Session 2 Flashcards
(12 cards)
What are the functions of astrocytes?
Structural support Provide nutrition for neurones (lactate) Remove neurotransmitters Potassium buffering Help form the blood brain barrier
What are the functions of oligodendrocytes and microglial cells?
Oligodendrocytes - myelination
Microglia - immune response
What does immune privileged mean in relation to the CNS?
CNS inhibits the pro-inflammatory T cell response to reduce volume expansion
What does the postsynaptic response during neurotransmission depend on?
Nature of transmitter and receptor (ligand gated/GPCR)
What are the 3 chemical classes of neurotransmitters in the CNS?
Amino acids - glutamate/GABA/glycine
Biogenic amines - ACh/NA/dopamine/serotonin
Peptides - NPY/somatostatin/CCK
What are the main excitatory and inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitters?
Excitatory - glutamate (can be ion channels or GOCR)
Inhibitory - GABA (most in brain), glycine (most in spinal cord and brainstem)
How do fast excitatory responses work?
Excitatory neurotransmitters cause depolarisaion of the postsynaptic cell via ligand gated ion channels
How do GABA and glycine receptors work?
They have integral Cl- channel that cause hyperpolarisation
What classes of drugs work by enhancing the response to GABA in the brain?
Barbiturates and benzodiazepines (treat anxiety, insomnia, epilepsy)
What conditions are associated with dopamine dysfunction?
Parkinson’s disease (too little), schizophrenia (too much)
What meningeal layer composes the falx cerebri?
Meningeal dura
What separates the cerebellum from the occipital lobes?
Tentorium cerebelli
