Summary Flashcards
Lecture 1
-The brain and nervous systems integrate sensory information to arrive at an appropriate motor output.
-The various cellular elements of the nervous system (neurones and glial) underlie this ability.
-The highly morphologically-polarised nature of neurones creates obstacles to transport of molecules overcome by active processes.
-The development and structure of the human brain and nervous systems share similarities with other animals.
-Brain and spinal cord regions are arranged into highly-defined areas, each with their own specialised cellular components, anatomical connections and functions.
Lecture 2
-Differences in ion concentrations across the neuronal plasma membrane sets up a voltage difference across it.
-This electrochemical gradient provides the driving force for the action potential and is maintained in the long term by the Na+/K+ ATPase.
-Action potentials provide a rapid means of communication between neurones and their targets.
-Myelination preserves the fidelity of the action potential and accelerates action potential conduction.
-The unidirectional travel of action potentials is made possible by the refractory periods in which the activation of voltage-gated Na+ channels is prevented.
Summary of action potential characteristics
-Action potentials are triggered by depolarisation.
-A threshold level of depolarisation must be reached in order to trigger an action potential.
-Action potentials are all-or-none events.
-An action potential propagates without decrement throughout a neurone.
-At its peak the membrane potential reverses becoming positive.
-After the firing of an action potential, there is a refractory period- this ensures the action potential travels in one direction.
Lecture 13
-The systematic and pulmonary circulations in series.
-The chambers and valves of the heart.
-The changes of pressure and volume during the cardiac cycle.
-The relationship between filling pressure and stroke work.
-The initiation and spread of the heart beat.
-The electrical activity (SAN is the fastest) and the ECG and the initiation of contraction.
-Heart has 4 chambers: oxygenated and deoxygenated, high and low pressure (all different cominations).
Lecture 14
-The structure and function of blood vessels in the systemic circulation.
-The role of elastic arteries in smoothing pulsatile flow.
-The role of resistance vessels in regulating blood flow.
-The role of capillaries in exchange and in the equilibrium between plasma and interstitial fluid.
-The role of veins as capacitance vessels.
