic
  • results in noradrenergic transmission
57
Q

what are postganglionic neurones?

A

either excitatory or inhibitory

58
Q

Name the 3 neurotransmitter receptors in the PNS and what they are stimulated by

A
  1. sympathetic effects are due to noradrenaline action - all postganglionic fibres release NA to act on alpha or beta adrenoreceptors
  2. Parasympathetic effects due to acetylcholine action - all postganglionic nerves release Each to act on muscarinic Act receptors - mAChRs
  3. Somatic NS effects are also due to acetylcholine action but motor nerves release ACh which act on nicotinic Each receptors - nAChRs
59
Q

What is the exception of the sympathetic innervation by noradrenaline?

A

sympathetic innervation of sweat glands is due to Acetylcholine not NA.
Act works on muscarinic ach receptors

60
Q

what is the enteric ns?

A

controls activity of the GI tract, pancreas and gall bladder. It has 2 plexuses

61
Q

what are the 2 enteric plexuses?

A
  1. myenteric (auerbachs)- controls GI movement

2. Submucosal (meissners) - controls GI secretion and local blood flow

62
Q

While it is true that the Enteric nervous system can function alone. What is the sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation:?

A

Para- vagal & splanchnic nerves

Symptoms- pre vertebral neves

63
Q

what is the somatic NS and what is is controlled by?

A

This directs goal directed movement and maintenance of posture. Controlled by:

  • Spinal
  • Central
64
Q

How does spinal and central control somatic NS?

A

spinal - reflexes are unconscious and inherited - for fast, survival orientated effects. Maintain posture

Central - control goal directed movement by acting via spinal motor neurons

65
Q

what are the characteristics of spinal control of the somatic ns?

A 
They don't depend on consciousness
There aren't many synapses so very fast 
protective and survival functions
inherited hard wired systems 
modulated by the CNS
66
Q

what are the 2 neutrons in spinal reflexes?

A

afferent/sensory

efferent/motor

67
Q

what are the 3 types of reflex?

A
  1. Monosynaptic - 2 neurons & 1 synapse e.g stretch reflex
  2. Disynaptic - 1 interneuron and 2 synapses e.g flexor withdrawal reflex
  3. Polysynaptic - >1 interneuron and >2 synapses e.g crossed extensor reflex & Golgi tendon
68
Q

what is a stretch reflex?

A

dynamic (phasic) - transient stretching of muscle produces powerful, rapid reflex contraction to oppose sudden change in muscle length

tonic (static) - maintained stretching produces weaker, prolonged reflex responses to small changes in muscle activity

69
Q

What is a flexor reflex?

A

stimuli detected by pain receptor - pain nociceptor.

Flexor muscles in the affected area contract via a disynaptic pathway

70
Q

What is a crossed extensor reflex?

A

As a consequence of the flexor reflex in one limb, the opposite limb frequently extends. Polysynaptic response to allow body to escape noxious stimuli

71
Q

what is the Golgi tendon reflex?

A

tendon detects changes in muscle tension - causes a protective feedback inhibition in active muscle by causing relaxation , and reciprocal contraction of antagonistic muscle

72
Q

Name 4 types of spinal reflex

A
  1. Stretch (monosynaptic)
  2. flexor (disynaptic)
  3. Crossed extensor (polysynaptic)
  4. Golgi tendon (polysynaptic)
73
Q

define proprioception

A

The perception of self - where the body is in relation to the surroundings

74
Q

What is the proprioception process?

A

2 way:

  1. proprioceptors signal to spinal cord/CNS (afferent)
  2. Motor neurons signal to skeletal muscle (efferent)
75
Q

what are the 2 major proprioceptors?

A
  1. Muscle spindles - within muscles & respond to stretch
  2. Golgi tendon organs - in tendons, respond to tension
76
Q

what are the contractions in skeletal, smooth and cardiac?

A

skeletal - neurogenic
smooth - myogenic
cardiac - myogenic (doesn’t rely on neuronal input)

77
Q

what are the nerve controls in each muscle type?

A

Skeletal - alpha-motor neuron
Smooth - ANS
Cardiac - ANS

78
Q

what is needed in order for skeletal muscles to contract?

A

Each cell must be stimulated by a motor neuron

79
Q

what blocks the NMJ? (3)

A
  1. paralysing poisons e.g curare blocks nAChRs
  2. Agents acting at nAChRs during general anaesthesia to control movement during surgery
  3. Local injection of botulinum toxin (botox) blocks vesicle fusion with the pre synaptic membrane. (treats muscle spasms)

Fundamentals of Physiology PM1A (23 decks)

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