Lecture 5b

Thursday, August 23, 2018 18:55

Neurons and Glia 神经胶质

Cells that comprise the nervous system

Two main types:
1. Neurons (aka nerve cells)=basic units of the nervous system, most important
part, particular forms the nerve and to the central system, building blocks
2. Glia(aka glial cells/neuroglia)=non-neuronal cells that support/guide nervous
system functioning, making sure the environment, damage cells, vital role
The human nervous system contain 100 billion neurons
- 13 billion make up the cerebral cortex 大脑皮层
- 70 billion make up the cerebellum 小脑
- 1 billion make up the spinal cord 脊髓
Neuron need to work with glia

Neurons structure (generic)

Dendrites-branches extending from the cell body that receive information from
other neurons.
Motive neuron, Transmit signal from the central nervous system so your brain the
spinal cord to proofer system arms, legs, organs
Dendrites will Receive the information with about the neurons and pass the
information to the other structure of the neurons to keep the message going.

Cell body---nucleus, mitochondria 线粒体, ribosomes 核糖体

The cell body can also receive incoming inputs from other neutrons and plays an
important role integrating all inputs received by dendrites. Pass on a clear message.
Different type of inputs---excitted tree, cause these cell to fire action potential,
components come in

Axon 轴突-typically an elongated structure projecting from the cell body.

- Responsible for transmitting a signal (action potential) from the cell body to
axon terminals.
- Allows for communication with other neurons
- The longest axons in the human nervous system are approximately 1 m long!
- Bundles of axons: in the central nervous system (brain and spinal
cord)=tracts; in the peripheral nervous system (outside the brain and spinal
cord)=nerves. Form together to process message, one is not enough to make
a muscle contract. Refer
 - Allows for communication with other neurons
- The longest axons in the human nervous system are approximately 1 m long!
- Bundles of axons: in the central nervous system (brain and spinal
cord)=tracts; in the peripheral nervous system (outside the brain and spinal
cord)=nerves. Form together to process message, one is not enough to make
a muscle contract. Refer
- The information pass to the axon, the message start it will go all the way
rather than stop at the half way. Important part. From the cell body to the
axon approximately 1m long.
- Nerve--axon group together, transmit signal, form this nerve to a strong
signal to control the muscle in order to produce the behaviour

Neurons function (generic)

- Input zone-dendrites receive information from other cells/neurons
- Integration zone-cell body/start of axon; inputs received are combined.
Determine the signal will continue the process
- Conduction zone-axon leads away from the cell cody; carries action
potential/electrical impulse
- Output zone--axon terminals synapse and communicate with other neurons
- Multipolar axon, one axon, many dendrites. Most common motor neuron;
mainly used to send signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles/organs,
gland
- Bipolar neuron--one axon, one dendrite; significant small. sensory neuron,
use in eyes and ears, use to help process information coming to those
particular senses.
- Unipolar neuron--most common sensory neuron, direct to the axon and
continue to pass the message, cell function as a whole, interneuron---very
small, connect multipolar want to pass message to sensory neuron then
interneuron is the key to connect them.
•

Types/functions-highlight the differences

Motor neurons (motoneurous) CNS=central nervous system
Connect the CNS to the muscles, glands and organs (multipolar)
Referred to as efferent传出的 tract/nerve pathways as they carry information
 Types/functions-highlight the differences
Motor neurons (motoneurous) CNS=central nervous system
Connect the CNS to the muscles, glands and organs (multipolar)
Referred to as efferent传出的 tract/nerve pathways as they carry information
away from the CNS
We have dendrite, get to the soma, muscle cell--contract and react, which muscles
are working and which one not working, depend on the type of messages, perform
the certain behaviour. Our body excite and inhibit the muscles.

Sensory neurons
Sensitivity is localized, small area is stimulated, surface of your skin, detect
everything, dendrite system. (unipolar)
Connect the external environment and PNS to the CNS by responding to external
stimuli (e.g. light, heat, odour, touch)
Referred to as afferent传入的 tract/nerve pathways as they carry information
toward the CNS. Send information to the brain, transmit pain, sensory to
temperature, transmit the signal. Understand what's happening with our bodies,
how sensitive these neurons are different type of information that coming in,
afferent tract, to the brain that's the final cord.
Detect changes,

Glia
• Glia cells are non-neuronal cells that are also found in the nervous system
• Important to help neurons work
• There are different types of glial cells to interact with the neurons
- Astrocytes
- Microglia
- Oligodendrocytes
- Schwann cells ---work for peripheral nervous system
Yellow parts are the neurons

Glia: Astrocytes
- Stars shape. Cell body soma, they don't transmit the signal, found sitting
communicate one with other, synapse. Being passed by neurons
1. Modulate communication between neurons
 Glia: Astrocytes
- Stars shape. Cell body soma, they don't transmit the signal, found sitting
communicate one with other, synapse. Being passed by neurons
1. Modulate communication between neurons
• Sending the same signal at the same time to the muscle movement
• Amplify or weaken a signal between 2 neurons at the synapse
• This is important to synchronize activity between multiple reason
2. Supply the neuron with nutrients/monitor environment
• Astrocytes take important nutrients from blood vessels and give them to neurons
• Remove waste or harmful material surrounding neurons and monitor pH levels
• Right balance, make sure it has nutrients, stop interference, regulate the way that
neurons work, for example, the animal has injury in the leg, look at the brain, the
region process pain information from the peripheral, terminate, either measure
exercise in that region, high exercise in that region. Chronic pain

Glia: Microglia
▪ Smallest glial cell
A) Regulate programmed cell death+engulf dead/dying neurons
B) Help new neurons survive
C) Remove debris from damaged neurons
D) Play a role in the immune response-when neurons become injured or infected,
microglia release certain proteins to help prevent further damage from occurring.
Kill that neuron, repair the cell and damage in order to use it. Small chemical,
prevent further damage, lots of different function

Glia: oligodendrocytes + Schwann cell

▪ Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells form the myelin sheath of neurons--
depending on where in the body the neurons are located
▪ Myelination--the process of glia covering the axons of neurons
▪ Myelin sheath-when the axon is covered by glia---this insulates the axon and
facilitates transmission of a signal
▪ Oligodendrocytes
▪ Form myelin sheath around axon in the CNS (brain + spinal cord)
▪ One oligodendrocyte can meyelinate the axons of many neurons
▪ Surrounding the axon of the neuron, CNS, danger side, signal transmission,
▪ Schwann Cells
▪ Form myelin sheath around axons outside the CNS
▪ One Schwann cell myelinates one axon

Importance of Myelin
▪ What happened when Myelin damaged?
▪ Short axon,
▪ Multiple sclerosis--immunes system attack the myelin--involves the demyelination
of axons in the CNS
▪ Impairments in motor, sensory and cognitive functions.
 Importance of Myelin
▪ What happened when Myelin damaged?
▪ Short axon,
▪ Multiple sclerosis--immunes system attack the myelin--involves the demyelination
of axons in the CNS
▪ Impairments in motor, sensory and cognitive functions.
▪ Essential for single neuron, it can really impair

Elements and atoms

- Atoms are the 'building blocks' of elements
- Each element is made up of 1 type of atom
Ions
When an atom gains or loses electron, it becomes a 'charge'. We call this an ion

Cell membrane
- Phospholipid bilayer stops certain molecules from moving in/out of the cell
- Intracellular fluid/space=inside the neuron
Extracellular fluid/space=outside the neuron
- Current, voltage, channel can open and close when contact the molecules enter to
the cell

Membrane potential
Hermann von Helmholtz
- Found that the neuron has an electrical charge across the membrane
- Intracellular space is negatively charged compared to the positively charged
extracellular spce
- Cell is rest when molecules stop transmit the information

Crossing the membrane: terminology

Permeable
- Can diffuse freely across the membrane
- Water (H2O), oxygen and carbon dioxide, they can go inside if needed, open a
channel, increasing metabolic,
Semi-permeable
- Cannot diffuse across as easily, but still possible
- Includes some ions(molecules that carry electrical charge),e.g. Potassium(K+) and
chloride (Cl-)
Impermeable
- need a gate way to get inside
- Includes larger molecules and other ions (e.g. Sodium and Calcium)
- Cannot cross the membrane unless through a channel

Driving forces of Ion move-charge molecules

1. Concentration gradient
• Ions move from high concentration areas to low concentration areas
• Small concentration
• Low concentration inside and large outside, balance, so outside will go inside when
 Driving forces of Ion move-charge molecules
1. Concentration gradient
• Ions move from high concentration areas to low concentration areas
• Small concentration
• Low concentration inside and large outside, balance, so outside will go inside when
it is positive ions
• Large concentration inside and low outside and the large one going to move
outside when it's negative ions,, need to balance the racial all the time

2. Electrical gradient
• Ions move towards areas of opposing charge
• Charge particle
• Negative charge inside is more negatively, as soon as the Channel open
• Move to the same direction, if it's not consistency,

Depolarization/hyperpolarization

Depolarization
• Membrane potential becomes less negative
• Smaller difference in electrical charge inside vs outside the neuron
• Membrane potential greater then 0mV means inside is more positive then the
outside
Hyperpolarization
• Membrane potential becomes more negative
• Larger difference in electrical charge inside vs outside the neuron