Week 1 Flashcards
Function of neurons?
- Function: transmits electrical via APs and chemical signals via NTs
Define functions of dendrites, cell body, and axon
- Morphological features:
- Dendrites: diverse structured (inputs)
- Cell body: protein synthesis occurs
- Axon: transport signals with Bi-directional transport of proteins
What are the function of glia cells and name the 4 types (differntiate PNS vs CNS)?
- Function: provide metabolic and structural support, respond to infection or damage, or regulate local metabolism
- Types
- Astrocytes (CNS) or Satellite cells (PNS) – most numerous cell type in CNS
- Oligodendrocytes (CNS) or Schwann cells (PNS)
- Microglia (CNS)
- Ependymal cells (CNS) - Ciliated barrier between CSF and brain
For: Astrocytes (CNS) or Satellite cells (PNS) – most numerous cell type in CNS
- What is the structure?
- Function (4)?
- Astrocytes (CNS) or Satellite cells (PNS) – most numerous cell type in CNS
- Structure: star like filament processes made from GFAP
- Function:
- homeostasis (glycogen energy storage, regulation of vasculature via endfeet)
- neurotransmission (NT metabolism/reuptake i.e. glutamate)
- development/plasticity
- response to injury/infection (via IL-1 → formation of glial scar)
What are 3 associated diseases with astrocyte function and how do they occur?
- Associated Diseases:
- Alzheimer’s disease ( increased astrocyte activity → toxic)
- Huntington’s disease (defective astrocyte function)
- Parkinson’s disease (Alpha-synuclein accumulates in astrocytes leading to neuronal excitotoxicity)
- For: Oligodendrocytes (CNS) or Schwann cells (PNS)
- What is the function?
- Compare Oligodendrocytes (CNS) and Schwann cells (PNS)
- cell body location
- embryoloical origin
- how many cells per axon?
- Oligodendrocytes (CNS) or Schwann cells (PNS)
- Function: produce myelin (protects and support axon, increases transmissions speeds)
- Myelin on axon separated by nodes of Ranvier – increases transmission via saltatory conduction
- Function: produce myelin (protects and support axon, increases transmissions speeds)

What are two associated diseases of the oligodendrocytes?
- Associated disease:
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome – inflammatory demyelination of PNS
- Multiple Sclerosis – autoimmune demyelination of CNS
- For Microglia (CNS)
- Description?
- MOA/Phases?
- Microglia (CNS)
- Description: resident immune cells derived from macrophages
- MOA: quiescent phase → activated by injury/disease → phagocytic phase → release of cytokines, ROS
What are 3 diseases associated with microglia? How do they occur?
- Associated Diseases:
- Alzheimer’s disease ( increased microglia release of amyloid and IL-1)
- Parkinson’s disease (Increased microglia → dopamine neuron loss)
- Neuropathic pain (spinal cord injury)
What are the ependymal cells?
- Ependymal cells (CNS) - Ciliated barrier between CSF and brain
What are the 4 functions of the blood brain barrier?
- Isolate and protect the CNS
- Fluctuations in nutrients, hormones, metabolites, chemical compounds, etc.
- Allows for optimum neuronal transmission
- Deliver nutrients, remove metabolites
- Barrier for ionic currents and hydrophilic compounds
- Regulates access to drugs
What are three main cellular componenets of the BBB?
- Endothelial Cells (EC)
- Astrocytes
- Pericytes
Identify the three cells in this pic at the BBB

- Endothelial Cells (EC) – purple
- Astrocytes – yellow
- Pericytes – green
What are the characteristics of endothelial cells at the BBB? How do they differ from peripheral endothelial cells?
- Endothelial Cells (EC) – purple
- Different than peripheral
- Tight Junctions
- Lack pinocytic vacuoles
- High number of mitochondria
- Lack fenestrations
- Selective permeability for lipophilic molecules
- Different than peripheral
Characterstics of astrocytes?
What are end feet?
What do they play a major role in?
- Astrocytes – yellow
- Attach neurons to blood vessels
- End feet contain Aquaporin 4 (water channel) and a K+ channel
- Major role in neuronal metabolism, nutrition, and elimination of used substrates
What are pericytes? What do they do? Structurally, where are they located?
- Pericytes – green
- Associated with small vessels
- Separated from EC by the basement membrane
- Gap junctions allow for contact spots with EC
- Regulate activity of EC, mediate inflammation, control capillary diameter
What are the three mechanisms of diffusion across the BBB?
Simple diffusion, transcytosis, transport proteins
What are the two methods of simple diffusion? How do they work?
- Diffusion
- Paracellular
- Between tight junctions of EC’s
- Allows transport of small water-soluble molecules and ions
- Transcellular
- Lipophilic molecules pass freely into out of the EC’s
- Paracellular
How does transcytosis across BBB work? Where does it occur and what is it used for?
- Transcytosis
- Occurs in EC’s
- For macromolecules
- Uses pinocytic/endocytic vacuoles
- Far downregulated compared to systemic EC’s
Name some transport proteins located on the BBB
- Transport Proteins
- ATP-binding cassette Group
- Solute Carrier Group
- Efflux of anions
- Amino Acid Transport
- Neurotransmitter Transport
- Energy Transport
- GLUT-1 – Brain cannot store glucose
- CRT – Brain stores Creatinine 180x serum concentration
What is the function of the BBB?
What can the regulation be disrupted by?
How does the BBB affect the administration of brain-targeted drugs?
- The BBB protects the CNS from foreign substances (xenobiotics).
- The regulation of the BBB can be disrupted by trauma, infection, stroke, systemic disease, tumors, etc.
- Delivery of drugs into the CNS is made difficult by the BBB
- Intrathecal drug administration
- Transport (efflux) inhibition
What are 7 locations outside the BBB?
- Locations outside of BBB
- Direct Secretion into circulation
- Pineal Gland: Melatonin
- Posterior Pituitary: oxytocin, vasopressin
- Median Eminence of Hypothalmus: pituitary hormones
- Detection of toxins
- Area postrema
- Structural Integrity
- Subcommisural Organ (SCO)
- Maintains patency of Sylvian Aqueduct and electrolyte balance
- Subfornicular Organ (SFO)
- Maintains osmoregulation, cardiovascular regulation and energy homeostasis
- Vascular Organ of the Lamina terminalis (OVLT)
- Osmoregulation
- Subcommisural Organ (SCO)
- Direct Secretion into circulation
Define localization in terms of clinical neuro? What are the 7 parts to a neuro exam?
- Localization is the process of using knowledge of neuroanatomy and the patient’s presentation) to figure out where the symptom is coming from in the nervous system
- 7 Parts to the Neurological Exam: MS, CNs, Motor, Sensory, Reflexes, Coordination, Gait
Define CNS vs PNS
- CNS vs. PNS
- CNS: brain and spinal cord
- PNS: cranial nerves/ganglia, spinal nerves/dorsal root ganglia, para/sympathetic nerves/ganglia, and enteric nervous system
















