Neurophysiology Flashcards
Nerve type
Afferent
Nerve type
Efferent nerve
Autonomic nervous system
Visceral motor (involuntary) function
Somatic nervous system
Somatic motor (voluntary) function
Glial cells
- Non-neuronal cells
- Provide support + nutrition
- Form myelin
What characterises a neuron?
- Electrical excitability
- Presence of synapses
Name the three parts of a typical neuron
- Soma/body
- Dendrites
- Axon
The axon leaves the soma at the…
Axon hillock
Give the 5 functions of glial cells on neurons
- Secure
- Supply oxygen + nutrients
- Insulate between neurons
- Destroy pathogens
- Remove dead neurons
Resting membrane potential
- Potential gradient
- Between IC space and EC space
The potential of the IC space is…
Negative
Steps toward depolarisation of a cell
- Positive IC charge
- Decreased PD between IC and EC
Give the potential difference found between the IC + EC space of a neuron
-75mV
- Na+: 140
- K+: 5
- Ca2+: 2.5
- Cl-: 100
- Na+: 14
- K+: 95
- Ca2+: μmol/l
- Cl-: 3
ATPase pump
- Na+ out
- K+ in
K+
Na+
RMP is a result of…
Outflow of K+ ions
Give the aim of the ATPase pump in the neuron cell membrane
Maintain concentration gradient
Which equation is used to calculate the change of permeability of a neuron
Goldman-Hodgkin-Kats (GHK) equation
EK
Potassium equilibrium potential
The lipid bilayer of a cell functions as an electrical…
Insulator
Ions pas via the channels
1
Channel domains
2
Outer vestibule
3
Selectivity filter
5
Phosphorylation site
Hyperpolarisation never evokes…
Action potential
Local response
A potential change remaining under a threshold
What is conduction with decrement?
- The farther the recording electrode from the stimulation site
- The smaller the potential change which reaches the electrode
Give the types of synaptic signals?
- Excitatory
- Inhibitory
Source of action potential
Voltage-dependent ion channels
Sodium influx persist until depolarization reaches…
15-30mV
Give the process
- MP at -70mV (RMP)
- Stimulus → MP raised to -55mV (Threshold potential)
- MP raises to +40mV
- Potential drops + overshoots to -90mV
- MP at -70mV (RMP)
‘All or nothing’ law
The strength at which a nerve responds to a stimulus is independent from stimulus strength
Tetrodotoxin (TTX)
- Fish toxin
- Blocks voltage-dependent sodium channel
The specific blocker of the voltage-dependent K+ channel
Tetraethyl ammonium (TEA)
Channel is either closed or open (no inactive state)
Title the figure
Phase 0: Stimulation
Title + Annotate the figure
Phase 1: Threshold potential
- Voltage-dependent Na+ channel opens
Title + Annotate the figure
- Phase 2: Overshoot, Na+ channel inactivates
- Phase 3: Plateau, slow Ca2+ influx
Title + annotate the figure
Phase 4
- Repolarisation, K+ efflux
Title + Annotate the figure
Phase 5: Posthyperpolarisation
- Voltage dependent Na+ + K+ channels close
- ATPase pump restores conc. gradient
Describe propagation of AP in naked fibres
- AP propagates step-by-step
- Channel activates the next channel
- Slow process
AP decreases
AP regeneration
Fast conduction with myelinated fibres is made possible by the fact that…
Only the nodes of Ranvier contain the TTX-sensitive sodium channels
Conduction velocity of myelinated fibres is proportional to…
Diameter of the myelin sheet
What are the classifications of nerve fibres?
- Erlanger-Gasser
- Lloyd-Hunt
Give the steps of axonal transport
- Peptides/neurotransmitters produced in the soma of the neuron
- These are then transported to the presynaptic nerve ending
Which motor proteins are involved in the movement during axonal transport?
- Kinesin
- Dynein
Dynein + kinesin are powered by…
Hydrolysis of ATP
Kinesin transports substance…
- From the centre to the periphery
- Known as anterograde transport
Dynein transports substance…
Toward the negative end of microtubules
Compared with chemical synapses, electrical synapses are…
- Fast reflex arches
- Often bidirectional
Used to give fast responses, such as defensive reflexes
Chemical synapses usually communicate with…
Muscles or glands
Name the connection of an electrical synapse between two neurons
Gap junction
Metabotropic effect
Long term changes by activating signalling cascades
(Via chemical synapses)
Give the steps of metabotropic effect
- Binding of ligand to the receptor
- IC second messenger
- IC metabolic (metabotropic) effect
- Long lasting depolarisation or hyperpolarisation
Give the synaptic processes of metabotropic effect
- Facilitation
- Inhibition
- Disfacilitation
- Disinhibition
- Spatial summation
- Temporal summation
The synaptic processes of metabotropic effect can lead to which kinds of potential?
- EPSP (Excitatory postsynaptic potential)
- IPSP (Inhibitory postsynaptic potential)
Which transmitters are involved in metabotropic effect?
Metabotropic transmitters
How do ion channels alter the flow of cations/anions?
By augmenting/attenuating ion permeability
List the types of ligand-dependent ion channels
- n-ACh
- Glutamate
- Anion
- G-protein mediated
List the types of ion channel
- Leaking Na+, K+ and Cl-
- Voltage-dependent Na+ and K+
- Ligand-dependent non-selective Na+, K+ and Cl-
- Mechano receptive
- Energy sensor
What acts as a stimulus of mechanoreceptive ion channels?
Deformation of an axon terminal
What acts as a stimulus of energy sensor ion channels?
ATP concentration of a cell
Describe the structure of the voltage-dependent Na+ channel
- IC, EC and transcellular parts
- Domains I-IV
- These join to form a closed channel
Which ion channel segment changes its conformation when the membrane potential is detected
- 4th Membrane segment of each domain
- Causes an open state of the channel
n-Ach channel is located…
- Neuromuscular junction
- CNS
n-Ach delta subunit binds…
d-tubocurarine
Give the stimulators and inhibitors of n-Ach
- Nicotine (+)
- Curare (-)
Summarise: Glutamate-dependent cation channels
- Important excitatory system
- Depolarisation after a small Na+ influx
- LTP (Long-term potentiation) found here
- Basis of learning
The opening of anion channels causes
Hyperpolarisation
Give the mediators of Anion channels
- GABA
- Glycine
In ryanodine channels, the T-tubulus/ triad is blocked by…
Dihydropyridine (DHP)
The pore-forming part of the DHP receptor acts only as a…
Voltage sensor
Title the figure
Calcium channel in the skeletal muscle
Ryanodine channel in the SR membrane
DHP channel (=voltage sensor) in the T-tubulus
IP3 receptor function
Mobilises Ca2+ from IC stores
Describe Energy sensor ion channels
- Low ATP = Open channel
- High ATP = Closed
Describe the mechanism of high ATP levels on energy sensor channels
- Regulator subunit - Conformational change
- Pore-forming subunits - Conformational change
- K+ efflux terminates
- IC K+ increases
- Depolarisation
- Ca2+ influx
The electrical stimuli applied to tissue can be described by…
- Potential
- Length of time it is applied
Adaptation
- Stimulation potential reached slowly
- The opening of Na+ channels
- Inactivation of Na+ channels
- Inhibition of Na+ influx
Summation
- Sub-threshold stimuli applied frequently
- AP may be triggered by this weaker-than-threshold potential
- (Accumulation of cations)
Rheobase
The minimal stimulus strength that is able to generate a response
Chronaxie
The time necessary to elicit a response if the stimulus strength is set to double the value of rheobase
Give the layers of a nerve, starting from the inside
- Axon
- Endometrium
- Perineurium
- Epineurium
Give the classifications of neurons
- Unipolar
- Bipolar
- Multipolar
- Pseudounipolar
Unipolar neuron
Dendrite + axon emerges from the same process
Bipolar neuron
Axon + single dendrite on opposite ends of the soma
Multipolar neuron
Two or more dendrites separate from the axon
Pseudounipolar neuron
Unipolar, but with one divided axon
Neural network
- Organised for complex tasks
- The function of one neuron may be influenced by the functions of others (Convergence)
- Axons of one neuron may to many other neurons (Divergence)
Function of interneurons
- May inhibit/excite collaterals between neural pathways
- May generate returning signals (Reverberation)
Types of reflexes
- Monosynaptic: One synapse responsible
- Polysynaptic: More than two neurons responsible
Presynaptic inhibition
Inhibition acts on the region before the second neuron
Postsynaptic excitation
The second neuron is influenced by the excitatory or inhibitory effects
Disfacilitation
Disinhibition
The spinal cord is split into which elements?
- Consciously perceived
- Somatic
- Subconscious, automatic
The simplest unit of a function is the…
Reflex
White matter + Grey Matter
- White matter: Nerve fibres
- Grey matter: Nerve cells
In a cross-section of a grey matter, what can be distinguished?
Rexed’s zones
(With the exception of the lateral horn)
Give the Rexed’s zones/fields
- I-VI = Upper horn
- VII-IX = Lower horn
- II-III → Mostly interneurons
- IX → Large motor neurons
In Rexed’s zones, motor cells show what kind of arrangement?
Somatotopic arrangement
Describe the size principle of zones in the ventral horn
- Postural, tonic muscles are innervated by a low threshold, small neurons
- Neurons associated with complicated movements are large
Cells leaving the vertebral canal are called…
Radicular cells
List the types of radicular cell
- Somatosensory cells
- Somatomotor cells
- Sympathetic cells
- Parasympathetic cells
Give the cells inside the grey matter
- Excitatory interneurons
- Inhibitory interneurons
Segments of the skin associated with a sensory nerve
Dermatomes
Important for determination of the origin of skin sensitivity disturbances
Skin zones belonging to a visceral organ are called…
Head-zones
Known as referred pain
Give the types of reflex
- Spinal cord reflex
- Cranial nerve reflex
- Primitive reflex
Steps of a reflex arc
- Stimulus
- Sensory neuron activated
- Processing in CNS
- Motor neuron activated
- Response by effector
Reflex when the receptor is found in the same organ/muscle as the effector
Proprioceptive reflexes
Give the main types of proprioceptive reflex
- Myotatic
- Inverse myotatic
- Stretch evoked flexor reflexes
How does the proprioceptive reflex differ from the exteroceptive reflex
- Reflex arc is monosynaptic
- No latency
- Immediate response
- No fatigue
Common features of the proprioceptive reflexes + exteroceptive reflexes
- The response has a local character
- Response intensity is proportional to stimulus
- Reciprocal innervation is typical
- Higher brain levels modulate the reflex
Myotatic (stretch) reflex receptors are located…
- 2 sites in the intrafusal fibre:
- Nuclear bag
- Nuclear chain
The receptors of the myotatic reflex synapse directly + through excitatory interneurons to the…
- Alpha motor neuron of the corresponding extrafusal fibre
Antigravitational musculature
Extensor/flexor reflex (seen in sloth)
Reflectorial contraction
The most important connections of afferents coming from the muscle spindle…
Alpha motorneurons
Fine tuning of the myotatic reflex is completed by…
Recurrent inhibition
The function of Renshaw cells
Cause retrograde inhibition
Strong afferent effects are smoothed
Inverse stretch/inverse myotatic reflex
- Passive stretching of Muscle → Contraction (Fusimotor system)
- Further stretching → Sudden relaxation (lengthening)
Which organs are activated in the inverse myotatic reflex?
Golgi tendon organs
The function of the inverse myotatic reflex
- Protection against overstretching and rupture
- Fine-tuning roll in normal movement
Beside Golgi tendon organs, what else can explain the myotatic reflex?
Active muscle contraction → Antagonising the fusimotor system
Flexor stretch reflex
Extension both in extensor and flexor muscles
Extensor thrust
- Pressing the sole of the foot on the ground extends the limb
- Ensures a reliable support during stepping
Exteroceptive reflexes
Reflex arc found outside of the effector organ
- Averting
- Nociceptive
- Pain avoiding behaviour
How does the exteroceptive reflex differ from the proprioceptive reflex?
- Tactile + pain receptor
- Polysynaptic
- Very long latency
- Slow response
- Easily fatigues
Give the pathway of an exteroceptive reflex
- Nociceptive/thermoreceptors → Grey matter
- Afferent activation:
- Relaxes ipsilateral extensor muscles
- Activated ipsilateral flexor muscles
- Every muscle of the joint participates
As well as the ipsilateral muscles, the exteroceptive reflex also affects…
Contralateral muscles