Neurohistology

Question 1

What are the types of cells found in the nervous system?

Answer 1

neurons, glia cells, specialized cell types

Question 2

What are the steps for histology sample preparation?

Answer 2

fixation (tissue is preserved), cutting, stretching, archive

Question 3

What are histological stains?

Answer 3

they help visualize specific aspects of brain tissues, by staining using chemicals, solvents, fixatives

Question 4

Looking at a histological stain of a spinal cord how can you tell the difference between the neurons types?

Answer 4

motor neurons have bigger cell bodies (located in ventral horn), sensory neurons have smaller cell bodies (dorsal horn)

Question 5

What is electron microscopy?

Answer 5

highest resolution imaging you can do in cells, uses beam of electron to magnify image

Question 6

How can you tell you are looking at an image of a synapse?

Answer 6

two large blocks that have a small gap between them, one has lots of small dots (presynaptic) and the other doesnt (postsynaptic)

Question 7

What are some applications of immunohistochemistry?

Answer 7

diagnostic of abnormal cells like cancer, and the localization which provides potential information about role and function

Question 8

What are some limitations of immunohistochemistry?

Answer 8

background staining (not specific can colour other things), and cross reactivity because of structural similarities

Question 9

What is immunofluorescence?

Answer 9

allows visualization of many components in tissues/cells, works through broad combinations of specific antigens tagged with fluorophores

Question 10

What is the difference between direct and indirect immunohistochemistry?

Answer 10

indirect uses an unlabeled primary antibody against the target antigen in the tissue and a labelled secondary antibody

direct uses a primary antibody that is labeled and applied to the tissue

Question 11

How does fluorescent microscopy work?

Answer 11

by combining magnifying properties of a light microscope with the fluorescent emitting properites of compounds

Question 12

What type of neuron doesn’t have axons?

Answer 12

retinal amacrine cell (b/c collects info and delivers to local neurons)

Question 13

What are axons a hallmark of?

Answer 13

excitatory neurons

Question 14

What type of neuron has a lot of dendrites and looks like a tree?

Answer 14

purkinje

Question 15

What type of interneuron has a long axon? What about short axons?

Answer 15

relay interneurons, local interneurons

Question 16

What is translation vs transcription?

Answer 16

mrna to protein vs dna to mrna

Question 17

What does the golgi apparatus do?

Answer 17

modifies and packages proteins

Question 18

When looking at a picture of a nucleus what are the holes pictured?

Answer 18

nuclear pores, allows for mRNA to leave to other things to exit/enter

Question 19

What makes myelin in CNS vs PNS?

Answer 19

oligodendrocytes vs schwann cells

Question 20

What do microtubules do in the axon?

Answer 20

transport highway for proteins to get to synaptic terminal and for proteins to get from synapse to cell body

Question 21

How many axons can schwann cells cover?

Answer 21

only 1, also only doe sone section of axon, need multipl to cover entire axon

Question 22

How many axons can oligodendrocytes cover?

Answer 22

can cover many at the same time

Question 23

What are the gaps in myelin sheath called? What is the function?

Answer 23

nodes of ranvier, ions can leave and enter from these points which helps propogate signals