Nervous System

Question 1

Which part of the nervous system is involved in the processing of information?

Answer 1

Central nervous system

Question 2

What makes up the central nervous system?

Answer 2

Spinal cord and brain

Question 3

What conveys sensory input to the CNS and motor output to the effectors?

Answer 3

Peripheral nervous system

Question 4

What are the two different parts of the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 4

Somatic and autonomic

Question 5

What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 5

Sympathetic and parasympathetic

Question 6

What are the 3 major components of the brain?

Answer 6

Cerebral hemispheres, brain stem and cerebellum

Question 7

What are some examples of what the brain stem involved in?

Answer 7

Regulation of CV function, regulation of breathing, regulation of sleep/wakefulness

Question 8

What is the cerebellum involved in?

Answer 8

Fine aspects of motor control eg juggling, co-ordination

Question 9

What emerges from the spinal cord?

Answer 9

Around 30 pairs of nerves

Question 10

What is a ganglion?

Answer 10

Collection of nerve cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system

Question 11

What are collections of cell bodies in the brain called?

Answer 11

Nuclei

Question 12

Are ganglia and nuclei equivalent structures?

Answer 12

Yes - ganglia are collections of cell bodies in the PNS and nuclei are collections of cell bodies in the CNS

Question 13

What are the equivalents of nerves in the central nervous system?

Answer 13

Tracts

Question 14

What is the white matter of the spinal cord composed of?

Answer 14

Nerve fibres - axons

Question 15

What is the grey matter of the spinal cord composed of?

Answer 15

Neurones

Question 16

In which part of the spinal cord does information processing occur?

Answer 16

Grey matter

Question 17

In which part of the spinal cord does the dissemination of information occur?

Answer 17

White matter

Question 18

How is grey and white matter distributed in the brain?

Answer 18

Central core of grey matter surrounded by white matter as well as an extra layer of grey matter on the periphery (surface) of the brain - the cerebral cortex

Question 19

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 19

Layer of grey matter surrounding the brain

Question 20

How do pairs of nerves emerge from the spinal cord?

Answer 20

One emerges dorasally and one emerges ventrally

Question 21

What is the spinal nerve created by?

Answer 21

The coalescence of the ventral root and the dorsal root - mixed motor and sensory fibres

Question 22

What function does the ventral root have?

Answer 22

Motor - contains purely motor axons

Question 23

What function does the dorsal root have?

Answer 23

Sensory - contains purely sensory axons

Question 24

What is the dorsal root associated with?

Answer 24

Dorsal horn

Question 25

What is the ventral root associated with?

Answer 25

Ventral horn

Question 26

What is the dorsal root ganglion?

Answer 26

Swelling in dorsal root - cluster of nerve cell bodies

Question 27

Where does the cell body of a sensory neurone coming into the spinal chord reside?

Answer 27

Dorsal root ganglion

Question 28

What is a bipolar neurone?

Answer 28

Neurone with two extensions

Question 29

Why do impulses travel faster across pseudounipolar neurones?

Answer 29

Impulse can bypass cell body

Question 30

What is a pseudounipolar neurone?

Answer 30

A pseudounipolar neuron is a kind of sensory neuron in the peripheral nervous system. This neuron contains an axon that has split into two branches; one branch runs to the periphery and the other to the spinal cord.

Question 31

Where are bipolar neurones often found?

Answer 31

Retina

Question 32

What do motor neurones consist of?

Answer 32

Cell body, dendrites and axon

Question 33

What are the 3 classes of neurones?

Answer 33

Sensory neurones, interneurones and motor neurones

Question 34

What are bundles of axons in nerves called?

Answer 34

Fascicles

Question 35

What is the connective tissue layer surrounding each individual fascicle?

Answer 35

Perineurium

Question 36

What is the connective tissue layer surrounding each nerve fibre within the fascicle?

Answer 36

Endoneurium

Question 37

What is the connective tissue layer that holds all the fascicles together?

Answer 37

Epineurium

Question 38

What are the two types of cell found in the nervous system?

Answer 38

Neurones and glia

Question 39

What are glial cells?

Answer 39

Non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Question 40

What do Schwann cells do?

Answer 40

Myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system

Question 41

How many axons can one Schwann cell myelinate?

Answer 41

One

Question 42

What is the main component of myelin sheath?

Answer 42

Membrane lipid - fat - good insulator

Question 43

How do Schwann cells form the myelin sheath?

Answer 43

The myelin sheath is formed as Schwann cells extend their plasma membranes around the axons of neurons in a spiral fashion.

Question 44

What do non-myelinating Schwann cells do?

Answer 44

Envelop axons but do not myelinate them - just for support

Question 45

Which cell type is responsible for myelination in the central nervous system?

Answer 45

Oligodendricytes

Question 46

Can oligodendricytes myelinate one axon at a time or many?

Answer 46

Many

Question 47

What do astrocytes create?

Answer 47

Blood-brain barrier which prevents toxins and pathogens from going into the brain from the bloodstream

Question 48

How do astrocytes create the blood-brain barrier?

Answer 48

Interact with endothelial cells, stimulating them to create tight junctions between them

Question 49

Aside from forming the blood-brain barrier, what do astrocytes do?

Answer 49

Can send processes out to synapses and 'vacuum' up any excess transmitter

Question 50

What are microglial cells?

Answer 50

Type of glial cell in the CNS with branched processes. They act as surveillance cells to seek out pathogens and when they are activated, they act like macrophages.