Topic 5: Nervous Tissue

Question 1

what is the function of a neuron

Answer 1

• nerve cell
• specialised for signal conduction & information processing

Question 2

What is the function of neuroglia cells?

Answer 2

• support, nourish & protect neurons
• critical for maintaining homeostasis of interstitial fluid around neurons

Question 3

Structure of a typical motor neuron includes what 4 things?

Answer 3

1. Cell body
2. Dendrites
3. Axon
4. Axon terminals

Question 4

What is the cell body?

Answer 4

Nucleus, cytoplasm with typical organelles

Question 5

What are Dendrites?

Answer 5

• Highly branched structures emerging from cell body
  – receive input

Question 6

What are axons?

Answer 6

• Conducts impulse away from cell body toward another neuron or effector
• Emerges at cone-shaped axon hillock

Question 7

What are axon terminals?

Answer 7

At the end of axon with synaptic bulbs

Question 8

What is myelination?

Answer 8

Axons covered with a myelin sheath

Question 9

What is a myelin sheath and what is its function?

Answer 9

Many layered lipid & protein creating insulations

Increases speed of nerve conduction.

Question 10

What is the term used to describe gaps in the myelin?

Answer 10

Nodes of Ranvier

Question 11

What are nodes important for?

Answer 11

Nodes are important for signal conduction

Question 12

Give an example of a disease that destroys myelin

Answer 12

Multiple Sclerosis

Question 13

What is white matter

Answer 13

primarily myelinated axons

Question 14

What is grey matter

Answer 14

cell bodies, dendrites, unmyelinated axons, axon terminals & neuroglia

Question 15

What is the brain cortex

Answer 15

• Outer layer
• made up of grey matter and white matter located internally

Question 16

Where is grey and white matter located in the spinal cord

Answer 16

Spinal cord:
grey matter = centrally located

white matter = located externally

Question 17

What are the 6 types of neuroglia

Answer 17

1. Astrocytes
2. Oligodendrocytes
3. Microglia
4. Ependymal cells
5. Schwann cells
6. satellite cells

Question 18

Function of Astrocytes

Answer 18

blood brain barrier

Question 19

Function of Oligodendrocytes

Answer 19

create myelin in CNS

Question 20

Function of Microglia

Answer 20

defense

Question 21

Function of Ependymal cells

Answer 21

produce cerebrospinal fluid

Question 22

Function of Schwann cells

Answer 22

PNS cell support/myelin

Question 23

Function of Satellite cells

Answer 23

in PNS ganglia