Nervous Tissue I Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the basic structural and functional unit of the nervous system?

A

neuron

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2
Q

Other names for the cell body?

A

soma, perikaryon

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3
Q

What is the trophic, metabolic center of the cell?

A

cell body

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4
Q

What are the three shapes cell bodies of neurons may take?

A

spherical
ovoid
angular

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5
Q

What is the membrane of the cell body specialized for?

A

impulse generation

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6
Q

What organelles would you find in the cell body of a neuron?

A

GA, mitochondria, nissl bodies, free ribosomes

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7
Q

What are nissl bodies?

A

stacks of rER

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8
Q

Describe the nucleus of a neuron.

A

Large, clear, and euchromatic with a dense nucleolus

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9
Q

Why don’t neurons form tumors?

A

In adults there is no mitosis

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10
Q

Can neurons divide?

A

In general, NO

But, in the adult brain some neural stem cells retain the ability to regenerate and may migrate to the site of injury

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11
Q

What filaments are found in the cell bodies of neurons?

A

neurofilaments (intermediate), microfilaments (actin) and microtubules

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12
Q

What is lipofuscin? what color does it stain?

A

lysosomal enzymatic residue

Accumulation of degraded cell organelles and debris present in long-lived cells such as organelles

yellowish-brown pigment

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13
Q

What is the axon hillock? how does it stain?

A

The funnel-shaped origin of the axon

pale staining due to a lack of rER

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14
Q

What is chomatolysis?

A

dissolution of nissl substance following injury

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15
Q

What increases the receptive area of neurons?

A

dendrites

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16
Q

Are dendrites myelinated?

A

Never

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17
Q

What is the function of dendrites?

A

They receive information from receptor cells and transmit this information to the cell body

membrane specialized for impulse generation

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18
Q

What is the function of axons?

A

Relay action potentials away from the cell ody to the axon terminals and then transmit them to other neurons, smooth, skeletal, or cardiac muscle cells, or gland cells

membrane specialized for impulse conduction

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19
Q

What organelles might be found in the axon?

A

NO rER

may contain mitochondria, microtubules, neurofilaments, vesicles, and sER

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20
Q

What is the axolemma?

A

the axon cell membrane

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21
Q

What is the axoplasm?

A

the axon cytoplasm

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22
Q

What is the initial segment of the axon? why is it important?

A

Segment of axon distal to the axon hillock and proximal to where myelination begins

Action potential is initiated here

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23
Q

Describe the cell membrane of the initial segment of the axon.

A

Dense undercoating with numerous ion channels

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24
Q

Where are collateral branches located?

A

near the hillock

branches off of the main axon

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25
Q

What are the terminal arborizations?

A

terminal axonal branches

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26
Q

What are terminal buttons? what are other names for terminal buttons?

A

aka axon terminals or end bulbs

The dilated ends of arborizations which form synapses

*some prtn synthesis may occur here

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27
Q

Which direction is anterograde transport? retrograde?

A

anterograde is away from the cell body

retrograde is toward the cell body

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28
Q

What is the microtubule-associated motor protein involved in anterograde transport?

A

kinesin

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29
Q

What is the microtubule-associated motor protein involved in retrograde transport?

A

dynein

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30
Q

What molecules are transported via the slow anterograde transport system?

A

tubulin molecules, actin molecules, and neurofilament proteins

moves .2-.4 mm/day

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31
Q

Which transport system do viruses and toxins use?

A

Retrograde transport

enter the nerve endings and travel to the CNS

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32
Q

What molecules are carried via the fast transport system? which direction?

A

bidirectional!

membranous organelles such as sER, synaptic vesicles and mitochondira; sugars; aa; nucelotides; NT; and calcium

requires ATP

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33
Q

What are bipolar neurons associated with?

A

special senses

Can be found in the retina, inner ear, and nose

34
Q

What anatomical classification would motor neurons and interneurons fall under?

A

multipolar neurons

*multipolar is the most common type of neuron

35
Q

Where would you find unipolar neurons?

A

enclosed in CN sensory ganglia and dorsal root ganglia

36
Q

Do impulses enter the cell body of unipolar cells?

A

No

Impulses are transmitted down the axon, bypassing the cell body

37
Q

Where do skeletal motor (somatic efferent) neurons go?

A

to skeletal muscle fibers

38
Q

Where do visceral motor (visceral efferent) neurons go?

A

to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, or glands

*Autonomic

39
Q

What do somatic afferent neurons receive?

A

Sensory stimuli from the environment

40
Q

What do visceral afferent neurons receive?

A

Sensory stimuli from the viscera

41
Q

Where are the interneurons located?

A

confined to the CNS

99.9% of neurons!- multipolar

42
Q

What is the function of neuroglia cells?

A

both physical and physiological support protecting nerve cells

43
Q

Which is more numerous- neuroglia or neurons?

A

neuroglia (3-4 neuroglial cells per neuron)

44
Q

Can neuroglial cells form tumors?

A

YES because unlike neurons they divide

45
Q

Does the CNS contain connective tissue?

A

NO

the only connective tissue found in the brain is associated with blood vessels

46
Q

What are the defining physical features of astrocytes?

A

largest of glial cells with “vascular feet”, “pedicles”

47
Q

What are the functions of astorglial cells? (5)

A

1) Ensheathe all blood vessels covered by basal lamina
2) Assist in the formation of the Blood-Brain-Barrier
3) Surround periphery of brain and spinal cord forming a layer deep to pia mater
4) Form scar tissue following nerve tissue injury (tissue repair)
5) Monitor the ionic and chemical composition in extracellular space around nerve cells

48
Q

Where are protoplasmic astrocytes found?

A

Primarily in gray matter, granular cytoplasm, processes cover synapses, neurons and blood vessels

49
Q

Where are fibrous astrocytes found?

A

Primarily in white matter, associated with blood vessels and pia mater, cover the nodes of ranvier and synapses

Long thin processes are light staining

50
Q

How prevalent are fibrous astrocytomas?

A

Fibrous astrocytomas make up about 80% of primary brain tumors in the adult

51
Q

Where are oligodendrocytes found?

A

In white matter they form rows and each oligo myelinates one or more than one axon

52
Q

Which cells are known as the CNS housekeepers?

A

Microglia because they are phagocytic

53
Q

Describe microglia.

A

Small cell bodies, elongated nuclei (other glia have round), condensed chromatin

Present in both gray and white matter

54
Q

Which cells line the brain and spinal cord cavities?

A

cuboidal-columnar ependymal cells

They have motile cilia which move the CSF

They also cover the choroid plexus which forms CSF

55
Q

What are other important features of Ependymal cells?

A

abundant mitochondria, apical GA, sparse rER, gap junctions and zonula adherens

56
Q

Where is an ependymoma located?

A

A tumor growing in the fourth ventricle

Compresses surrounding structures as it expands

5% of primary brain tumors

57
Q

Describe an unmyelinated axon in the CNS.

A

not covered by glia (wear their birthday suit)

58
Q

Describe an unmyelinated axon in the PNS.

A

occupy a groove of a Schwann cell

One Schwann cell may envelop many axons

59
Q

Are there nodes of Ranvier along unmyelinated axons?

A

Nope

60
Q

If an axon is myelinated within the CNS, it is myelinated by ….

A

oligodendrocytes

61
Q

If an axon is myelinated within the PNS, it is myelinated by ….

A

Schwann cells

62
Q

Is myelin a substance that is ‘secreted’ on the axon by a cell?

A

NO

Myelin is formed by concentric layers of cell membranes (myelin sheath) which have a high lipid content

63
Q

What is the function of myelin?

A

Myelin increases impulse conduction and insulates axons

64
Q

What is a node of Ranvier?

A

The unmyelinated segment of an axon between two Schwann cells or oligodendrocytes

65
Q

If an immature Schwann cell is in close proximity to a large-diameter axon, what will it develop into?

A

A myelinating cell

small-diameter–> nonmyelinating cells

66
Q

Define mesaxon.

A

Fused cell membranes

67
Q

What is an internodal segment?

A

Insulated (myelin-covered) segments of axon

68
Q

Where are schwann cells derived from?

A

neural crest

69
Q

Where would you expect to find nerve coverings?

A

ONLY associated with NERVES in the PNS

70
Q

Which nerve covering encloses individual axons?

A

Endonerium

71
Q

What synthesizes the endonerium?

A

schwann cells

72
Q

Describe the endoneurium.

A

Delicate layer of loose connective tissue with collagen fibrils

73
Q

What is the order of coverings of a myelinated peripheral nerve? (hint: 5)

A
myelin sheath
basal lamina
endoneurium
perineurium
epineurium
74
Q

Which covering layer surrounds a nerve bundle?

A

perineurium

75
Q

Which covering surrounds a ‘gross nerve’?

A

epineurium

A dense irregular connective tissue (fibrous coat) with elastic fibers which covers several nerve bundles, which together form the gross nerve

76
Q

What is the name for cytoplasm trapped in concentric layers of cell membranes of Schwann cells myelinating an axon?

A

Schmidt-Lanterman cleft

77
Q

What is the function of Satellite cells?

A

support cells that surround the cell bodies of neurons housed in ganglia

analogous function to schwann cells

78
Q

Do Satellite cells form myelin?

A

NO

79
Q

What is optic neuritis?

A

Inflammation of the optic nerve

symptoms: visual loss affecting one eye, pain when moving eye, papilledema

80
Q

What is the most common cause of optic neuritis?

A

multiple sclerosis or other demyelinating disease

81
Q

What is MS?

A

autoimmune disease causing progressive demyelination of white matter in the CNS resulting in decreased velocity of impulse propagation in affected axons

Possible root cause is immune system responding to an oligodendropathy