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Biology: Module 5: Communication, Homeostasis and Energy > Neuronal Communication > Flashcards

Neuronal Communication Flashcards

1
Q

Role of neurones

A

To transmit electrical impulses rapidly around the body to allow the organism to respond to changes in internal and external environment

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2
Q

Parts of a general neurone

A

Cell body, Dendron, axon,

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3
Q

Role of the cell body

A

To produce neurotransmitters

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4
Q

Structure of cell body

A

Nucleus, cytoplasm, lots of endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria

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5
Q

Function of dendrons

A

To transmit electrical impulses towards the cell body

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6
Q

Function of axons

A

To transmit electrical impulses away from the cell body

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7
Q

Structure of axons

A

Cylindrical, narrow region of cytoplasm surrounded by plasma membrane

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8
Q

Types of neurone

A

Sensory, relay, motor

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9
Q

Structure of sensory neurones

A

One Dendron, one axon

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10
Q

Structure of relay neurones

A

Many short axons and dendrons

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11
Q

Structure of motor neurones

A

One axon, many short dendrites

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12
Q

Function of sensory neurones

A

To transmit impulses from a sensory receptor cell to a relay neurone, motor neurone or the brain

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13
Q

Function of relay neurones

A

To transmit impulses between neurones

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14
Q

Function of motor neurones

A

To transmit impulses from a relay or sensory neurone to an effector

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15
Q

Myelinated neurones

A

Neurones that have axons covered in myelin sheaths

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16
Q

What makes the myelin sheath in myelinated neurones?

A

Schwann cells grow around the axon multiple times, surrounding the axon with layers of membrane

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17
Q

Name for gap between Schwann cells

A

Node of Ranvier

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18
Q

Why nodes of Ranvier are useful?

A

Cause signal to jump which allows faster rate of transmission

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19
Q

Why is the rate of transmission slower in non-myelinated neurones?

A

No nodes of Ranvier so no jumping, continuous transmission is much slower

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20
Q

Types of sensory receptors

A

Mechano, chemo, thermo, photo

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21
Q

Stimulus mechanoreceptors respond to

A

Pressure, movment

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22
Q

Example of mechanoreceptor

A

Pacinian corpuscle

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23
Q

Example of sense organ with mechanoreceptors

A

Skin

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24
Q

Example of chemoreceptor

A

Olfactory receptor

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25
Example of thermoreceptor
End bulbs of Krause
26
Where do you find end bulbs of Krause?
Tongue
27
Shared features of sensory receptors
Specific to a single type of stimulus, transducers
28
Role of sensory receptors as transducers
Sensory receptors convert stimulus into a nerve impulse (Generator potential)
29
Structure of Pacinian Corpuscle
End of neurone surrounded by layers of connective tissue separated by layers of gel, sodium ion channels in membranes, stretch-mediated sodium channels
30
How Pacinian Corpuscles do transducing
Sodium ion channels too narrow in a normal state, resting potential present, corpuscle changes shape when pressure applied to the corpuscle, membranes stretch, channels widen, sodium ions diffuse in, membrane depolarises, generates generator potential, generator potential creates action potential
31
Resting potential
The potential difference across a neurone's membrane when it isn't transmitting an impulse
32
When there is a resting potential, where is there a more positive charge?
Outside the membrane
33
How resting potential develops
Sodium ions actively transported out of the axon and potassium ions actively transported in by sodium potassium pump, more sodium ions outside the membrane and more potassium ions inside the cytoplasm, sodium ions try to diffuse in and potassium ions try to diffuse out, gated sodium ion channels closed so sodium ions can't diffuse, potassium ions can move freely, more positive ions outside than inside
34
General value for resting potential
-70mV
35
Depolarisation
Change in potential difference across a membrane from negative to positive
36
How generator potential develops
Receptor cells respond to stimuli, gated sodium ion channels open, larger stimuli will open more channels, sodium ions diffuse into the axon, inside of neurone is less negative, change in potential difference across the membrane is a generator potential
37
How action potential develops
Generator potential reaches threshold, voltage gated Na+ channels open, lots of Na+ diffuse into the axon (Positive feedback), membrane depolarised, voltage gated Na+ channels close, voltage gated K+ channels open, K+ diffuse out of membrane and become depolarised, potential difference overshoots, membrane becomes hyper polarised, resting potential restored by sodium potassium pump, refractory period
38
Where is there positive feedback in action potentials?
The diffusion of sodium ions into the axon when doing a generator potential will open voltage-gated sodium ion channels so more sodium ions diffuse in
39
Threshold voltage value
-50mV
40
Potential difference across membrane when depolarised
+40mV
41
Name for phase after repolarisation
Refractory period
42
Role of refractory period
To allow cell to recover, to only allow action potentials to be transmitted in one direction
43
How an action potential is transmitted down a myelinated neurone
Depolarisation happens at the nodes of Ranvier, sodium ions pass through protein channels at the nodes, localised circuits between nodes, action potential jumps from one node to another
44
Technical name for transmitting an action potential down a myelinated neurone
Saltatory conduction
45
Benefits of saltatory conduction
Faster as fewer places where channels have to open, more energy efficient as less repolarisation so less ATP required
46
All-or-nothing principle
If a stimulus crosses a threshold value, a response will always be triggered. If it doesn't, no action potential will be triggered. Size of action potential not affected by the size of the stimulus
47
How does size of the stimulus affect action potentials?
Larger stimuli cause more action potentials to be generated in a given time, increasing frequency, increasing degree of response.
48
Parts of a synapse
Synaptic cleft, presynaptic neurone, postsynaptic neurone, synaptic knob, synaptic vesicles, neurotransmitter receptors
49
Approximate size of the synaptic cleft
20-30 nm
50
Organelles the synaptic knob contains
Mitochondria, large amounts of endoplasmic reticulum
51
Types of neurotransmitter
Excitatory, inhibitory
52
Excitatory neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters that result in the depolarisation of the postsynaptic membrane
53
Inhibitory neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters that result in the hyperpolarisation of the postsynaptic membrane
54
Example of excitatory neurotransmitter
Acetylcholine
55
Example of inhibitory neurotransmitter
GABA
56
How impulses are transmitted across a synapse
Action potential reaches end of presynaptic neurone, depolarisation causes calcium ion channels to open, calcium ions diffuse to knob, vesicles containing neurotransmitters fuse with membrane, released by exocytosis, diffuse over, bind with receptor on the membrane, sodium ion channels open, sodium ions diffuse into neurone, triggers action potential, propagated along the neurone
57
Why neurotransmitter must be removed
Prevents response from happening again, neurotransmitter can be recycled
58
Specifics of the structure of cholinergic synapses
Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter, hydrolysed by acetylcholinesterase, breaks down to choline and ethanoic acid, reformation requires ATP
59
Role of synapses
Ensuring impulses are unidirectional, allow impulse from one neurone to be transmitted to a number of neurones, allow an impulse from a number of neurones to feed into one
60
Summation
When the amount of neurotransmitter builds up to reach the threshold to trigger an action potential
61
Types of summation
Spatial, temporal
62
Spatial summation
When a number of presynaptic neurones are connected to one postsynaptic neurone
63
Temporal summation
When a single presynaptic neurone releases neurotransmitter several times over a short period as a result of several action potentials

Biology: Module 5: Communication, Homeostasis and Energy (7 decks)

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