Neurons Flashcards
(40 cards)
What are the 3 ways to classify a neuron?
- Motor (efferent)
- Sensory (afferent)
- Interneurons
What are motor neurons?
Final neurons in action sequence
Located in motor nuclei of cranial nerves of the brain stem
Also found in the anterior horns of spinal cord
What are the 2 types of motor neurons?
Alpha and Gamma
Describe sensory neurons and which way to they move?
-From sensory receptors in body towards CNS
-First neurons in sensory sequence
-Cell bodies lie outside CNS (excpt for olfactory)
4 components of a neuron?
- Cell body
- Axon
- Axon terminal
- Dendrites
Describe the cell body (soma)…
Contains genetic information
Maintains neuron integrity/structure
Regulates production of proteins & lipids needed for energy
Describe an axon
-Long and thin and spindly (way smaller than a human hair)
-Structure makes it suspectable to damage
-Where action potentials are generated and travel down to release neuro transmitters
-Axon covered in myelin
-Ends in Axon Terminals
Describe dendrites
Receives the data from other neurons, and stores incoming information from axon terminals
What is cytoplasm?
Jelly like fluid found within the cell body but outside the nucleolus
Function to transport, maintain cell shape, protect & hosts metabolic process
Gray Matter
receives information & regulates outgoing information
Contains Cell bodies of neurons
White matter
Sends info to brain, spinal column and body.
Neuronal communication is either…
Excitatory or Inhibitory only
Where do electrical signals occur?
within the neuron
where do chemical signals occur?
between neurons
What happens during neuronal communication?
Presynaptic neuron sends the information
Postsynaptic neuron receives the information
Which neuron sends info?
Presynaptic neuron
Which neuron receives info?
postsynaptic neuron
What happens during soma movement of charged particles (ions)?
electrical signal sent down axon to the axon terminal (of presynaptic neuron)
In neuronal communication, what is the created electric signal?
the action potential.
After the action potential?
1.releases chemical (neurotransmitter),
2.which moves into the synaptic cleft,
3.binding to a receptor in the postsynaptic neuron,
4. causing ion channels to open.
5. The opening allows charged particles to cross membrane of that neuron causing electrical charge to form in the soma
What is exocytosis?
When the presynaptic neuron axon terminals release a neurotransmitter that moves through synaptic cleft, binding to receptors of the postsynaptic neuron.
This created either an inhibitory response or an excitatory response.
function of myelin?
insulates axon - voltage cannot change
charge jumps from node to node
Work to speed up the transmission of the impulse
What are 2 important basal ganglia transmitters?
- Dopamine
- GABA
Role of dopamine, and where is it produced
pleasures within reward system
-produced in substantia nigra located in midbrain just above brain stem
(one of 3 catecholamines)
