Essays on Ganglion

Vestibular Projections

Vestibular projections in the central nervous system consist of vestibular end organs which communicate with the brain stem and the cerebellum via the vestibular branch of the eighth cranial nerve. These nerves are also connected to the auditory fibers. Thus damage caused to these structures can cause both vestibular and auditory disturbances. The vital function of the vestibular system is to coordinate head and eye movements. The ability of the eye to stay focused on an object even while the head is moving is brought about by the vestibular system.

Vestibular Cochlear Nerve

The vestibulo cochlear nerve or the auditory nerve is ...

Influence of Temperature and Neurotransmitters on Heart Rate in crayfish

TA for the Experiment: Introduction The cardiovascular system achieves key physiological functions in animals. Particularly, crayfish (Procambarus clarkia), also known as freshwater lobster, have been used to study physiological processes. This is because it is easier to study them in this species than in any other organism. In Crayfish, the circulatory system is open. Blood moves from the heart through the arteries and goes back through the open sinuses. Their heart is located in the cephalotorax, in front of the first abdominal segment, in the dorsal portion. Basic heart rate beat and rhythm in adult crustaceans depends on a ...

Re-uptake involves the reabsorption of neurotransmitters by any of the neurotransmitter receptors or transporters. The transporters involved are usually of pre-synaptic neurons. Re-uptake occurs after the neurotransmitter has transmitted a neural impulse. Re-uptake is very crucial in order for the normal functioning of synapses to take place. This is because it allows the neurotransmitters to be recycled, thereby regulating their levels in the synapse. This in turn dictates the length of time it takes for a signal - generated by neurotransmitter release - to last. Neurotransmitters are usually large hydrophilic molecules that cannot pass through the neuronal membranes. For this reason, ...

Introduction

The term migraine refers to a chronic neurological disorder characterized by persistent moderate to severe headaches that are usually linked to various autonomic nervous system symptoms. A typical case of migraine presents itself as a pulsating headache that affects only one side of the head for a period of two to seventy two hours. Within this period, the patient displays symptoms such as photophobia, vomiting, nausea and phonophobia. There are four documented sequential phases of a migraine i.e. the prodrome phase (1), aura phase (2), headache/ pain phase (3) and prodrome phase (4). Analgesics such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are normally administered ...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop in anyone after exposure to an event that results in psychological trauma. Although there has been much focus in recent years on PTSD experienced by soldiers returning home from war, the disorder is not limited to that group of people. In fact, PTSD can occur in a variety of situations and to just about anyone, including abused children, sexual assault and rape victims, people who have experienced natural disasters, people who have experienced a car crash, and many other traumatic situations. In order for people with PTSD to receive ...

Sound is the sensation that is produced when the longitudinal vibrations of molecules from the external environment hit the tympanic membrane. Such vibrations in the external environment are called sound waves. Sound waves are produced when vibrating molecules generate changes in pressure. The speed of sound waves in air is approximately 344m/s at 20 degrees at sea level. An increase in temperature and altitude increases the speed of sound. Other media conduct sound at different speeds. For instance, in fresh water, sound travels at a speed of 1450m/s. Sound can be referred in a perceptual response and a physical stimulus. Sound reaches ...

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), also known as Leber optic atrophy, is a familial neuro-ophthalmologic disorder manifest by varying degrees of loss of ganglion cells from the optic nerve, with variable severity at onset, variable rate of deterioration, variable ultimate vision outcome and variable recovery of lost vision (Kelly).

Causes

LHON is caused by any of eighteen mutations of various mitochondrial genes coding for subunits of electron transport chain complexes, primarily complex I (NADH-dehydrogenase), which are responsible for converting energy derived from food into a form usable at the cellular level. Three of these mutations, those at base pairs 11778, 3460 and ...

Abstract

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a group of autosomal recessive lipid lysosomal storage disorders caused by mutations of the HEXA gene, which codes for the alpha subunit of the enzyme Hexosaminidase A, one of three enzymes responsible for the normal degradation of GM2 ganglioside, a substance found in high concentration in the plasma membrane of neuronal cells. The classic acute infantile form, discussed here, is a neurodegenerative disorder with onset at four to eight months of age in which acquired capabilities are lost and general neurologic deterioration occurs, with death by age two to four years. It occurs with highest frequency in the ...