Neuro (3) Flashcards
overall organization of the nervous system
NS: CNS + PNS
CNS: brain + spinal cord
PNS: afferent division + efferent division
afferent division: enteric nervous system
efferent division: ANS + somatic NS
ANS: parasympathetic NS + sympathetic NS
what does the afferent division of the PNS regulate?
gastrointestinal processes
- smooth muscle
- exocrine glands
- some endocrine glands
what type of control does the somatic NS act under
voluntary control
under what types of control does the enteric NS act under
- autonomously OR
- controlled by the CNS via the autonomic NS of the PNS
Types of cells of the nervous system
neurons and glial cells
neurons
are excitable cells that generate and carry electrical signals
glial cells
aka neuroglia
are NONexcitable cells that provide physical and biochemical support for neurons
neurons vs glial cells: classification
neuron types are classified based on STRUCTURE and or function
glial cell types are classified based on LOCATION/function
where are glial cells found
in the CNS and PNS
4 types of glial cells found in the CNS
- ependymal: create barriers… BBB
- astrocytes: take up K, water and NT
- microglia: act as scavengers
- oligodendrocytes: form myelin sheaths for several cells
what do ependymal cells and astrocytes have in common in CNS?
both are a source of neural stem cells
total 4 functions of astrocytes in CNS
- take up K, water and NT
- secrete neurotrophic factors
- help form the BBB
- provide substrates for ATP production
2 types of glial cells found in the PNS
- schwann cells: form myelin sheaths for 1 neuron, and secrete neurotrophic factors
- satellite cells: support cell bodies
parts of neuron and functions
- dendrites - receive incoming signals
- cell body/soma: nucleus and axon hillock - integrate info (can also receive info)
- axon - carry outgoing info to axon terminal
(myelin sheath)
(nodes of ranvier)
(presynaptic axon terminal, synaptic cleft, postsynaptic dendrite)
synapse
region where an axon terminal communicates with its postsynaptic target cell (muscles, glands, into bloodstream etc)
neuron vs nerve
neuron: 1 cell
nerve: bundle of axons from multiple neurons
what does the axon decide
whether an AP should be fired or not
functional categories of neurons and differentiation
sensory: sensory info travels from afferent nerve fibers to sensory nerve and then CNS
interneurons: transmit info from neuron to neuron - sensory to motor… acts as middle man
efferent: carry neural impulses away from the CNS and toward muscles, glands, and organs to initiate movement.
- based on signal direction
where are interneurons found
only CNS
how to differentiate sensory vs inter vs motor
sensory: long dendrite, no cell body, short axon
inter: widely branched dendrites; no axon
motor: short dendrite, cell body, long axon
how are neurons put in structural categories
based on location of axon relative to cell body
structural categories of neurons
pseudounipolar
bipolar
anaxonic
multipolar
pseudounipolar and bipolar neurons
both act as sensory neurons
pseudounipolar: has 1 process called the axon, dendrite is fused with axon during development
bipolar: has 2 relatively equal fibers extending off the central cell body
anaxonic neurons
act as interneuron
has no apparent axon
multipolar neurons
act as interneuron and efferent neurons
int: highly branched but lacking LONG extensions
eff: has 5-7 dendrites that branch 4-6x, a singular LONG axon can branch several times at the end at enlarged axon terminals
what does different neuronal shapes reflect
different functions
where is it and what does the schwann cell nucleus tell us
pushed to the outside of the myelin sheath
tells us where we are in the PNS
node of ranvier
section of unmyelinated axon membrane between 2 schwann cells
*myelinated axon segment is 1-1.5mm long
3 diseases of demyelination
- multiple sclerosis
- autoimmune degeneration of CNS myelin: progressive disease that results in cognitive defects - guillain barre syndrome
- autoimmune degeneration of PNS myelin:
sudden onset and usually temporary, results in paralysis… ZEKE VIRUS!?
in general, what do the diseases of demyelination lead to?
LEAD TO impaired conduction of electrical signals along axon
- loss of function depends on neurons/nerves affects
what are chemically gated channels important for and why?
- for a synapse as they are responsible for the open/closure to NT that could be needed for synapse
what are voltage gated channels important for and why?
- for an AP as they are responsible the movement of ions across neuronal membranes: propagation of AP
how do neurons react in response to stimulus
they rapidly propagate electrical signals in order to transmit info