CNS vs PNS
CNS: brain and spinal cord
PNS: cranial, spinal and peripheral nerves + ganglia
cell components of nerve tissue + origin of tissue
Origin of both: neural crest of the ectoderm
!!! PLUS BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER –> rich vascular supply
Neuron functions
Properties of neurons
Somatic vs visceral neurones
SENSORY:
1. somatic afferent: convey sensory impulses (like pain) from body surface
2. visceral afferent: convey sensory stimuli from internal organs (glands/ blood vessels)
MOTOR:
1. somatic efferent: carry voluntary impulses to skeletal muscles
2. visceral efferent: carry involuntary impluses to smooth muscle, cardiac conducting cells (purkinje) and glands
SUMMARY: somatic sense the environment and visceral sense the interior milieu
grey vs white matter
GREY: cell bodies (unmyelinated)
WHITE: myelinated axons and axon terminals
Ways to classify neurones
types of FUCNTIONAL neurons
types of MORPHOLOGICAL neurons (number of processes)
what types of neurons are associated with each classification of number of processes?
unipolar: sensory
bipolar: sensory of retina and olfactory nerves
multipolar: interneuron and motor
!! pyramidal: purkinje fibers of the cerebellum
types of AXON LENGTH neurons
GOLGI TYPE 1: projection neurons - long axons starting from CNS going to PNS
GOLGI TYPE 2: local circuit neurons: short axons residing in CNS and do not exit it (make connections with nearby cells)
Characteristics of the neuronal cell body
-large euchromatic nucleus with evident nucleolus
-Nissl bodies: dense basophilic perinuclear RER/free ribosomes
-abundant Golgi
-abundant mitochondria
-lysosomes and lipofuscin
-highly organised cytoskeleton
Cytoskeletal components and distribution within nerve cells
Why do neurons need such high cytoskeletal organisation?
secretory proteins are made in the cell soma (due to presence of RER and Golgi) and then need transport through the axon to axon terminals for secretion (eg. neurotransmitters)
This occurs via motor proteins (kinesin/dynin)
Characteristics of dendrites
Are spines stable or unstable?
UNSTABLE: can be synthesised and eliminated quickly (hence are linked with plasticity and memory)
characteristics of axons:
-single branch and uniform morphology
-have further branching at axon terminal
-originates at axon hillock (no nissl bodies)
-only organelle present is mitochondria
-MYELINATED
-high extent of cytoskeletal organisation
What is the axon hillock?
the origin of the axon from the nerve soma which lacks Nissl bodies (only mitohchondria are present)
2 types of axon transport and molecules used for
What is the origin of the cytoskeletal elements in nerve cells
originate from MTOC and have their negative ends towards the nucleus and their positive ends towards the periphery
mechanism of axon transport
Anterograde: from soma to axon terminals
Retrograde: from axon terminals to soma
MOTOR PROTEINS: Kinesin for anterograde and dynin for retrograde
-proteins contain a head and tail component
-head binds to MTs and has ATPase activity
-tail binds to cargo
!! ATP hydrolysis allows change in conformation causing motor proteins to slide along MTs
Types of classifications for synapses (5)
Electrical synapses mechanism
-present CNS where cells need to generate synchronous signals (eg. cardiomyocytes)
-contain gap junctions for ion flow
-flow of impulse can be bidirectional
chemical synapse mechanism