The anatomy of the nervous system

Question 1

What are the two broad classes of cells that form normally functioning brain tissue?

Answer 1

Neurons and neuroglia (glial cells)

Question 2

What properties do neurons have that differs them from other body cells?

Answer 2

Dendrites, axon, synapse

Question 3

Explain the dendrite

Answer 3

Usually thicker and shorter than the axon, highly branched so allows for a dense network of processes

Question 4

Explain the axon

Answer 4

Excitable - allows for the generation and propagation of action potentials

Question 5

Explain the synapse

Answer 5

The point of specialised contact between two neurons

Question 6

Explain the spines

Answer 6

The project from the surface of the dendrites. Receives most of the excitatory output. It has a neck and head, and contains the filaments actin and alpha+beta tubulins. Has fibres

Question 7

What is the name of a neuron with only 1 dendrite?

Answer 7

Bipolar neuron

Question 8

What is the name of a neuron with more than one dendrite?

Answer 8

Multipolar neuron

Question 9

What is the length of the axon if containing golgi type 1?

Answer 9

long and large axon

Question 10

What is the length of the axon when containing golgi type 2?

Answer 10

short axon

Question 11

What are the three different shapes of the cell body?

Answer 11

Ovoid, fusiform, triangular

Question 12

Where are pyramidal cells found?

Answer 12

In the cerebral cortex

Question 13

What cell body shape do pyramidal cells have?

Answer 13

Triangular

Question 14

What type of neuron is a pyramidal cell?

Answer 14

multipolar

Question 15

What are the dendrites of pyramidal cell like?

Answer 15

Spiny

Question 16

Where does the axon extend from in a pyramidal cell and what type of golgi does it have?

Answer 16

The base, type 1

Question 17

Where are spiny stellate cells found?

Answer 17

Cortex

Question 18

What cell body shape does the spiny stellate cell have?

Answer 18

ovoid cell body

Question 19

What type of neurons are the spiny stellate cells?

Answer 19

multipolar but the dendrites are horizontal/radial from the cell body

Question 20

What type of dendrites does the spiny stellate cells have?

Answer 20

Spiny

Question 21

What type of neurons are spiny stellate cells? (not multi/bipolar) and what type of golgi do they contain?

Answer 21

interneurons, golgi type 2

Question 22

What cell body shape do dopaminergic cells have?

Answer 22

fusiform

Question 23

What type of neuron is a dopaminergic cell?

Answer 23

multipolar

Question 24

Where does the axon emerge from in a dopaminergic cell?

Answer 24

from the cell body or from one of the dendrites

Question 25

What type of golgi do dopaminergic neurons have?

Answer 25

golgi type 1 as it is a projection neuron

Question 26

What does the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons lead to?

Answer 26

Parkinson's disease

Question 27

Where are purkinje cells found?

Answer 27

Cerebellum

Question 28

What cell body shape do purkinje cells have?

Answer 28

Ovoid

Question 29

What type of neuron is a purkinje cell?

Answer 29

Bipolar

Question 30

Describe the dendrites of a purkinje cell?

Answer 30

Highly branched dendritic tree and spiny

Question 31

What type of golgi does a purkinje cell have?

Answer 31

Golgi type 1 as is a projection neuron

Question 32

What does the degeneration of purkinje cells lead to?

Answer 32

Tremor, problems with walking, fine hand movements and speech

Question 33

Why is neuroglia referred to as nerve glue?

Answer 33

as it holds together neurons in the CNS

Question 34

What are the different forms of glia?

Answer 34

Oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia

Question 35

What is a cell in the PNS?

Answer 35

Schwann cell

Question 36

What do oligodendrocytes do?

Answer 36

Form myelin

Question 37

Describe the properties of an oligodendrocyte

Answer 37

Single sheet of oligodendrocyte plasma membrane wrapped tightly around an axonal segment

Question 38

What does the myelin do?

Answer 38

Insulates which speeds up the conduction of action potentials

Question 39

What is the shape of astrocytes?

Answer 39

Star shaped

Question 40

How much of the volume of the brain do astrocytes constitute?

Answer 40

20-50%

Question 41

What do astrocytes do?

Answer 41

They fence in neurons - make cuffs around nodes of ranvier, ensheath synapses and dendrites and project processes to cell somas.

Question 42

What are the three functions of glia?

Answer 42

1) induce tight junctions in endothelial cells 2) uptake of neurotransmitters 3) neurovascular coupling

Question 43

What is the function of microglia?

Answer 43

They are representatives of the immune system in the brain

Question 44

Give a process that microglia are involved in

Answer 44

Phagocytosis

Question 45

What is the dorsal/ventral anatomical direction?

Answer 45

Towards the back/belly

Question 46

What is the anterior/posterior anatomical direction?

Answer 46

Towards the front/back

Question 47

What is the rostral/caudal anatomical direction?

Answer 47

Towards the beak/tail

Question 48

What is the medial/lateral anatomical direction?

Answer 48

Towards the middle/side

Question 49

What are the basic subdivisions of the brain?

Answer 49

Spinal cord, Hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain

Question 50

What are the further divisions in the hindbrain?

Answer 50

Metencephalon, myelencephalon

Question 51

What are the further divisions found in the midbrain?

Answer 51

Mesencephalon

Question 52

What are the further divisions found in the forebrain?

Answer 52

Telencephalon, diencephalon

Question 53

Give the name of the brain structure in the myelencephalon

Answer 53

Medulla oblongata

Question 54

What does the myelencephalon contain?

Answer 54

Nuclei which controls respiration, tongue musculature, blood pressure and heart rate

Question 55

Give the name of the brain structures in the metencephalon

Answer 55

Pons and cerebellum

Question 56

What does the pons contain?

Answer 56

Nuclei which are involved in sleep and arousal

Question 57

What does the cerebellum do/contain?

Answer 57

Integrates sensory information to modify motor output

Question 58

What happens if the cerebellum is damaged?

Answer 58

Movement is jerky and poorly coordinated

Question 59

What are the brain structures in the mesencephalon?

Answer 59

Tectum and Tegmentum

Question 60

What does the tectum contain?

Answer 60

Inferior colliculi (auditory) and superior colliculi (vision)

Question 61

Name the three major structures of the tegmentum?

Answer 61

Red nucleus (motor), subtantia nigra (motor), periaqueductial grey (species typical behaviours such as mating)

Question 62

What the brain structures found in the diencephalon?

Answer 62

Thalamus and hypothalamus

Question 63

Describe the thalamus

Answer 63

Divided into nuclei, some neurons involved in receiving input from primary senses, other neurons have unknown function

Question 64

Describe the hypothalamus and it;s functions

Answer 64

Organises the autonomic and glandular aspects of responses related to survival, and homeostasis. Contains many nuclei (SCN - circadian rhythm)

Question 65

What are the brain structures in the telencephalon?

Answer 65

Most of the 2 cerebral hemispheres

Question 66

What does the telencephalon do>

Answer 66

Mediate the most complex functions

Question 67

What does the primary visual cortex receive?

Answer 67

Sensory information

Question 68

What does damage to the primary visual cortex lead to?

Answer 68

Blindness

Question 69

What does damage to the visual association cortex do?

Answer 69

More complex deficits and visual agnosia - the failure to know. Able to perceive but can't say.

Question 70

What is the prefrontal cortex involved in?

Answer 70

Planning and emotional behaviour and personality

Question 71

What does the basal ganglia consist of?

Answer 71

Caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus