CHAPTER 12

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord -Integration and command center

nervous system is the master controlling and communicating system of the body. Name the 3 main functions

Sensory input-external stimuli occuring outside the body.
Integration-interpretation of sensory input
Motor output- response to stimuli

afferent signals travel towards (sensory)

efferent travels away (motor)

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Paired spinal and cranial nerves -Carries messages to and from the spinal cord and brain

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Two Functional Division

Sensory (afferent) division +
Motor (efferent) division

sensory (afferent) division has these 2 fibers

sensory afferent fibers +
Visceral afferent fibers

sensory afferent fibers do what

carry impulses from the skin, skeletal muscles, and joints to the brain

Visceral afferent fibers

transmit impulses from visceral organs to the brain

Motor (efferent) division has two main parts, name them

somatic nervous system +
autonomic nervous system

somatic nervous system

conscious control of skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system does what

regulates smooth muscle, cardiac & glands

2 divisions of ANS

sympathetic & parasympathetic

two principal cell types of the nervous system are

1) Neurons - excitable cells that transmit electrical signals
2) Supporting cells - cells that surround and wrap neurons

analogys

CNS: TRACT PNS: NERVE
CNS: NUCLEUS PNS: GANGLION
CNS: ASTROCYTE PNS: SATELLITE
CNS: OLIGODENDROCYTE PNS: SCHWANN

somatic structures

spinal nerves, motor + sensory fibers, sensory ganglia.

enteric nervous system includes

nervous tissue within the organs of the digestive tract

nerve cell body (soma or perikaryon)

functional cells of the CNS. Is the major biosynthetic center and focal point for the outgrowth of neruonal processes.
contains: axon hillock, axons, dendrites, nucleus, nucleolus.

processes are arm like extentions from the soma. name two:

axons + dendrites

Dendrites

Short, tapering, and diffusely branched processes
-They are the receptive, or input, regions of the neuron. electrical signals are conveyed as graded potentials.

axons

arise from hillock. long axons are called nerve fibers.
contain axonal terminal, axon collaterals.

function of axon

generate and transmit action potentials
secrete neurotransmitters from axonal terminals.

movement along axons occur in two ways

anterograde-towards axonal terminal
retrograde-away from axonal terminal

What is the myelin sheath

Formed by schwann cells in PNS,
Whitish, fatty (protein-lipoid), segmented sheath around most long axons
It functions to: -Protect the axon -Electrically insulate fibers from one another -Increase the speed of nerve impulse transmission

Schwann cell:(PNS) is

Envelopes an axon in a trough
-Encloses the axon with its plasma membrane
-Has concentric layers of membrane that make up the myelin sheath Neurilemma - remaining nucleus and cytoplasm of a Schwann cell

Nodes of Ranvier (Neurofibral Nodes)

Gaps in the myelin sheath between adjacent Schwann cells They are the sites where axon collaterals can emerge

Myelin sheaths CNS are formed by oligodendrocytes, t/f

true

unmyelinated axons

a schwann cell surrounds nerve fibers but coiling does not take place
Schwann cells partially enclose 15 or more axons

axons of the CNS

Both myelinated and unmyelinated fibers are present
Myelin sheaths are formed by oligodendrocytes
Nodes of Ranvier are widely spaced
There is no neurilemma
Axons are arranged in bundles to form nerves; much like muscle cells form muscle fibers in the musc

Regions of the Brain and Spinal Cord, name two

White matter - dense collections of myelinated fibers
Gray matter - mostly soma and unmyelinated fibers

neuron classification

Multipolar � three or more processes
Bipolar � two processes (axon and dendrite)
Unipolar � single, short process

functional classification of neurons, name 3

sensory (afferent) motor ( efferent) interneurons (association neurons).

Sensory (afferent) � transmit impulses toward the CNS

Motor (efferent) � carry impulses away from the CNS & Interneurons (association neurons) � shuttle signals through CNS pathways

Astrocytes-star shaped.

Most numerous of glial cells
Support neurons, linking to surrounding tissues
Direct neuron growth direction and attachment (synapse formation)
Recycle neurotransmitters �maintaining the blood brain barrier- a wrapping around capillaries in the brain, affe

Microglia-

nervous system "cootie catchers".(immune cells) �Surveyors of damaged cells and infectious agents.
These become functional macrophages

Ependymal cells

Line the cavities (ventricles and spinal column) of the brain
�Squamous?columnar
�Some ciliated �Help form and circulate the cerebrospinal fluid

Oligodendrocytes

myelin producing cells; Cell extensions wrap nerve fibers in a myelin sheath. CNS cells. One cell may have many extensions that wrap myelin around many neuron Axons.

Glial cells of the CNS

The CNS has astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and ependymal cells that support the neurons of the CNS in several ways.

schwann cell

myelin producing cells. cell extensions wrap nerve fibers in a myelin sheath and help to regenerate damanged neurons

satellilte cells are like astrocyte, but in the pNS

satellilte cells are like astrocyte, but in the pNS

depolarization means

the difference between 2 sides or regions has become less

Glial Cells of the PNS

Schwann Cells : myelin producing cells
Cell extensions wrap nerve fibers in a myelin sheath �Help to regenerate damaged neurons
Satellite cells: like astrocytes, but in PNS

Voltage (V)

- measure of potential energy generated by separated charge

Potential difference

- voltage measured between two points

Current (I)

the flow of electrical charge between two point

Resistance (R

hindrance to charge flow

Insulator

substance with high electrical resistanc

Conductor

substance with low electrical resistance

Electrical Current and the Body Reflects the flow of ions rather than ______

electrons

Role of Ion Channels

Passive, or leakage, channels - always open Chemically gated channels - open with binding of a specific neurotransmitter Voltage-gated channels - open and close in response to membrane potential Mechanically gated channels - open and close in response to

for ions to flow through a membrane, there must be a way through. how could this happen?

some channels leak:
na/k pumps bail the leakage

Depolarization

the inside of the membrane becomes less negative

Repolarization -

the membrane returns to its resting membrane potential

Hyperpolarization -

the inside of the membrane becomes more negative than the resting potential

Graded Potentials

Short-lived, local changes in membrane potential Decrease in intensity with distance
Their magnitude varies directly with the strength of the stimulus
Sufficiently strong graded potentials can initiate action potentials
Voltage changes in graded potential

Action Potentials (APs)

A brief reversal of membrane potential with a total amplitude of 100 mV
Action potentials are only generated by muscle cells and neurons
They do not decrease in strength over distance
They are the principal means of neural communication An action potentia

Action Potential: Resting State

Na+ and K+ channels are closed(Na high outside cell; K higher inside cell) Leakage accounts for small movements of Na+ and K+ Each Na+ channel has two voltage-regulated gates -Activation gates - closed in the resting state -Inactivation gates - open in th

Graded potentials are

temporary changes in the membrane voltage, the characteristics of which depend on the size of the stimulus. Some types of stimuli cause depolarization of the membrane, whereas others cause hyperpolarization. It depends on the specific ion channels that ar

Synapses

A junction that mediates information transfer from one neuron: -To another neuron -To an effector cell Presynaptic neuron - conducts impulses toward the synapse Postsynaptic neuron - transmits impulses away from the synapse

resting membrane potential

the potential difference across the membrane of a resting neuron
generated by diff concentrations of na,k,cl-,a-

membrane potential changes: signals

used to integrate, send and recieve information

membrane potential changes are produced by

changes in a membrane permeability to ions
alterations of ion concentrations across the membrane
types of signales-graded potentials and action potentials

changes in a membrane potential caused by 3 events

depolorization- inside becomes less negative
repolarization- membrane returns to resting membrane potential
hyperpolarization- inside of the membrane becomes more negative then resting potential

graded potentials are

short lived changed in membrane potential.
decrease in intensity with distance.
magniture varies with stregnth of stimulus
can initiate action potentials
dissipates due to leaky plasma membrane

action potentials

breif reversal of membrane potential
only generated by muscle cells + neurons
do not decrease in strength over distance
principle means of neural communication

action potential resting state

na+ and k+ channels are closed
activation gates- closed in resting state
inactivation gates- open in resting state

propagation of an action potential

na_ influx causes a patch of the axonal membrane to depolarize

threshold and action potentials

established by the total amount o fcurrent flowing through the membrane

absolute refractory period

time from the opening of the na+ activation gates until the closing of inactivation gates

relative refractory period

the interval following when sodium gates are closed and potassium gates are open and repolarization is occuring

conduction velocities of axons

conduction velocities vary widely among neurons. rate of impulse is determined bye axon diamter and presecne of a myelin sheath.

action potentials are an all or none event.

if strong enough, chain reaction happens

refractory period

absolute the nerve cannot be stimulated. relative a stronger stimulus is needed

hyperpolarization

difference across teh membrane increases and becomes more negative inside.

synapses

junction that mediates information transfer from one neuron to another or effector cell

electrical synapses

are less common then chemical synampses
corrospond to gap junctions found in other cell types
important to cns in arousal from sleep, mental attention and emotions and memory, ion h20 balance

chemical synapses

release and reception of neurotransmitters composed of two parts; axonal terminal and receptor region

synaptic cleft

fulid filled space seperating neurons
prevents nerve impulses from directly passing fromone neuron to the next
transmission across the synaptic cleft: chemical event.

2 types of post synaptic potentials are

epsp and ipsp

chemical neurotransmitters

ach
biogenic amines
amino acids
peptides
novel messengers: atp and dissolved gases NO & CO

neurotransmitters are

chemicals used to neuronal communications with the body and the brain