Nervous System: Cells of Nervous System (HY)

Question 1

What do axons do?

Answer 1

carry signals away from the soma (cell body)

Question 2

What do dendrites do?

Answer 2

carry signals towards the soma (cell body)

Question 3

what is the axon hillock?

Answer 3

integrates incoming signals in the cell body; initiates action potential

Question 4

what is the myelin sheath?

Answer 4

insulation on nerve fibers to prevent signal loss/cross signals and increase speech of conduction along axon

Question 5

which cells in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system produce myelin?

Answer 5

peripheral nervous system: oligodendrocytes

central nervous system: Schwann cells

Question 6

what are nodes of Ranvier?

Answer 6

small breaks in the myelin sheath

Question 7

In the central nervous system, what is a tracts?

Answer 7

tracts are axons bundled together that only carry one type of information

Question 8

what are glial cells or neuroglia? what are five types of glial cells?

Answer 8

Glial cells play structural and supportive roles in nervous system.

1. astrocytes
2. ependymal cells
3. microglia
4. oligodendrocytes
5. schwann cells

Question 9

what do astrocytes do?

Answer 9

1. nourish neurons

2. form blood-brain barrier

Question 10

what do ependymal cells do?

Answer 10

1. lines brain ventricles

2. produce cerebrospinal fluid

Question 11

what do microglia do?

Answer 11

1. ingest and break down waste products and pathogens in nervous system