Module 11 - Microglia Flashcards
(97 cards)
how many more glia are there compared to neurons?
10-50x more glia than neurons
what are the 4 classes of glial cells?
- Astrocytes (derived from neuroepithelium)
- Microglia (related to macrophages, mesodermal)
- Oligodendrocytes (CNS, derived from neuroepithelium)
- Schwann Cells (PNS, derived from neuroepithelium, neural crest)
which type of glial cells are myelinated?
oligodendrocytes and schwann cells
what’s the difference between CNS and PNS?
CNS is enveloped in bone, the PNS is not
what are astrocytes?
star shaped cells with end-feet that contact capillaries or neurons; part of the blood-brain barrier
what is astrocytes function?
bring nutrients into the CNS and to prevent the entry of many compounds into the CNS
what chemical’s extracellular levels are controlled by astrocytes?
potassium; astrocytes can take up lots of potassium released by neuronal activity
astrocytes are the only cell type that can store what molecule?
glycogen; it can supply neurons with glucose and lactate
what can astrocytes supply neurons with?
glucose and lactate
name a marker for astrocytes
GFAP: glial fibrilary acid protein
what does myelin provide to cells?
electrical insulation wrapped around the axons
what kind of animals have myelin?
vertebrates only!
are dendrites myelinated?
no; only axons (not all axons tho)
what are nodes of ranvier?
highly specialized region of the axonal membrane that is not myelinated
what is concentrated at node of ranvier? why?
Voltage gated sodium channels: they regenerate APs between myelin sheath
how long are each segments (one Schwann cell) of myelin along a peripheral nerve?
about 1mm long
what is a oligodendrocyte?
CNS Myelinating Glia
what is different between Schwann cell and oligodendrocyte?
oligodendrocyte (CNS) can myelinate multiple axons simultaneously
how many axons are myelinated per one oligodendrocyte approximately?
15 axons
how long can internode be?
varies: from 10s of microns to 100 microns
are all oligodendrocytes myelinating?
no; there are many perineural non-myelinating oligodendrocytes
how was the existence of oligodendrocytes proved?
via staining techniques that selectively visualized these cells
Where do Schwann cells come from?
Neural crest: Born in neural epithelium and migrate out of the neural tube (CNS) to myelinate axons in peripheral nervous system (PNS).
Where do Oligodendrocytes come from?
Born as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in the ventricular zone at several places along the neural tube, and then migrate and proliferate to populate all myelinated regions of the CNS.