A+P Exam 3 Flashcards
3 basic functions of the nervous system in maintaining homeostasis
- Sensory
- integration
- motor
Classify the organs of the nervous system (2)
-
CNS- Central Nervous-brain+spinal chord (integrating mental processes)
- No Nerves
- PNS- Peripheral Nervous
Afferent System
- impulses traveling toward the CNS
efferent
- Impulses traveling away from the CNS,
- or motor.
somatic
- impulses are going to your skeletal muscle (sensory/afferent)
visceral
- impulses are going to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle or glands
3 parts of a neuron
- Dendtrite
- Cell Body
- Axon
Dendtrite
- receiving end or receptor end, may have many dendrites
Cell body
- location of the organelles such as nucleus, mitochondria.
Axon
- conducting end. The enlarged ends are called Presynaptic Terminals.
- sending messages away from the cell body.
Nuclei
- a clump of cell bodies of neurons in the CNS
Ganglia
- clumps of cell bodies in the PNS
White Matter
- Myelinated
- Axons that make up white matter are nerve tracts.
Myelinated
- send nerve impulses MUCH faster than unmyelinated.
- a fatty substance wrapped in layers around an axon.
- made by Schwann cells in the PNS and oligodendrocytes in the CNS.
Unmyelinated
- current flows all the way along the axon.
- A series of action potentials travel along the neuron at about 2 mph
saltatory conduction
- action potentials occur at the nodes of Ranvier
- current jumps from node to node
- fast, up to 250 + mph.
Schwann cells
- only in PNS
- make regeneration tube
- any cell that covers the nerve fibers in the PNS and forms the myelin sheath
blood-brain barrier
- astrocytes
- a poison would not go directly to astrocyte before brain
neuroglia
- half of nervous tissue is supportive cells
- Example- Schwann cells, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.
Oligodendrocytes
- similar to an astrocyte but with fewer protuberances,
- concerned with the production of myelin in the CNS
- form sheats around axons
Define nerve. Where are nerves located
- Groups of Axons Nerves,
- transmits impulses of sensation to the brain or spinal cord, and impulses from these to the muscles and organs.
- found only in the PNS
Bipolar neuron
- has two extensions
- sensory, example Vetibulortrochlear nerve
multipolar neuron
- most common (e.g. motor neurons)
- have numerous dendrites and one axon;
Unipolar Neuron
- have one extension that branches into the dendrite and the axon
- found in sensory neurons
a membrane potential
- A charge difference in the outside vs. the inside of a cell
how the Na+/K+ pump contributes to the resting membrane potential
- 3Na + out for every 2K+,
- contributing to the negativity in the cell
- some K+ ions diffuse to immediately outside the plasma membrane.
Resting membrane potential
- Na+ ion are OPEN and inactivation gates are CLOSED.
What is the approximate voltage of a neuron’s resting membrane potential?
- -70mV,
- much more negative inside of the cell
the factors that contribute to establishing the resting membrane potential
- NA/K Pump
- Differential Permeability
- K diffusion
- Na diffusion
Na/K Pump
- are fixed anions part of the interior of cell
K Diffusion
- can diffuse across membrane
- negative fixed anions draw K into the cell creating an equilibrium.
Na diffusion
- found on the outside of the cell
- wants to diffuse in,
- attracted in by the fixed anions,
- CANNOT enter the cell because the membrane is not permeable to sodium
Depolarization
- sodium is allowed to enter cell,
- inside of cell to becomes less negative
- require action potential
- begins when Na+ ions move into the cell.
Repolarization
- require action potential
- _ K+_ ion channels open
- Na+ ion channels close.
Localized depolarization/ Local Potential
- sodiums enter cell due to open sodium gate, but then gates close & potential is over
- changes in membrane permeability
- ligands (ions) binding to their receptors
- mechanical stimulation, changes in the charge across the plasma membrane
Diffusion permeability
- not permeable to everything
- unstimulated membrane is permable to K but not Na
Which cells have action potentials?
- depolarization to threshold to postsynaptic
- excitable cells: neurons, muscle cells, endocrine cells, plant cells
What causes sodium gates to open?
Some can be opened by increased voltage, others can be opened by other molecules like calcium.
What does threshold mean in terms of Sodium?
- so much sodium comes in that you reach a level called threshold
- becomes a positive feedback cycle, more sodium gates open until it becomes positive inside of the cell.
How long are sodium gates open?
- Brief, strong spring, shuts it right away
How long are potassium gates open?
- long time
What does potassium do when sodium gate closes?
- wants to leave because;
- concentration reasons
- like charges are repelled by each other
- the repolarization portion of the action potential.
how the sodium and potassium concentrations return to the levels of an unstimulated neuron,
- Na/K pump follows action potential
- -sodium exits the cell and potassium enters the cell. 3/2 ratio
- Active transport, ATP required
factors that determine the speed of impulse conduction
- the presence of myelin.
- more myelin, the faster.
- Increased temperature increases impulse conduction.
all-or-none principle of nerve impulse transmission
- Either an action potential reaches threshold or it doesn’t.
why normal nerve impulses tend to be unidirectional
- They START at one end of the neuron & therefore can only go in one direction
Synapse
- the junction between adjacent neurons.
presynaptic
- neuron entering the synapse
Synaptic Cleft
- The physical space between entrance and exit
Synaptic Vesicle
- the bubble filled with neurotransmitter in the presynaptic neuron
neurotransmitter
- chemical released that bridges the synapse.
- Examples of: glutamate, norepinephrine, acetylcholine,dopamine
Action of Neurotransmitter
- diffuse across the synapse.
- There are receptors at the postsynaptic neuron
- leads to depolarization in the postsynaptic neuron because their sodium gates are chemical regulated
- Example Acetylcholine
EPSP
- Excitatory Post Synaptic Potential
- can produce local depolarization
IPSP
- Inhibitory Post Synaptic Potential
- don’t want to reach threshold.
- neurotransmitter binds to receptor that open K+ ion channels,
catecholamine
- Groups of neurons synthesized by tyrosine. Neurotransmitters
- norepinephrine,
-
epinephrine,
- released from adrenal medulla part of fight or flight response
- dopamine
Acetylocholinesterase
- breaks down acetylcholine/ Neurotransmitters
- most common
neuro modulator
- Influences neurotransmitter (add more or block)
- Example, Endorphins/Morphine- blocks pain
- Like a pH buffer only for Neurotransmitters
convergence
- many presynaptic neurons synapsing with one postsynaptic neuron
- (rivers converging into one)
Divergence
- One presynaptic neuron synapsing with
- several postsynaptic neuron
Temporal summation
- summation in time
- 1 presynaptic neuron transmitting frequent action potentials to postsynaptic
- Divergence
Spatial summation
- space. Convergence where each presynaptic neuron releases neurotransmitter going to the post synaptic neuron.
- All of the pre’s will add their neurotransmitter
- enough to reach threshold in the postsynaptic neuron.
Define receptor and how a stimulus leads to a nerve impulse. How we can distinguish a weak from a strong stimulus
- The dendrite is the receiving end of the neuron.
- Takes stimulus and turn it into depolarization.
- more dendrites stimulated, stronger stimulus
- strong stimulus send a high frequency of impulses to the brain
Describe adaptation. Which sensation does not adapt?
- Pain does not adapt. Unchanging stimulus, receptors adapt, or stop responding
Effector
- Effector- The stopping point for the neuron - such as a muscle or a gland
If all action potentials are all or none how do you know intensity? (2)
Number, Frequency,
Spinal Cord, location/definition
- Central nervous System
- Vertebral Foramen, Foramen magnum to L2
- communication link between brain and PNS (inferior head).