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Neuronal Communication Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the nervous system?

A

Complex network of cells called neurones

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2
Q

What is the role of a sensory neurone?

A

Transmits impulse from receptor to the CNS

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3
Q

What is the role of a motor neurone?

A

Transmits impulse from CNS to effector

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4
Q

What is the role of a relay neurone?

A

Transmits impulse from sensory to motor

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5
Q

What can nerve impulses also be known as?

A

Action potential/Electrical impulses

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6
Q

What happens when a stimulus is detected?

A

Detected by receptor nerve impulse travels along sensory

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7
Q

What’s the role of neurotransmitters?

A

Transmits impulse from one neurone to next once it reaches end of neurone

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8
Q

What happens once CNS receives an impulse?

A

Info is processed and then impulse sent along motor neurone to effector for action

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9
Q

How do sensory receptors act as transducers?

A

Transmit stimulus energy into electrical energy

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10
Q

What type of energy can the nervous system use?

A

Electrical-only sends out info in electrical but stimuli can be other types of energy e.g. light so transducers convert

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11
Q

What is resting potential?

A

The voltage/ potential difference of receptor when there’s no stimulus/rest

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12
Q

How is the resting potential mantained?

A

With ions and pumps.

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13
Q

What happens when stimulus is detected by the receptor?

A

Generates action potential
-membrane becomes excited
-therefore more permeable to ions
-voltage/p.d changes

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14
Q

What is a generator potential

A

The change in p.d due to stimuli

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15
Q

What does a bigger stimuli mean for the p.d?

A

Bigger stimuli:
-Membrane more excited
-Membrane more permeable to ions
-Bigger difference in p.d / bigger generation potential

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16
Q

What does a big generator potential mean?

A

Action potential triggered
-Only triggered if threshold is reached

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17
Q

What does a weak stimuli mean?

A

-Not high enough generator potential
-Threshold not reached
-No action potential.

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18
Q

What type of receptors are pacinian corpuscle?

A

Mechanoreceptors-detect mechanical stimuli such as pressure and vibrations

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19
Q

Where can pacinian corpuscles be found and what do they contain?

A

In skin e.g. tips of fingers
-Contain end of sensory nerve/ sensory nerve ending
-Sensory nerve ending wrapped in connective tissue known as lamellae

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20
Q

What happens when pacinian corpsucle is stimulated?

A

-Lamallae deforms and nerve ending is touched
-This deforms stretched sodium mediated channels in sensory nerurone membrane
-More sodium ions diffuse in and generator potential is activated
-If threshold reached action potential triggered

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21
Q

What is the charge like in the resting period of a membrane of neurone?

A

Outside is more positively charged than the inside.
-More +ively charged ions on the outside than on the inside
-Polarised

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22
Q

What is the resting potential voltage?

A

-70mv

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23
Q

How is resting potential mantained?

A

Sodium pottasium ion pumps

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24
Q

What is the role of sodium pottasium ions in relation to sodium?

A

Moves sodium ions out but can’t bring them back in.

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25
Why can't sodium pottasium ion pumps bring sodium back into membrane?
Membrane isn't permeable to them so can't diffuse back in. Generates sodium electrochemical gradient
26
What is the role of sodium pottasium ions in relation to pottasium ions?
Move in through sodium pottasium ion channels and because membrane is permeable to them they diffuse back out through pottasium ion channels.
27
What is the general movement of ions using the sodium pottasium ion pump?
For every 3 Na+ ions moved out 2 more K+ ions diffuse in. req A.T
28
What type of movement does the pottasium ion pump use?
Facilitated diffusion
29
What type of movement does the pottasium ion pump use?
Facilitated diffusion
30
After action potential is generated what happens in the stimulus step?
-Sodium ion channels open -Sodium dffuses in -Inside is more positive
31
After action potential is generated what happens in the depolarisation step?
-If threshold is reached sodium voltage gated channels open up -Triggers more sodium ions to move in-positive feedback
32
After action potential is generated what happens in the repolarisation step?
-When p.d of +30mv reached sodium ion channels close -Pottasium voltage gated channels open -Pottasium ions diffuse out -Membrane beings to return back to resting potential-NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
33
After action potential is generated what happens in the hyperpolarisation step?
-Slight 'overshoot' occurs becuase pottasium ion channels too slow to close -This makes the inside more negative than resting potential... more negative than -70mv
34
After action potential is generated what happens in the resting potentail step?
Membrane at rest -Sodium pottatsium ion pump returns membrane to resting potential -Membrane awaits next stimulus
35
What is the refractory period?
Period of rest where membrane not affected by stimulus -Both ion channels are closed/recovering and can;t open
36
When does a wave of depolarisation occur?
Sodium ions diffuse sidways -Triggers sodium channels in next neurone to open and sodium ions diffuse in
37
What happens to the wave of depolarisation in the refractory period?
It moves away from membrane as it can't be fired.
38
What is the all or nothing principal?
If threshold isn't reached then action potential won't fire.
39
Does a bigger stimulus equal a bigger action potential?
No-it means action potentials will be fired more frequently.
40
In a myleinated neurone what happens at the nodes of ranvier?
Depolarisation-concentrated in sodium ion channels
41
What is saltory conduction?
When the node generates enough action potential for it to skip to the next node
41
What is saltory conduction?
The neurones cytoplasm generates enough electrical charge for it to jump to the next node really fast
42
What is the difference between how an impulse travels in a myelinated neurone vs how it travels in a non myelinated neurone?
In non myelinated it travels across the length of the axon membrane as wave so not as fast as saltory conduction in myelinated
43
What is a synapse?
A junction between - one neurone and another neurone. -one nuerone and an effector
44
What is a synaptic cleft?
Gap between cells at a synapse
45
What is a synaptic knob?
Found on pre synaptic neurone -Contains synaptic vesicles that contain neurotransmitters
46
What happens when action potential reaches end of neurone?
-Causes neurotransmitters to be released into synaptic cleft -Diffuse accross post synaptic membrane and bind to specific receptors.
47
What happens when neurotransmitters bind to receptors?
Can either -Trigger action potential -Muscle contraction -Hormone relase from gland
48
Why are neurotransmitters taken away from receptors?
So response doesn't keep happening.
49
How are neurotransmitters taken away from receptors?
Either broken down by enzymes or taken back to the presynaptic neurone
50
Name some different neurotransmitters.
Acetylcholine Noradrenaline
51
What is the synapse used by acetylcholine?
Cholinergenic synapses
52
What receptors do acetylcholine use?
Cholinergenic receptors
53
What enzyme is used to break down acetylcholihne?
Acetylycholinealterase AChE
54
What happens when action potential reaches the synaptic knob on the presynaptic neurone?
Stimulates calcium voltage gated ion channels to open in the presynaptic neurone -Calcium ions diffuse into the synaptic knob
55
What does the influx of ca2+ ions in the synaptic knob cuase?
Causes synaptic vesicles to move to and fuse with presynaptic membrane.
56
How do vesicles release neurotransmitters?
Released into synaptic cleft via exocytosis
57
What happens when neurotransmitters bind to receptors on postsynaptic membrane?
Causes sodium voltage gated channels to open -Influx of na+ ions causes depolarisation to occur -If threshold reached action potential is generated
58
What is synaptic divergence?
One neurone will connect to other neurones spreads info around body
59
What is synaptic convergence?
One neurone connects to other neurones and amplifies the information
60
3What does a small stimulus mean in relation to neurotransmitters?
Small amount of neurotransmitter released into the synaptic cleft -Membrane won't be excited enough to reach threshold and action potential won't be reached
61
What is summation?
Where effect of neurotransmitters can be combined.
62
What does spatial summation allow?
Signals from multiple stimuli are coordinated into a single response
63
Why is spatial summation usefel?
When neurones converge the small amount of neurotransmitter released from each can be enough to reach threshold in post synaptic neurone to trigger action potential
64
What is temporal summation?
When two or more impulses arrive from the same presynaptic neurone in quick succesion
65
What does temporal summation mean in terms of action potential?
Makes action potential more likely as there's more neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft.
66
Why can receptors be found on post synaptic neurones?
Ensure that impulse travels in one direction
67
What is type 1 diabetes?
A type of autoimmune disease in which body attacks and destroys beta cells which affects the production of insulin
68
What does type 1 diabetes mean in relation to glucose levels?
Glucose levels will remain high which could lead to death
69
When does type 2 diabetes occur?
Beta cells don't make enough insulin or doesn't respond to insulin

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