Topic 9: CNS tissue Flashcards
What does the central nervous system occupy?
Brain and spinal cord occupy the cranium and the vertebral canal.
Peripheral nervous system
- outside the PNS
- includes CRANIAL NERVES (extend from brain and carry signals to and from the brain) and SPINAL NERVES (extend from the spinal cord and carry signals to and from the brain)
PNS: What are ganglia?
Clusters of neuronal cell bodies located outside of CNS.
Afferent signals
Sensory signals picked up by sensory receptors throughout body and are carried by nerve fibers of PNS to CNS
Efferent signals
Motor signals are carried from CNS by nerve fibers of the PNS to innervate muscles to contract and/or glands to secrete
What regions do the sensory input and motor output serve?
- Somatic body region: structures external to the ventral body cavity: outer tube (skin, skeletal muscle, axial bones) and appendicular bones and muscles
- Visceral body region: contains viscera within the ventral body cavity: inner tube (digestive tube, lungs, heart, spleen, bladder etc.) as well as smooth muscle and glands throughout
What is integration?
When the nervous system processes and interprets sensory input and makes decisions on what should be done then dictating effector organs to produce a motor output repsonse
Neurons
excitatory cells
Neuroglial cells
non-conducting cells that wrap around, nourish, insulate, and protect neurons
Cell body of the neuron
- 5-140 μm
- single nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm
- mostly in CNS but found in ganglia of PNS
Within cell body:
chromataphyllic bodies
AKA Nissl bodies
clusters of rough endoplasmic reticulum and free ribosomes
Within cell body:
neurofibrils
bundles of intermediate filaments which form a network between chromatophyllic bodies and prevent the cell from being pulled apart when subjected to tensile forces
Neuron processes;
dendrites
- Function as receptive sites for receiving signals from other neurons and transmitting the signal towards the cell body
- Extensively branched
Neuron processes:
axon
- One axon arises from the cone-shaped AXON HILLOCK
- Impulse generator and conductor
- Transmits impulses away from the cell body
What supports the axon structure?
Neurofilaments, actin microfilaments, and microtubules aid in AXONAL TRANSPORT of substances to and from the cell body
As axon diameter increases…
…the faster the impulse it carries because resistance decreases
Axon branching
- Branching is less frequent than dendrites
- Branches usually occur at terminus of axon, the AXON BRANCHES
- The end is called AXON TERMINAL, or end bulbs or boutons
Name of a nerve cell
neuron
Nerve fiber refers to…
…long axon of neuron
Nerve refers to…
…collection of parallel running nerve fibers in PNS
Nerve impulses
- Generated where the axon extends from the axon hillock
- Release neurotransmitters from axon terminal into extracellular space, SYNAPTIC CLEFT, and excite neurons or target organs
- Axon terminal of pre-synaptic neuron -> pre-synaptic membrane -> synaptic cleft -> post-synaptic membrane -> post-synaptic dendrite of post-synaptic neuron
* passing in one direction
Synapse
- Usually transmit info via chemical messengers
2. Most synapses in CNS function with both presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons
Synaptic vesicles
- On pre-synaptic side
- Membrane-bound sacs containing neurotransmitter
- High concentration of mitochondria at axon terminal, provide energy for secretion of neurotransmitter