STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF NERVOUS SYSTEM Flashcards

1
Q

DESCRIBE

The brain

A

surrounded by the skull and contains about 100 billion neurons

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2
Q

DESCRIBE

Spinal Cord

A

Connects to the brain and is surrounded by the bones of the vertebral column

contains about 100 million neurons

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3
Q

DESCRIBE

Cranial Nerves

A

12 pairs of cranial nerves numbered I-XII that emerge from the base of the brain

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4
Q

DESCRIBE

Spinal Nerves

A

31 Pairs of spinal nerves that emerge from the spinal cord each serving a specific region of the body

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5
Q

DESCRIBE

Sensory Recrptors

A

Specialized cells that monitor change in the internal and external environment.
(photoreceptors in the retina of the eye)

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6
Q

DESCRIBE

Ganglia

A

small masses of nervous tissue consisting of neuronal cell bodies that are located outside the brain and spinal cord
(dorsal root ganglion)

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7
Q

DESCRIBE

Enteric Plexus

A

Extensive network of nerves that are located in the walls of the GI tract that help regulate the digestive system

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8
Q

Tasks of the Nervous System

A

Smell
Touch
Temp
Producing Speech
Remembering Past Events
Provides signals that control body movement
regulates the operation of the internal organs

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9
Q

3 Basic Functions of the Nervous System

A
  1. Sensory function afferent
  2. Intergrative function
  3. Motor function (efferent)
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10
Q

DEFINE

Sensory Function afferent

A

detects int/ext stimuli and carry information into brain and spinal cord via cranial and spinal nerves

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11
Q
DEFINE
Integrative Function (information processing)
A

Perception=awareness of sensory input

Analyzing and storing information to help lead to appropriate responses

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12
Q
DEFIN
Motor Function (efferent)
A

Once integration occurs the brain may elicit motor response to muscles or glands (effectors) via cranial and spinal nerves

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13
Q

HISTOLOGY

Neurons

A

Provide most of the unique functions of the nervous system

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14
Q

HISTOLOGY

Neuroglia

A

Function to provide support, nourishment, and protection

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15
Q

PARTS OF A NEURON

Cell Body

A

Nucleus, cytoplasm with typical organelles

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16
Q

PARTS OF A NEURON

Dendrites

A

Highly branched structues that carry impulses to the cell body

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17
Q

PARTS OF A NEURON

Axon

A

conducts away from the cell body toward another neuron, muscle or gland.

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18
Q

PARTS OF A NEURON

Axon Terminals

A

Contain synaptic vesicles that can release NT

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19
Q

STRUCTURAL CLASSES OF NEURONS

Multipolar

A

1) Have several or many dendrites and one axon

2) Most common type in brain and spinal cord

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20
Q

STRUCTURAL CLASSES OF NEURONS

Bipolar

A

Have one dendrite and one axon

retina of eye and inner earr

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21
Q

STRUCTURAL CLASSES OF NEURONS

Unipolar

A

1) Have fused dendrite and axon

2) Sensory neurons of spinal nerves

22
Q

NEUROGLIA

characteristics

A

(a) Support, nourish, and protect neurons
(b) Critical for homeostasis of interstitial fluid around neurons
(c) Cells smaller but much more numerous than neurons
(d) Make up about half the volume of the CNS

23
Q

NEUROGLIA

Functions

A

1) Do NOT generate or conduct nerve impulses
2) Support, nourish and protect neurons
3) In case of injury or disease, neuroglia can multiply to fill in space
formerly occupied by neurons

24
Q

NEUROGLIA

Types

A

1) Astrocytes form blood brain barrier (CNS)
2) Oligodendrocytes produce myelin in CNS (CNS)
3) Microglia protects CNS cells from disease (CNS)
4) Ependymal cells form CSF in ventricles (CNS)
5) Schwann cells produce myelin around PNS neurons (PNS)
6) Satellite cells support neurons in PNS ganglia (PNS)

25
Q

MYELINATION

Characteristics

A

(a) Most axon are surrounded by a myelin sheath
(b) Insulates the axon and speeds up the nerve impulse
(c) Myelin increases from birth to maturity
(d) Nodes of Ranvier: Gaps in myelin along the axon
(e) Disease such as Multiple Sclerosis and Tay-Sachs destroy myelin sheaths

26
Q

CLUSTERS OF NERVOUS TISSUE

Ganglion

A

Cluster of cell bodies in PNS

27
Q

CLUSTERS OF NERVOUS TISSUE

Nucleus

A

Cluster of cell bodies in CNS

28
Q

BUNDLES OF AXONS

Nerve

A

Bundle of axons in PNS

29
Q

BUNDLES OF AXONS

Tract

A

Bundle of axons in CNS

30
Q

White matter

A

Primarily myelinated axons

31
Q

Gray matter

A

Cell bodies, dendrites, unmyelinated axons, axon

terminals, neuroglia

32
Q

LOCATION OF GRAY MATTER

A

Brain:

Gray matter in thin cortex surrounds white matter (tracts)

33
Q

LOCATION OF WHITE MATTER

A

Spinal cord:
White matter (tracts) surround centrally located gray matter
“H” or “butterfly”

34
Q

NEURON REGENERATION

PNS neurons

A

1) Axons and dendrites in the PNS can be repaired if cell body is intact
and Schwann cells functional.
2) These form a regeneration tube and grow axons or dendrites if scar
tissue does not fill the tube

35
Q

NEURON REGENERATION

CNS neurons

A

1) Very limited even if cell body is intact

2) Inhibited by neuroglia and by lack of fetal growth-stimulator cues

36
Q

ACTION POTENTIAL

Action

A

Action potentials, or nerve impulses, allow for communication between neurons

37
Q

ACTION POTENTIAL

Requires

A

1) A resting membrane potential

2) Ion channels

38
Q

ACTION POTENTIAL

Ion channels

A

Allow ions to move by diffusion from high to low concentration
a) Leakage channels allow ions to leak through
b) Gate channels open and close on command
c) The distribution of ions produces the resting membrane
potential

39
Q

ACTION POTENTIAL

Whats necessary for initial event

A

STIMULUS
1) Triggers resting membrane to become more permeable to Sodium (Na+
)
2) Causes enough Na+ to enter cell so that cell membrane reaches threshold (~
–55 mv)
3) If threshold is reached, an action potential arises(“all or nothing response”)

40
Q

ACTION POTENTIAL

Depolarizing phase

A

Voltage gated Na+ channels open ~ as more Na+ enters cell, membrane
potential rises and becomes positive (–70 ~ 0 ~ + 30 mv)

41
Q

ACTION POTENTIAL

Repolarizing phase

A

Voltage gated K+ channels open ~ as more K+ leave cell, membrane
potential is returned to resting value (+ 30 ~ 0 ~ –70 mv)

42
Q

CONDUCTION OF A NERVE IMPULSE

propagation

A

when nerve impulses travel from where they arise (axon
hillock), along the axon to the axon terminal.
1) Each section triggers the adjacent segment distally as even more
Na+ channels are opened

43
Q

CONDUCTION OF A NERVE IMPULSE

Continuous conduction

A

a) In unmyelinated axons, currents flow across adjacent portions of the
plasma membrane
b) Slower form

44
Q

CONDUCTION OF A NERVE IMPULSE

Saltatory conduction

A

In myelinated axons, Nodes of Ranvier allow impulses to “leap” from one node to the next

45
Q

SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION

A

(a) Synapses allow neurons to communicate with other neurons or effectors
1) Neuromuscular junction (neuron-muscle fiber)
2) Neuroglandular junction (neuron-gland)
(b) Triggered by action potential (nerve impulse)
(c) Components of synapse:
1) Presynaptic neuron: Sending neuron (releases neurotransmitter)
2) Synaptic cleft: Space between neurons
3) Postsynaptic neuron: Receiving neuron (has receptors that bind to
neurotransmitter)
(d) Action potential arrives at presynaptic neuron’s end bulb
(e) Opens voltage gated Ca2+ channels
1) Ca2+ flows into presynaptic cytosol
(f) Increased Ca2+ concentration causes exocytosis of synaptic vesicles
(g) Neurotransmitter (NT) released into cleft
(h) NT diffuse across cleft and bind to receptors on the postsynaptic cell membrane
(i) NT acts as chemical trigger, opening ion channels which changes the
voltage across the postsynaptic cell membrane
(j) Postsynaptic cell membrane may be depolarized or hyperpolarized,
depending on which ions were admitted
(k) If threshold reached (-55mV) then postsynaptic AP results and nerve
impulse is triggered
(l) One-way transmission: Action potentials can only travel in one direction
from dendrite to axon.
(m)NT removed from cleft via diffusion, destruction by enzymes such as Achase, or transport back into presynaptic cell (recycling)

46
Q

NEUROTRANSMISSION

Acetylcholine:

A

Common in PNS

1) Stimulatory (on skeletal muscles)
2) Inhibitory (on cardiac muscle)

47
Q

NEUROTRANSMISSION

Amino acids

A

Glutamate, aspartate, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)

48
Q

NEUROTRANSMISSION

Modified amino acids

A

Norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), serotonin

49
Q

NEUROTRANSMISSION

2 others

A
  1. Neuropeptides such as endorphins

2. Nitric oxide (NO)

50
Q

ORGANIZATION OF NERVOUS TISSUE

Central Nervous System

A

(a) Consists of the brain and spinal cord

(b) Source of thoughts, emotions, and memories

51
Q

ORGANIZATION OF NERVOUS TISSUE

Peripheral Nervous System

A

(a) Includes all the nervous tissue outside the central nervous system
1) Include the cranial nerves, spinal nerves, ganglia and sensory nerves
(b) Can be subdivided into the
1) Somatic nervous system (SNS)
2) Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
3) Enteric nervous system (ENS)
(c) Somatic Nervous System
1) Sensory neurons: Convey info from head, body wall, and limbs
and from receptors for special senses (vision, hearing, taste smell)
to CNS
2) Motor neurons: Conduct impulses from CNS to skeletal muscles
(voluntary control)
(d) Autonomic nervous system
1) Sensory neurons: Convey information from receptors in the
visceral organs (stomach and lungs) to CNS
2) Motor neurons: Conduct impulses from CNS to smooth muscles,
cardiac muscles, and glands (involuntary control)
a) Sympathetic: “fight or flight”
b) Parasympathetic: “rest and digest”
(e) Enteric Nervous System “Brain of the gut”
a) Sensory neurons: Monitor chemical changes in GI tract, stretching of
walls
b) Motor neurons: Regulate contractions, acid secretion, endocrine cell
secretions
c) Involuntary control