Lecture Questions (Exam 1) Flashcards
What is the neuron doctrine and what are the philosophical roots of modern neuroscience?
The neuron doctrine is the concept that the nervous system is made up of discrete individual cells, a discovery due to decisive neuro-anatomical work of Santiago Ramón y Cajal. Before this, there was Mind-Body Dualism by Descartes which states that the mind and bond were separate and interacted via the pineal body. The modern interpretations now include psychophysical parallelism which holds that physiological and mental events occur in parallel but do not cause one another and epiphenomenalism which holds that consciousness is only a byproduct of the action of the brain.
What is the structure of the neuron and the function of intracellular organelles and neurites?
Neurons are the principal cells of the nervous system.
DNA is contained in the nucleus; the nucleolus produces ribosomes. Protein synthesis occurs on the endoplasmic reticulum.
Neurites are dendrites and axons extending from the soma or the cell body. Dendritic spines are often prominent and can change morphology with experiential learning.
Dendrites branch close to the soma in a tree-like fashion and typically receive inputs from other neurons. Axons may branch, sometimes extend long distances from the soma and convey messages to other neurons, muscles, and glands.
What are the functions of glial cells including differences between astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and Schwann cells?
Glial cells play a supportive role in the nervous system.
Astrocytes: control the passage of substances from blood vessels to neurons and remove debris.
Oligodendrocytes: form a fatty sheath around multiple axons in the CNS which speeds message transmission.
Schwann cells: form a fatty sheath around an axon in the PNS which speeds message transmission.
What is the structure of the plasma membrane and how do ions pass through it?
The plasma membrane of the cell is a phospholipid bilayer. The outer portions consist of phosphate groups and the inner portions of lipids.
Specialized proteins in the membranes act as pores or channels for ions. The selectivity filter is dependent on the amino acids that make up the pore.
