Cells and Structures of the Brain (Chapter 1)

MS

attacks oligodendrocytes and kills portions of myelin sheathing in the CNS- causes neurons to slow down /not perform properly.

Tumors

- almost always driven by glial cells (glioma), astrocytes in particular are the worst (astrocytoma)

MS

attacks oligodendrocytes and kills portions of myelin sheathing in the CNS- causes neurons to slow down /not perform properly.

Tumors

- almost always driven by glial cells (glioma), astrocytes in particular are the worst (astrocytoma)

control blood flow

Astrocytes- using their end feet on capillaries;"huggies "around synapses; help for the outer layer of the BBB; thousand of processes from a single cell body.

Neural Plasticity

- happens at the level of the synapse- mods made to catch more /less NTs in the synaptic cleft.

Interneurons

- covers actions b /w motor and sensory.

Axon

collateral- branching of the towards the end, leads to the terminal /terminal endings /terminal end bulbs (the neurotransmitter is packaged in the terminal bulbs)

Oligodendrocytes

- specialized cells in the brain /spinal cord (CNS) that form myelin sheaths around axons (this is their only job)

Microglial cells

- housekeepers, chomp up debris in brain that shouldnt be there → if they chomp too much, there is inflammation and swelling (edema)

Axon hillock

- signals are computed (like doing math); if the signal is positive enough, the AH will send it along to fire.

Sensory neurons

- receive info from enviro, like touch cells- external source and coding.

Axon

- transmits info thru the conduction zone; can be coated in myelin sheaths (made by glial cells)

Structure known thanks to Ramon y Cajal (1852

1934) using a camera affixed to a microscope

The Neuron Doctrine

neurons are structurally, metabolically, and functionally independent; info is transmitted from neuron to neuron across a synapse

Dendrites

branches

Soma (cell body)

contains info

Nucleus

inside the cell body

Axon hillock

signals are computed (like doing math); if the signal is positive enough, the AH will send it along to fire

Axon

transmits info thru the conduction zone; can be coated in myelin sheaths (made by glial cells)

Nodes of ranvier

gaps b/w each myelin sheath

Axon collateral

branching of the axon towards the end, leads to the axon terminal/terminal endings/terminal end bulbs (the neurotransmitter is packaged in the terminal bulbs)

Motor neurons

synapse on muscle and make them move

Interneurons

covers actions b/w motor and sensory

Multi-polar

many dendrite branches

Bipolar

one dendritic branch

Key terms

synaptic cleft, presynaptic neuron, postsynaptic neuron, neurotransmitters, receptors

Oligodendrocytes

specialized cells in the brain/spinal cord (CNS) that form myelin sheaths around axons (this is their only job)

Schwann cells

individual cells building myelin for motor neurons; each individual cell has its own nucleus; only in the PNS

MS attacks oligodendrocytes and kills portions of myelin sheathing in the CNS

causes neurons to slow down/not perform properly

Astrocytes

control blood flow using their end feet on capillaries; "huggies" around synapses; help for the outer layer of the BBB; thousand of processes from a single cell body

Radial glial cells

only during prenatal development, help cell migration

Tumors

almost always driven by glial cells (glioma), astrocytes in particular are the worst (astrocytoma)

Microglial cells

housekeepers, chomp up debris in brain that shouldnt be there → if they chomp too much, there is inflammation and swelling (edema)