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Nervous System BDS1 > general > Flashcards

general Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the functions of the nervous system?

A

communication
regulating internal events (very well defined events compared to endocrine)
organising behaviours (external)
information storage (memory: pre-empt neuronal cell to do a certain response as all neuronal cells can preform all roles and accept signals from anywhere in the body)
sensations, perceptions & emotions

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2
Q

neurons

A

excitable cells
generation and transmission of signals
synaptic processing e.g. memory etc
various types - structure related to function

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3
Q

glia cells

A

more numerous than neurons
supportive, nutritive role - very specialised cells

types:
astrocytes
microglia
ependymal cells
oligodendrocytes
Schwann cells
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4
Q

afferents

A

neurons going towards the CNS (arrival)

not all sensorial afferents will reach the brain - action can occur before (reflex)

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5
Q

efferents

A

neurons going away from CNS (exit)

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6
Q

somatic neurons

A

transmit information between the skin or skeletal muscle to CNS

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7
Q

viceral neurons

A

transmit information between the internal organs to the CNS

e.g. visceral efferent response is a change in HR

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8
Q

2 sub-organisations of the nervous system

A

central nervous system CNS

peripheral nervous system PNS

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9
Q

CNS subdivisons

A

spinal nerves

cranial nerves

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10
Q

how many spinal nerves are there?

A

31 pairs emerge along the length of the spinal cord

8 Cervical
12 Thoracic
5 Lumbar
5 Sacral
1 Coccygeal
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11
Q

what fibres are in the spinal nerves?

A

can contain sensory and/or motor axons

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12
Q

what do spinal nerves supply?

A

structures in a well defined part of the body and innervate sensorial response

sensory neurons - dermatomes
motor neurons - myotomes (muscle blocks)

run in parallel to each other

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13
Q

how can dermatomes and myotomes be used to check for damage to spinal cord?

A

as spinal nerves innervate specific regions

can check for no or hyper response

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14
Q

spinal nerve ventral root

A

anterior of cord

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15
Q

spinal nerve dorsal root

A

posterior of cord

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16
Q

how many cranial nerves are there?

A

12 pairs of cranial nerves connect to the brain (esp. brainstem)

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17
Q

what do cranial nerves do? (generally)

A

supple sensory and motor to the head & neck structures

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18
Q

what does the peripheral nervous system do?

A

carries information to and away from the CNS

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19
Q

what are the 2 types of peripheral nerves?

A 
afferent nerves (sensory)
efferent nerves (motor)
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20
Q

What is the role of afferent nerves?

A

carry sensory information to CNS from periphery

somatic or visceral signals

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21
Q

what do somatic afferent signals give rise to?

A

give rise to sensation and perceptions

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22
Q

what do visceral afferent signals give rise to?

A

not usually sensations

related to internal unconscious activity instead

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23
Q

What is the role of efferent nerves?

A

carry motor information away from CNS

cause actions e.g. muscle contractions

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24
Q

what do somatic efferent nerves control?

A

voluntary muscle contractions

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25
what do visceral efferent motor nerves make up?
the Autonomic Nervous System - control smooth and cardiac muscle
26
endoneurium
coats individual nerve fibres coated in myelin
27
perineurium
coats fasciculi of nerve fibres
28
fasciculi of nerve fibres
bundles of nerve fibres
29
epineurium
coats large bundles of nerve fasciculi also contains fat, lymph, arteries and veins
30
what influences local anaesthetic action on nerves?
other structures in the epinerium bundle (e.g. fat, lymph spaces) - affects how it dilutes onto nerve
31
3 points to remember for local anaesthetic application
want local anaesthetic in sensorial nerves not motor nerves want local anaesthetic to be present as short a time possible - pain revealed in absence can show complication unaware of at appointment least volume of chemical injected - in case of side effects
32
what are nerve plexuses?
nerves grouped together for part and branch off at other parts (sensorial and motor responses) if tracts of nerves get too close together for too large an area can cause confused or no response as clash signal
33
what is anastomosis?
overlap of innervation | i.e. dermatome overlap
34
what do variations in neuronal structure allow?
basic neuronal structure can be altered to perform different functions e.g. cell body shifted (primary sensory neuron has cell body relatively far away from dendrites)
35
basic components of a neuron
dendrites cell body axon (myelin sheath)
36
what effects propagation of action potential?
diameter of axon | degree of myelination
37
role and characteristics of A-beta fibre
largest diameter myelinated sensory neurones only mechanorecptors in skin
38
role and characteristics of A-alpha fibre
smaller diameter than A-beta myelinated sensory and motor neurons proprioceptors of skeletal muscle
39
role and characteristics of A-gamma fibre
myelinated special form of motor neuron
40
role and characteristics of A-delta fibre
myelinated sensory neurons only pain, temperature
41
role and characteristics of C fibre
smallest diameter unmyelinated sensory neurons and some autonomic nerves e.g. pulp pain, temperature, itch
42
paradoxical effect
body will induce a compensatory paradoxical effect to try and reverse single control effect only sympathetic autonomic nervous system innervated organs unexpected but natural response
43
somatic nervous system (SNS) - motor divison role
carries information to somatic effectors - skeletal muscles
44
somatic nervous system (SNS) - sensory divison role
carries feedback information to somatic integration centres in the CNS
45
autonomic nervous system (ANS) - efferent division role
carries information to the autonomic or visceral effectors | - smooth or cardiac muscle, glands, adipose and other tissues
46
role of sympathetic division of ANS
prepares the body to deal with the immediate threats to the internal environment flight/fight/fright
47
role of parasympathetic division of ANS
coordinate the body normal resting activities rest and repair
48
what are neurons?
wiring that connects structures need for homeostasis
49
what are sensory neurons role?
receptors that detect changes in external and internal environments responsible for responding to more than just stimuli capable of learning, memory, thought generation etc
50
what are neurotransmitters in the bloodstream?
hormones e.g. adrenaline
51
what are the functional regions of neurons?
INPUT ZONE - dendrites and cell body SUMMATION ZONE- axon hillock CONDUCTION ZONE - axon OUTPUT ZONE - synaptic knobs of axon
52
how are neurons classified?
by number of processes extending from cell body
53
mutipolar neurons
one axon many dendrites
54
bipolar neuron
one axon and one dendrite least common
55
unipolar/pseudounipolar neuron
one process comes off neuron cell body but divides almost immediately into 2 fibres
56
what are functional classifications of neurons?
AFFERENT SENSORY NEURONS conduct impulses to spinal cord or brainstem EFFERENT MOTOR NEURONS conduct impulses away from spinal cord or brainstem towards muscles or glandular tissue INTERNEUONS reflex only
57
what is a reflex arc?
a single conduction route to and from the CNS with electrical signal beginning in receptors and ending in effectors 3 neurons arc most common - afferent neuron, interneuron, effent neuron
58
what are bundles on nerve fibres called in the CNS?
tracts rather than nerves
59
what is endoneurium composed of?
delicate layer of connective tissue surrounds each nerve fibre
60
what is perineurium composed of?
connective tissue holding fascicles together
61
what is epineurium composed of?
fibrous coat surrounding numerous fascicles and blood vessels to form a complete nerve
62
white matter in the CNS is composed of
myelinated tracts
63
white matter in the PNS is composed of
myelinated nerves
64
grey matter is composed of
cell bodies and unmyelinated fibres CNS - nuclei PNS - ganglia
65
can mature nerve fibres divide?
NO, mature nerve fibres are uncapable of cell divison damage can be permanent for nerve tissue if not extensive damage (cell body & neurilemma are intact and scarring not occurred) nerve fibre can be repaired
66
what are local potentials?
slight shift away from the RMP in a specific region of the plasma membrane graded potentials as the maginitude o deviation from the RMP is proportional to the stimulus
67
what is excitation?
when stimulus triggers the opening of additional sodium channels allowing the membrane potentials to move towards 0 depolarisation upstroke
68
what is inhibition?
when stimulus triggers the opening of additional potassium channels increasing the membrane potential hyperpolarisation downstroke
69
what is a synapse?
where nerve signals are transmitted from one neuron to another
70
what are the 2 types of synapse?
electrical chemical
71
what are electrical synapse?
occur where cells joined by gap junction allow AP to simply continue along along postsynaptic membrane
72
what are chemical synapses?
located at the junction of a synaptic knob one neuron and the dendrites/cell of another occurs when presynaptic cells release a chemical neurotransmitter across a tiny gap to postsynaptic cells possibly inducing AP there
73
synaptic knob
tiny bulge at the end of terminal branch of the presynaptic neuron axon that contain vesicles housing neurotransmitters
74
synaptic cleft
spaces between the presynaptic knob and the plasma membrane of the postsynaptic neuron
75
plasma membrane of postsynaptic neuron
has protein molecules that serve as receptors for the neurotransmitters when bind either cause: excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) inhibitory postsynaptic patents (IPSP)
76
how is neurotransmitter action terminated?
quickly neurotransmitter molecules transported back into synaptic knob (reuptake) and/or metabolised into inactive compounds by enzymes and/or diffused and taken up by nearby glia
77
spatial summation
adding together effects of the several knobs being activated simultaneously and stimulating different locations of the postsynaptic membrane produce AP
78
temporal summation
synaptic knobs stimulate a postsynaptic neuron in rapid succession effects summate over a brief time period produce AP
79
how are memories stored?
by facilitating (or inhibiting) synaptic transmission short term memories (secs/mins) may result from the axoaxonic facilitation /inhibition of presynaptic terminal long term memory (mins/weeks) happens when serotonin backs potassium channels in presynaptic terminal - prolonging AP - increasing amount of neurotransmitter released requires structural changes to synapse (more vesicles, release sites etc)
80
how are neurotransmitters classified by function?
by postsynaptic receptor also if receptors directly open a channel or instead use a second messenger mechanism involving G protein and intracellular signals
81
what are the 2 major functional classification of neurotransmitter?
excitatory neurotransmitters inhibitory neurotransmitters
82
how are neurotransmitters classified by chemical structure?
mechanism by which neurotransmitters cause a change 4 main classes usually neurotransmitter are classified by chemical structure since the function of specific neurotransmitters varies by location
83
3 types of small molecule neurotransmitters
acetylcholine ACh amines amino acids
84
acetylcholine
small molecule neurotransmitter ACh unique chemical structure deactivated by acetylcholinesterase present at many locations either excitatory or inhibitory
85
amines
small molecule neurotransmitter 2 categories: - monoamines - catecholemaines found in various regions of the brain
86
amino acids
small molecule neurotransmitters one of the most common in CNS in PNS stored in synaptic vesicles
87
neuropeptides
large molecule neurotransmitter made of 2 or more amino acids -neutrophins: nerve growth factors stimulate neuron development but act as neuromodulators
88
nervous system cells Cycle of Life
nerve tissue development begins in ectoderm nerve cells organise into body network formation of new synapse and stretching or elimination of old synapse stimulation learning and memory age causes degeneration of the nervous system which may lead to senility

Nervous System BDS1 (4 decks)

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