L7 - Nervous System

Question 1

What are the two main parts of the nervous system?

Answer 1

Central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).

Question 2

What are the main components of the CNS?

Answer 2

Brain and spinal cord.

Question 3

What are the main components of the PNS?

Answer 3

All neural tissue outside the CNS, including cranial and spinal nerves.

Question 4

What is the function of the CNS?

Answer 4

Integration, processing, and coordination of sensory data and motor commands.

Question 5

What is the function of the PNS?

Answer 5

Delivers sensory information to the CNS and carries motor commands to peripheral tissues and systems.

Question 6

What are the two functional divisions of the PNS?

Answer 6

Afferent (sensory) division and efferent (motor) division.

Question 7

What does the afferent division of the PNS do?

Answer 7

Brings sensory information to the CNS from receptors in peripheral tissues and organs.

Question 8

What does the efferent division of the PNS do?

Answer 8

Carries motor commands from the CNS to muscles, glands, and adipose tissue.

Question 9

What are the two main subdivisions of the efferent division?

Answer 9

Somatic nervous system (SNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Question 10

What does the somatic nervous system control?

Answer 10

Voluntary and involuntary (reflexes) skeletal muscle contractions.

Question 11

What does the autonomic nervous system control?

Answer 11

Automatic regulation of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, glandular secretions, and adipose tissue.

Question 12

What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 12

Sympathetic division and parasympathetic division.

Question 13

What is a neuron?

Answer 13

The basic functional unit of the nervous system, a specialized cell for transmitting electrical impulses.

Question 14

What are the main structural components of a neuron?

Answer 14

Cell body, dendrites, axon, axon terminals.

Question 15

What is the function of dendrites?

Answer 15

Receive incoming signals from other neurons.

Question 16

What is the function of the axon?

Answer 16

Conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body.

Question 17

What is the function of axon terminals?

Answer 17

Transmit signals to other neurons or effector cells.

Question 18

What is a synapse?

Answer 18

A specialized site where a neuron communicates with another cell.

Question 19

What are the main types of neuroglia in the CNS?

Answer 19

Astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, ependymal cells.

Question 20

What is the function of astrocytes?

Answer 20

Maintain the blood-brain barrier, provide structural support, regulate ion and nutrient concentrations, absorb and recycle neurotransmitters, form scar tissue after injury.

Question 21

What is the function of oligodendrocytes?

Answer 21

Myelinate CNS axons and provide structural framework.

Question 22

What is the function of microglia?

Answer 22

Remove cell debris, wastes, and pathogens by phagocytosis.

Question 23

What is the function of ependymal cells?

Answer 23

Line ventricles (brain) and central canal (spinal cord), assist in producing, circulating, and monitoring cerebrospinal fluid.

Question 24

What are the main types of neuroglia in the PNS?

Answer 24

Satellite cells and Schwann cells.

Question 25

What is the function of satellite cells?

Answer 25

Surround neuron cell bodies in ganglia and regulate the environment around neurons.

Question 26

What is the function of Schwann cells?

Answer 26

Myelinate PNS axons and participate in repair after injury.

Question 27

What is myelin?

Answer 27

A membranous wrapping that surrounds axons and increases the speed of action potential transmission.

Question 28

What is the function of myelination?

Answer 28

Increases the speed of electrical impulse conduction along the axon.

Question 29

What is the difference between white matter and grey matter?

Answer 29

White matter is composed of myelinated axons; grey matter contains neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and unmyelinated axons.

Question 30

What is a nerve?

Answer 30

A bundle of axons (nerve fibers) in the PNS.

Question 31

What is a tract?

Answer 31

A bundle of axons in the CNS.

Question 32

What is a ganglion?

Answer 32

A collection of neuron cell bodies in the PNS.

Question 33

What is a nucleus (in the CNS)?

Answer 33

A collection of neuron cell bodies in the CNS.

Question 34

What is a reflex arc?

Answer 34

The neural pathway that mediates a reflex action.

Question 35

What are the components of a reflex arc?

Answer 35

Receptor, sensory neuron, integration center, motor neuron, effector.

Question 36

What is a neurotransmitter?

Answer 36

A chemical substance released at the end of a nerve fiber that transmits a signal across a synapse to another neuron or effector cell.

Question 37

Name three neurotransmitters relevant to the nervous system.

Answer 37

Acetylcholine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline).

Question 38

Where is acetylcholine found and what type of receptors does it act on?

Answer 38

Neuromuscular junctions/glands; acts on cholinergic receptors (nicotinic and muscarinic).

Question 39

Where is norepinephrine found and what type of receptors does it act on?

Answer 39

Neuromuscular junctions/glands; acts on adrenergic receptors (alpha and beta), which are G-coupled receptors.

Question 40

Where is epinephrine found and what type of receptors does it act on?

Answer 40

Neuromuscular junctions/glands; acts on adrenergic receptors (alpha and beta), which are G-coupled receptors.

Question 41

Which neurotransmitters are relevant to ocular pharmacology?

Answer 41

Acetylcholine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline).