The Nervous System

Question 1

What does the CNS consist of?

Answer 1

Spinal cord and brain

Question 2

What does the PNS consist of?

Answer 2

Somatic nervous system

Autonomic nervous system

Question 3

What can the autonomic nervous system be split into?

Answer 3

Sympathetic

Parasympathetic

Question 4

What sort of actions is the somatic nervous system involved in?

Answer 4

Conscious/voluntary actions

Question 5

What sort of actions is the autonomic nervous system involved in?

Answer 5

Involuntary actions

Question 6

Which part of the nervous system conveys sensory information to the CNS and motor output to the effectors?

Answer 6

The PNS

Question 7

What is a collection of neuronal cell bodies in the CNS called?

Answer 7

Nucleus

Question 8

Where is the cerebellum located? What is function of the cerebellum?

Answer 8

At the back and bottom of the brain

For motor control

Question 9

What are nerves running along the length of the CNS (spinal cord) called?

Answer 9

Tracts

Question 10

How do nerves emerge from the CNS?

Answer 10

Around 30 pairs of nerves emerge from the the CNS, 1 on each side of the spinal cord

Question 11

What is a ganglion?

Answer 11

A collection of neuronal cell bodies in the PNS

Question 12

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 12

The layer of grey matter forming the superficial layer of the brain

Question 13

What is the structure of the brain with regards to grey and white matter?

Answer 13

Grey matter in the middle of each hemisphere of the brain
White matter on the outside of that
A further thin layer of grey matter outside of that

Question 14

What does grey matter consist of?

Answer 14

Neuronal cell bodies

Question 15

What does white matter consist of?

Answer 15

Nerve fibre axons

Question 16

What is the purpose of white and grey matter? Where does the majority of information processing happen?

Answer 16

To send information along the CNS

Majority in the grey matter

Question 17

What is the structure of the spinal cord with reference to grey and white matter?

Answer 17

Grey forms a ‘butterfly’ structure in the centre of the spinal cord around a central canal
White matter on the outside of this

Question 18

What are the two aspects of the spinal cord?

Answer 18

Dorsal and ventral aspects

Question 19

Which root of the spinal cord do sensory neurones run in?

Answer 19

The dorsal root

Question 20

Where are cell bodies of sensory neurones found?

Answer 20

Dorsal root ganglion

Question 21

What do the dorsal and ventral roots of the spinal cord combine to form? Which neurones run here?

Answer 21

A spinal nerve

Both sensory and motor neurones

Question 22

What neurones run in the ventral root?

Answer 22

Motor neurones

Question 23

What type of neurones are sensory neurones? What is the advantage of this?

Answer 23

Pseudounipolar cells

Faster transmission of impulses, cell body doesn’t get in the way

Question 24

What type of neurone is a motor neurone?

Answer 24

Multi polar neurone

Question 25

Which neurones run between sensory and motor neurones in the grey matter of the spinal cord?

Answer 25

Inter-neurones.

Question 26

What are the extensions of the cytoplasm of the cell body of a motor neurone called?

Answer 26

Dendrites

Question 27

What is the structure of a spinal fibre?

Answer 27

Consists of many nerve fibres in bundles called fascicles

Question 28

Around each fascicle of nerve fibres there is...

Answer 28

Perineurium

Question 29

Around each individual nerve fibre there is...

Answer 29

Endoneurium

Question 30

Around the whole spinal fibre there is...

Answer 30

Epineurium

Question 31

Epineurium, perineurium and endoneurium are examples of which type of tissue?

Answer 31

Loose CT

Question 32

The cells of the nervous system can be grouped into which two categories?

Answer 32

Neurones | Glial cells

Question 33

What are 4 examples of glial cells?

Answer 33

Astrocytes Microglia Schwann Cells Oligodendrocytes

Question 34

What role do microglia play in the nervous system?

Answer 34

They survey the CNS for pathogens and effectively become macrophages when activated

Question 35

What role do Schwann cells play in the nervous system?

Answer 35

They myelinate axons in the PNS

Question 36

How many axons can one Schwann cell myelinate?

Answer 36

1 axon

Question 37

What are the roles of non-myelinating Schwann cells?

Answer 37

They surround many axons for support | Axons become invaginated into Schwann cell structure but not insulated

Question 38

What are oligodendrocytes?

Answer 38

Found in the CNS | Myelinate multiple axons

Question 39

What role do astrocytes play in the nervous system?

Answer 39

Act as cellular vacuums | e.g can act at synapses with its long processes to vacuum excess transmitter

Question 40

How is the blood brain barrier formed?

Answer 40

By interaction of astrocytes with endothelial cells to form tight junctions