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NSCS 200 > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three main types of neurons/function of all neurons?

A

sensory, motor, and interneurons

-process information

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2
Q

Sensory Neurons

A

sense environmental and internal changes and transmit that information to other neurons

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3
Q

Interneurons

A

transfer signals between sensory neurons and motor neurons and between interneurons

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4
Q

motor neurons

A

transmit information from CNS to skeletal/smooth muscle to coordinate movement

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5
Q

Nerve to Muscle Signaling

A

the axon terminals of motor neurons release neurotransmitters to receptors in muscle cells –> causing contractions
-through training, athletes can increase muscle endurance (neuroplasticity)

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6
Q

Reflexes

A

automatic responses that don’t require brain processing
stimulus detected by sensory neuron –> processed by interneurons in spinal cord –> motor neuron connects to muscle to initiate bodily movement

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7
Q

Glia: CNS

A

astrocyte, oligodendrocyte, microglial cell

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8
Q

Glia: PNS

A

Schwann cells

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9
Q

astrocyte function

A
  • vital to blood-brain barrier (provide nutrients and insulation)
  • can become reactive –> cancer (glioblastoma)
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10
Q

oligodendrocyte function

A

produce myelin sheath in CNS

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11
Q

Schwan cells

A

produce myelin sheath in PNS

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12
Q

glia functions

A
  • direct neuronal movement during developmental stages

- aid in synaptic function

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13
Q

What disease attacks myelin sheath in CNS

A

multiple sclerosis

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14
Q

Dendrites: function, where and how do they receive electrical impulses?

A
  • receive and transmit electrical information from other neurons, receptors, etc. to cell body
  • electrical impulses from other cells (aka synaptic inputs) are received at spines/small protuberances
  • electrical impulses are detected by proteins (ion channels: leaky, ligand-bound, voltage-gated)
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15
Q

Cytoskeleton

A

-network of specialized proteins that provide structure to a neuron

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16
Q

Cytoskeleton: functions

A
  • transport proteins and other cell components w/n a neuron
  • motility: help neuron move around (especially during development) and establish connections
  • anchor proteins (e.g. ion channels, receptors) to membrane
  • components: microtubules, microfilaments, neurofilaments
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17
Q

Microtubules: tau function

A
  • protein tau anchors microtubules so that they run straight and parallel in axons
  • when tau detaches from microtubules –> accumulates in cell body –> axons become tangled and form “neurofibrillary tangles”
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18
Q

What happens if tau detaches from microtubules?

A

-when tau detaches from microtubules –> accumulates in cell body –> disrupts signaling and leads to axon death –> axons become tangled and form “neurofibrillary tangles” that underlie dementia

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19
Q

Protein Synthesis: location in neuron? organelles involved?

A
  • soma and some dendrites

- in ribosomes on rough ER, mRNA is translated into proteins (ion channels and receptors)

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20
Q

Protein Packaging, Sorting, Shipping

A

-golgi apparatus: prepares/sorts proteins for delivery to different parts of the cell (e.g. trafficking)

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21
Q

Metabolism in Neurons

A

mitochondria carry out aerobic metabolism (break down glucose and fatty acids to make ATP)
-ATP is used to power chemical reactions (e.g. pumping ions across membrane in sodium-potassium pump)

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22
Q

Visualization Techniques

A

-golgi stain, nissl stain, immunohistochemistry/immunocytochemistry

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23
Q

golgi stain

A

labels neuron structural components (e.g. dendrites, axons, axon terminals, etc.)

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24
Q

nissl stain

A

helps with orientation/location of brain structures

-labels glial cell types and neurons

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25
Q

immunohistochemistry/immunocytochemistry

A

use antibodies that detect specific neuronal types (e.g. motor neurons, sensory neurons, etc.) and proteins

26
Q

Neuronal Membrane

A

phospholipid bilayer and membrane proteins (ion channels, receptors, G protein coupled molecules)
-these proteins are found in axons and dendrites as well

27
Q

Types of Ion Channels

A
  • leaky: open at all times when neuron is at rest, establish RMP
  • voltage-gated ion channels: respond to changes in electrical charge
  • ligand-gated: respond to binding of chemical (e.g. neurotransmitter)
  • ion channels can be both ligand-gated and voltage-gated
28
Q

cations

A

Na+, K+, Ca2+

29
Q

anions

A

Cl-, DNA, RNA, some proteins

30
Q

Voltage-Gated Ion Channels

A

-specialized amino acids respond to changes in voltage, allowing certain ions in/out and closing/opening depending on electrical changes

31
Q

passage of ions: water

A

water acts as solvent for ions, amino acids, sugars, and other molecules
-ions move through water

32
Q

Voltage-Gated Ion Channels: components

A
  • pore (opening where ions can pass through)
  • gate (ball and chain mechanism controls opening/closing of gate)
  • voltage-sensor (charged amino acids are displaced by changes in membrane voltage –> conformational change in “gate”)
33
Q

Methods to block voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels

A
  • environmental toxins
  • TTX (tetrodotoxin) from puffer fish blocks Na+ channel
  • Tetraethylammonium (TEA) blocks K+ channel
34
Q

Ligand-Gated Receptor w/ ion channel

A

-chemicals bind to receptors, causing conformational change allowing ions to enter/exit

35
Q

voltage-gated and ligand-gated receptors

A

when glutamate (neurotransmitter) binds to NMDA or AMPA receptors –> conformational change allowing Na+ ions to flow into cell –> depolarization –> causes conformational change in NMDA receptor

36
Q

acetylcholine receptor types

A
  • ionotropic: e.g. nicotinic receptors (can be activated by nicotine) have ion channels
    • when ACh binds to nicotinic receptors, ion channels open to allow for the passage of ions
  • metabotropic receptors: e.g. muscarinic ACh receptors don’t have ion channels, signal to G protein in the membrane instead
37
Q

agonist

A

stimulates activity in receptors

38
Q

antagonist

A

inhibits activity in receptors

39
Q

Metabotropic receptors

A

neurotransmitter binds to metabotropic receptor –> conformational change and signals to G-protein –> G-protein activates ion channel or enzyme –> cascade of chemical rxn (i.e. second messengers), eliciting physiological response elsewhere

40
Q

Resting Membrane Potential

A
  • negative RMP is established by electrochemical gradient and selective permeability of the cell membrane
    • chemical: difference in concentration of ions across cell membrane
    • electrical: distribution of charges, generating relative voltage of -70mV on the inside of the cell compared to outside
      - permeability: certain ions have more ion channels –> more permeable
41
Q

label neuron structure and function

A

good job

42
Q

draw electrochemical gradient to establish RMP

A

did you include:
-relative concentrations of K+, Na+, Cl-, and Ca2+ and which direction they will move down their concentration gradient
-K+ special (moves both in and out of cell b/c concentration gradient and charge attraction)
-negative intracellular components (DNA, RNA, proteins)
-leaky ion channels and their relative abundance
-sodium-potassium pump
noice, im proud of you

43
Q

Discuss concentration gradient/permeability/function of K+, Na+, Cl- and Ca2+ and sodium-potassium pump using drawing

A

K+, which is at higher concentration inside the cell –> flow down concentration gradient from inside to outside the cell

  • membrane has a lot of leaky K+ ion channels –> very permeable
  • Na+, Cl-, Ca2+ are at higher concentrations outside cell –> flow down concentration gradient from outside to inside cell, but there are fewer leaky ion channels –> less permeability
  • Na+/K+ pump uses ATP to exchange 3 Na+ out of the cell for 2K+ into the cell (salty bananas), working against concentration gradient to maintain -70mV RMP
44
Q

Equilibrium potential

A

the electrical potential difference across the cell membrane if there were to be no net movement of a specific ion into/out of cell

45
Q

Which ions will never reach equilibrium potential/always competing?

A

Na+ and K+ ions b/c of electrochemical gradient

-membrane potential changes according to which ion has the biggest influx/outflow through ion channels

46
Q

Why will the membrane potential never equal EK+ (-80mV)?

A
  1. Na+, Ca2+ ions will continue to diffuse down their concentration from outside to inside the cell through their leaky ion channels (influx of positive charges prevents membrane potential from being too negative)
  2. Na+/K+ pump maintains membrane potential, bringing K+ ions into the cell and working against concentration gradient
  3. positive charge of K+ ion will be attracted to relative negative membrane potential inside the cell –> K+ ions enter cell
47
Q

how do neurons communicate w/ each other?

A

anatomical contacts

  • axon terminals (1) –> dendrites (2)
  • axon terminals (1) –> cell body (2)
  • voltage-gated ion channels in dendrites and cell body will sense changes in local membrane potential (depolarization) and trigger depolarization of entire membrane
48
Q

what determines shape of action potential?

A

different types of neurons have different types of ion channels

49
Q

Hodgkin-Huxley Cycle

A

positive feedback loop
-synaptic potential/receptor potential –> membrane depolarization –> opens voltage-gated Na+ channels –> Na+ flows into neuron –> membrane depolarizes (etc)

50
Q

Why will membrane never reach ENa+?

A

Towards end of rising phase, voltage-gated K+ ion channels open slowly. This allows K+ ions to flow in (from high to low concentration, down concentration gradient), repolarizing the membrane potential and making it more negative, preventing MP from ever reaching to positive ENa+

51
Q

hyperpolarization/repolarization

A

making the membrane more negative again in the falling phase of an action potential (K+ voltage-gated ion channels opening)

52
Q

undershoot

A

afterhyperpolarization
K+ voltage-gated ion channels are slow to close, allowing K+ ions to continue leaving the neuron and causing the membrane potential to become more negative than RMP

53
Q

saltatory potential

A

action potential is regenerated at nodes of Ranvier
-myelin sheath channel depolarization (influx of Na+ ion channels) to adjacent nodes of Ranvier, opening Na+ voltage-gated ion channels and regenerating nodes of Ranvier

54
Q

whole cell patch clamp technique

A

uses glass micropipette to suck up a patch of membrane

  • from there, you can measure the ionic current passing through that membrane patch
  • to measure any changes in voltage, you hold the membrane voltage constant at -60mV and observe changes
    • inward current: flow of ions into the cell (Na+ ions flowing into the cell bc of voltage-gated ion channels)
    • outward current: flow of ions out of the cell (K+ ions flowing out of the cell through voltage-gated ion channels)
55
Q

refractory period

A

toward end of rising phase, when K+ voltage-gated ion channels open, Na+ voltage-gated ion channels close and inactivate (in some vertebrates)

  • during this time, Na+ channels can’t be opened again by depolarization (absolute refractory period)
  • helps cell to go back to rest and prevents cell fatigue
56
Q

intracellular “sharp” electrode recordings

A

measure voltage difference across the membrane

  • graph voltage vs. time
  • can experimentally inject positive current to initiate action potentials
57
Q

chemical synapses

A

excitatory of inhibitory

  1. action potential arrives at presynaptic terminal
  2. action potential depolarizes presynaptic terminal, opening voltage-gated Ca2+ ion channels
  3. influx of Ca2+ ion channels triggers release of neurotransmitters from vesicles via exocytosis into synaptic cleft
  4. neurotransmitters bind to membrane metabotropic/ionotropic receptors on post-synaptic neuron
  5. binding of neurotransmitters causes IPSP or EPSP
58
Q

EPSP

A

depolarizes the membrane (makes membrane potential more positive)
-can generate action potentials if the depolarization is sufficient (temporally; one after the other; or spatially; various EPSP from different dendrites) to reach the voltage threshold

59
Q

excitatory synapses

A
  • chemical
  • neurotransmitters (e.g. glutamate, AcH) bind to ionotropic receptors (which contain channels permeable to Na+ and Ca2+)
  • depolarization due to influx of sodium or calcium ions
60
Q

glutamate receptors

A

ionotropic: AMPA (attached to ion channels)
metabotropic: NMDA (coupled to G protein)

61
Q

inhibitory synapses

A
  • chemical
  • neurotransmitters: GABA or glycine, bind to ionotropic receptors w/ channels permeable to Cl- ions
  • causes hyperpolarization due to influx of Cl- ions and makes membrane potential more negative
62
Q

summation

A

if EPSP summation outweighs IPSP summation –> action potential

NSCS 200 (5 decks)

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