Week 5 Readings Flashcards
What is the nervous system composed of (cells)?
- two basic cell types: glial cells (aka glia) and neurons
What is the typical role of glial cells?
- play a supportive role to neurons, both physically and metabolically
What is the ratio of glial cells to neurons?
- 10:1
What do glial cells do? (5)
- provide scaffolding on which the nervous system is built
- help neurons line up closely with each other to allow neuronal communication
- provides insulation to neurons
- transports nutrients and waste products
- mediate immune responses
What do neurons do?
- serve as interconnected information processors that are essential for all of tasks of the nervous system
How many neurons do we have at birth and what is their role? (2)
- 100 billion strong at birth
- central building blocks of the nervous system
what is the semipermeable membrane and what does it do? (2)
- make up the outer surface of a neuron
- allows smaller molecules and molecules without an electrical charge to pass through, while stopping larger or highly charged molecules
what is the soma and what does it contain? (2)
- cell body
- contains the nucleus of the neuron
dendrites (2)
- branching extensions from the soma
- serve as input sites where signals are received from other neurons
nucleus
- small information processor
axon
- major extension of the soma
terminal button
- axon terminal containing synaptic vesicles
synaptic vesicles
- storage site for neurotransmitters
neurotransmitters
- chemical messenger of the nervous system
where do the signals go after they enter through the dendrites?
- transmitted electronically across soma and down the axon, which ends at multiple terminal buttons
what is the myelin sheath and what is it made up of? (2)
- fatty substance that
coat and insulate axons - made up of glial cells
what is the purpose of the myelin sheath? (2)
- increases speed at which signals travel
- crucial for normal operation of neurons within the nervous system
multiple sclerosis (MS, 4)
- what is it
- what does this cause
- symptoms
- cure?
- autoimmune disorder that involves large-scale loss of myelin sheath on axons throughout nervous system
- interference in electrical signal prevents quick transmittal of information by neurons
- symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, loss of motor control and sexual dysfunction
- currently no cure
synapse
- small gap between two neurons where communication occurs
receptors (2)
- protein on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach
- vary in shape, with different shapes matching different neurotransmitters
in healthy individuals, how are neuronal signals transmitted? (2)
- neuronal signals move rapidly down axon to the terminal buttons, where synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters into synapse
- neurotransmitters travel across synapse and bind with corresponding receptors on dendrite of an adjacent neuron
how do neurotransmitters know which receptor to bind to?
- lock and key relationship: specific neurotransmitters fit specific receptors
how does a neuron exist in a fluid environment? (2)
- surrounded by extracellular fluid
- contains intracellular fluid
membrane potential
- difference in charge across the membrane which provides energy for signals
what is the role of the neuronal membrane?
- keeps extra and intracellular fluid separate which keeps the fluids electronically different
what causes the electrical charges in cellular fluids? (2)
- charged molecules (ions) dissolved in the fluids
- neuronal membrane restricts movement of charged molecules and some charged particles tend to become more concentrated on inside or outside of cell
resting potential (3)
- what is it
- what do ions do
- where do ions move after
- state of readiness of a neuron membrane’s potential between signals
- ions line up on either side, ready to rush across membrane when neuron goes active and gates open
- ions in high-concentration are ready to move to low concentration and positive ions are ready to move to areas of negative charge
What are the concentrations of sodium and potassium inside and outside the cell and how does this affect movement? (2)
- sodium has higher [ ] outside the cell, so it will tend to move into the cell
- potassium is more [ ] inside the cell, so it will tend to move out of the cell
How does the charge inside the cell affect sodium movement? (2)
- inside of cell is slightly negatively charged compared to outside
- provides additional force on sodium, causing it to move into the cell
threshold of excitation
- level of charge in the membrane that causes neuron to become active
What happens after a neuron receives a signal and changes from the resting potential state? (3)
- small pores open on the neuronal membrane, allowing sodium ions to move into the cell
- influx of positive ions causes internal charge of cell to become more positive
- charge reaches threshold of excitement and neuron becomes active, action potential begins
peak action potential
- many pores open, causing a massive influx of sodium ions and a huge positive spike in membrane potential
What happens at the peak action potential?
- sodium gates close and potassium gates open to let positively charged potassium ions leave
repolarization (2)
- membrane potential returns to negative charge
- at first, it hyperpolarizes, becoming slightly more negative than the resting potential, and then levels off restoring resting potential
action potential (2)
- electrical signal that moves down the neuron’s axon
- constituted by the positive spike
how does the electric signal move through the axon?
- like a wave; at each point, some of the sodium ions that enter the cell diffuse to the next section of the axon, raising the charge past the threshold of excitation and triggering a new influx of sodium ions
all-or-none phenomenon(2)
- phenomenon that incoming signal from another neuron is either sufficient or insufficient to reach threshold of excitation
- there is no in-between and no turning off the action potential once it starts
Explain traits of the action potential as a result of the all-or-none phenomenon. (2)
- action potential is recreated/propagated at its full strength at every point along the axon
- does not fade away as it travels down the axon
reuptake
- neurotransmitter is pumped back into the neuron that released it to clear up synapse
After signals are delivered, what happens to excess neurotransmitters in synapse?
- drift away and are broken down into inactive fragments or are reabsorbed in reuptake
What does clearing the synapse do? (2)
- provides clear “on” and “off” state between signals
- regulates the production of neurotransmitter (full synaptic vesicles indicate no additional transmitters need to be produced)
biological perspective
- view that psychological disorders like depression and schizophrenia are associated with imbalances in one or more neurotransmitter systems
In the biological perspective, what helps improve disorders?
- psychotropic medications can help improve symptoms associated with disorders
psychotropic medications (2)
- drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance
- act as agonists or antagonists for a given neurotransmitter system
agonists
- chemicals that mimic neurotransmitters at the receptor site, strengthening its effects
antagonists
- block or impedes normal activity of neurotransmitter at the receptor
What are agonists and antagonists drugs used for?
- prescribed to correct specific neurotransmitter imbalances underlying a person’s condition
Parkinson’s disease and treatment (2)
- progressive nervous system disorder associated with low levels of dopamine
- dopamine agonists are used to mimic effects of dopamine by binding to dopamine receptors
Schizophrenia and treatment (2)
- certain symptom are associated with overactive dopamine neurotransmission
- antagonists for dopamine used as they block dopamine’s effects by binding to receptors without activating them
reuptake inhibitors
- prevent unused neurotransmitters from being transported back to neuron
- leaves more neurotransmitters in synapse for longer time, increasing its effects
depression and treatment (2)
- consistently linked with reduced serotonin levels
- treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that prevent uptake and strengthen serotonin effects
What drug is similar to serotonin
- LSD as it affects same neurons and receptors as serotonin
What are the downsides of psychotropic medications? (3)
- not an instant solution and must be taken for several weeks to see improvement
- many have significant negative side effects
- individuals vary dramatically in how they respond to the drugs
What is done to improve chances of success when taking psychotropic drugs?
- combine drug therapy and other forms of therapy (psychological and/or behavioural)
What two major subdivisions can the nervous system be divided into?
- central nervous sytem (CNS)
- peripheral nervous sytem (PNS)
central nervous system (CNS)
- brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
- connects brain and spinal card to muscles, organs and senses in the periphery of the body
what is the peripheral nervous system made up of?
- thick bundles of axons, called nerves
What does the PNS do?
- carry messages back and forth between the CNS and the muscles, organs, and senses in the periphery of the body (everything outside CNS)
What are the 2 major subdivisions of the PNS? (2)
- somatic nervous system
- autonomic nervous system
somatic nervous system (3)
- role
- associated with:
- consists of:
- relays sensory and motor information to and from CNS
- associated with activities traditionally thought of as conscious or voluntary
- consists of motor neurons and sensory neurons
autonomic nervous sytem
- role
- associated with:
- controls our internal organs and glands
- associated with things outside realm of voluntary control
motor neurons
- carry instructions from CNS to muscles
- are efferent fibers (moving away from)
sensory neurons
- carry sensory information to the CNS
- afferent fibres (moving toward)