BIO SCI 38 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Saltatory Conduction, Microglia, Oligodendrocyte
18 Jul 2016
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Document Summary
Memory is the product of interactions within & btwn cells in the brain. To understand memory we have to study levels of brain biology & organization. Astrocytes: physical structure, modulate synaptic activity, local blood flow. Microglia: immune cells, also affect neuronal activity & connectivity. Clarity: technique for imaging proteins & rna in the whole brain. Replaces brain fat w/ a clear polymer. Dendrites + dendritic spines - the inputs, where incoming signals come from. Axon + axon terminals - output where signals are sent, form synapses w/ other dendrites. Myelin sheaths around axons speed up action potentials. Saltatory conduction - action potentials jumping btwn nodes of ranvier, speeds up nerve impulses. Used in long-range projections & in spinal cord, not in local circuits. Myelin targeted by immune system in multiple sclerosis. White & gray matter - white = myelinated axons, gray = cells. Fills some neurons w/ silver dye, shows basic anatomy.
