Neuroanatomy Flashcards
What is the CNS?
Central control centre of the body
What is the PNS?
collects info from environment and produces the changes required within the body
What is the ANS?
communicates with internal organs
What is a neuron?
The neuron is the major functional unit of the nervous system.
• They are electrically active cells
What are the 4 parts of the neurone?
- Cell body: Contains at least 3 organelles
for cellular function: nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum (forms part of the vascular delivery to cells), golgi apparatus (processes proteins for energy). - Dendrites: information receiving area of cell
- Axon: information transmitting area of cell body
- Presynaptic terminal: transduction of electrical impulses into chemical signals for transmission to adjacent cells
What are the three types of neurones?
- Pseudounipolar cells
- Bipolar cells
- Multipolarcells
What are nerves made up of?
- Hundreds of thousands of neurons are accumulated together to form nerves.
- Neurons are short and will not travel the full length of the nerve. This aids in speed of signalling
What are the supporting cells of the nervous system?
Ependymal
• Ependymal cells: line the ventricular surfaces of the canals of the CNS. Involved in cerebrospinal fluid production
What are the supporting cells of the nervous system?
Glial
Glial Cells
• supportive cell in the central nervous system.
• Glial cells do not conduct electrical impulses.
• The glial cells surround neurons and provide support for them and insulation between them. Glial cells are capable of extensive signalling in response to a diversity of stimuli. Bidirectional communication exists between glial cells and neurons, and between glial cells and vascular cells.
What are the supporting cells of the nervous system?
Schwann
Oligodendroglial cells: some of these cells are known as Schwann cells.
They are involved in myelination of axons and local nutrient support.
What are the supporting cells of the nervous system?
Astrocytes
Astrocytes: form a structural and enzymatic barrier between the
nervous system and the rest of the body.
What are the supporting cells of the nervous system?
microglial
Microglial cells: major cellular defence system of the nervous system. Phagocytotic cells.
What are nerve impulses?
- Stimuli is received at the dendrites
- Converted into a nerve impulse (action potential)
- Conducted along the axon
- To the presynaptic terminal and converted into a chemical signal
What are the properties of neurone cell membranes that enables maintenance of membrane potential?
- Semi permeable cell membrane
- Selective regulation of movement of charged ions across cell membrane
- Presence of an energy dependant (active) sodium/potassium pump in the cell membrane
• Sodium and potassium ions can be moved across the cell membrane, even against their concentration gradients, although this requires energy.
• The controlled influx or efflux of sodium, potassium and chloride ions into and out of the neuron results in the generation of the action potential.
What are the events at a synapse?
- action potential arrives
- Ca2+ permeability and influx increased
- release of transmitter by exocytosis of vesicles
- reaction of postsynaptic receptors
- activation of synaptic channels- produces postsynaptic potential
What are the three methods of classification?
- Topographicalclassification
- Classification based on direction of impulse travel
- Functional classification
What is topographical classification?
split into CNS and PNS