Part 1

• Into a structure and away from a structure are two ways an axon can carry information: Afferent and Efferent
• Afferent - axon that brings information into a structure
• Efferent - axon that brings information away from a structure
• Sensory - type of neuron that is afferent to the rest of the nervous system
• Motor - type of neuron that is efferent from the nervous system
• Every sensory neuron is an "afferent" to the rest of the nervous system
• Every motor neuron is an "efferent" from the nervous system
• Interneuron - cell dendrites and axon are entirely contained within a single structure
• Glia - composition of cell that do not transmit information like neurons.
• cerebral cortex - where Glia outnumber neurons
• cerebellum - where neurons outnumber glia
• Astrocytes, Microglia, Oligodendrocytes, Schwann Cells, Radial Glia are all types of: Glia
• The types of Glia are: Astrocytes, Microglia, Oligodendrocytes, Schwann Cells, Radial Glia
• Astrocytes - star-shaped, wrap around the synapses of functionally related axons
• Astrocytes - absorbs chemicals released by axons and later returns those chemicals back to the axon to help synchronize the activity of neurons.
• Astrocytes - remove waste products as well, particularly those created after neurons die.
• Astrocytes - dilate the blood vessels to bring more nutrients into brain areas that have heightened activity
• Astrocytes - They act as a recycling system for glutamate released by neurons (absorbing excess glutamate then converting it to glutamine and passing it back into the neurons).
• Astrocytes - active partners of neurons in many ways.
• Microglia - Very small cells that remove waste material as well as viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms.
• Microglia - They proliferate after brain damage, removing dead or damaged neurons
• Microglia - contribute to learning by removing the weakest synapses
• Oligodendrocytes - located in the brain and spinal cord
• Schwann cells - located in the periphery of the body
• Schwann cells - build the myelin sheaths that surround and insulate certain vertebrate axons.
• Schwann cells - supply an axon with nutrients necessary for proper functioning
• Radial glia - Guide the migration of neurons and their axons and dendrites during embryonic development.
• embryonic - development where the radial glia guide the migration of neurons and their axons and dendrites
• Radial Glia - provide physical and chemical guidance for the migration of young neurons during embryogenesis
• Blood–Brain Barrier - mechanism that surrounds the brain and block most chemicals from entering.
• active transport - a protein-mediated process that expends energy to pump chemicals from the blood into the brain.
• Chemicals that are actively transported into the brain include: glucose, amino acids, purines, choline, vitamins, and iron
• glucose - the brain’s main fuel
• amino acids - the building blocks of proteins
• Vertebrate neurons depend almost entirely on: glucose
• Glucose - the only nutrient that crosses the blood–brain barrier in large quantities.