NEET MDS Lessons
Physiology
Reflexes
A reflex is a direct connection between stimulus and response, which does not require conscious thought. There are voluntary and involuntary reflexes.
The Stretch Reflex:
The stretch reflex in its simplest form involves only 2 neurons, and is therefore sometimes called a 2-neuron reflex. The two neurons are a sensory and a motor neuron. The sensory neuron is stimulated by stretch (extension) of a muscle. Stretch of a muscle normally happens when its antagonist contracts, or artificially when its tendon is stretched, as in the knee jerk reflex. Muscles contain receptors called muscle spindles. These receptors respond to the muscles's stretch. They send stimuli back to the spinal cord through a sensory neuron which connects directly to a motor neuron serving the same muscle. This causes the muscle to contract, reversing the stretch. The stretch reflex is important in helping to coordinate normal movements in which antagonistic muscles are contracted and relaxed in sequence, and in keeping the muscle from overstretching.
Since at the time of the muscle stretch its antagonist was contracting, in order to avoid damage it must be inhibited or tuned off in the reflex. So an additional connection through an interneuron sends an inhibitory pathway to the antagonist of the stretched muscle - this is called reciprocal inhibition.
The Deep Tendon Reflex:
Tendon receptors respond to the contraction of a muscle. Their function, like that of stretch reflexes, is the coordination of muscles and body movements. The deep tendon reflex involves sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons. The response reverses the original stimulus therefore causing relaxation of the muscle stimulated. In order to facilitate that the reflex sends excitatory stimuli to the antagonists causing them to contract - reciprocal activation.
The stretch and tendon reflexes complement one another. When one muscle is stretching and stimulating the stretch reflex, its antagonist is contracting and stimulating the tendon reflex. The two reflexes cause the same responses thus enhancing one another.
The Crossed Extensor Reflex -
The crossed extensor reflex is just a withdrawal reflex on one side with the addition of inhibitory pathways needed to maintain balance and coordination. For example, you step on a nail with your right foot as you are walking along. This will initiate a withdrawal of your right leg. Since your quadriceps muscles, the extensors, were contracting to place your foot forward, they will now be inhibited and the flexors, the hamstrings will now be excited on your right leg. But in order to maintain your balance and not fall down your left leg, which was flexing, will now be extended to plant your left foot (e.g. crossed extensor). So on the left leg the flexor muscles which were contracting will be inhibited, and the extensor muscles will be excited
Ventilation simply means inhaling and exhaling of air from the atmospheric air into lungs and then exhaling it from the lung into the atmospheric air.
Air pressure gradient has to exist between two atmospheres to enable a gas to move from one atmosphere to an other.
During inspiration: the intrathoracic pressure has to be less than that of atmospheric pressure. This could be achieved by decreasing the intrathoracic pressure as follows:
Depending on Boyle`s law , the pressure of gas is inversely proportional to the volume of its container. So increasing the intrathoracic volume will decrease the intrathoracic pressure which will allow the atmospheric air to be inhaled (inspiration) . As decreasing the intrathoracic volume will increase the intrathoracic pressure and causes exhaling of air ( expiration)
So. Inspiration could be actively achieved by the contraction of inspiratory muscles : diaphragm and intercostal muscles. While relaxation of the mentioned muscles will passively cause expiration.
Contraction of diaphragm will pull the diaphragm down the abdominal cavity ( will move inferiorly) , and then increase the intrathoracic volume ( vertically) . Contraction of external intercostal muscle will pull the ribs upward and forward which will additionally increase the intrathoracic volume ( transversely , the net result will be increasing the intrathoracic volume and decreasing the intrathoracic pressure.
Relaxation of diaphragm will move it superiorly during expiration, the relaxation of external intercostal muscles will pull the ribs downward and backward , and the elastic lungs and chest wall will recoil. The net result is decreasing the intrathoracic volume and increasing intrathoracic pressure.
All of this occurs during quiet breathing. During forceful inspiration an accessory inspiratory muscle will be involved ( scaleni , sternocleidomastoid , and others) to increase negativity in the intrathoracic pressure more and more.
During forceful expiration the accessory expiratory muscles ( internal intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles ) will be involved to decrease the intrathoracic volume more and more and then to increase intrathoracic pressure more and more.
The pressure within the alveoli is called intralveolar pressure . Between the two phases of respiration it is equal to the atmospheric pressure. It is decreased during inspiration ( about 1 cm H2O ) and increased during expiration ( about +1 cm H2O ) . This difference allow entering of 0.5 L of air into the lungs.
Intrapleural pressure is the pressure of thin fluid between the two pleural layers . It is a slight negative pressure. At the beginning of inspiration it is about -5 cm H2O and reachs -7.5 cm H2O at the end or inspiration.
At the beginning of expiration the intrapleural pressure is -7.5 cm H2O and reaches -5 cmH2O at the end of expiration.
The difference between intralveolar pressure and intrapleural pressure is called transpulmonary pressure.
Factors , affecting ventilation :
Resistance : Gradual decreasing of the diameter of respiratory airway increase the resistance to air flow.
Compliance : means the ease , which the lungs expand.It depends on both the elastic forces of the lungs and the elastic forces , caused by the the surface tension of the fluid, lining the alveoli.
Surface tension: Molecules of water have tendency to attract each other on the surface of water adjacent to air. In alveoli the surface tension caused by the fluid in the inner surface of the alveoli may cause collapse of alveoli . The surface tension is decreased by the surfactant .
Surfactant is a mixture of phospholipids , proteins and ion m produced by type II pneumocytes.
Immature newborns may suffer from respiratory distress syndrome , due to lack of surfactant which is produced during the last trimester of pregnancy.
The elastic fibers of the thoracic wall also participate in lung compliance.
PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BRAIN
- The Cerebrum (Telencephalon) Lobes of the cerebral cortex
- Frontal Lobe
- Precentral gyrus, Primary Motor Cortex, point to point motor neurons, pyramidal cells: control motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. See Motor homunculus
- Secondary Motor Cortex repetitive patterns
- Broca's Motor Speech area
- Anterior - abstract thought, planning, decision making, Personality
- Parietal Lobe
- Post central gyrus, Sensory cortex, See Sensory homunculus, size proportional to sensory receptor density.
- Sensory Association area, memory of sensations
- Occipital Lobe
- Visual cortex, sight (conscious perception of vision)
- Visual Association area, correlates visual images with previous images, (memory of vision, )
- Temporal Lobe
- Auditory Cortex, sound
- Auditory Association area, memory of sounds
- Common Integratory Center - angular gyrus, Parietal, Temporal & Occipital lobes
- One side becomes dominent, integrats sensory (somesthetic, auditory, visual) information
- The Basal nuclei (ganglia)
- Grey matter (cell bodies) within the White matter of cerebrum, control voluntary movements
- Cauadate nucles - chorea (rapi, uncontrolled movements), Parkinsons: (dopamine neurons of substantia nigra to caudate nucles) jerky movements, spasticity, tremor, blank facial expression
- The limbic system - ring around the brain stem, emotions(w/hypothalamus), processing of olfactory information
- Frontal Lobe
- The Diencephalon
- The Thalamus - Sensory relay center to cortex (primitive brain!)
- The Hypothalamus
- core temperature control"thermostat", shivering and nonshivering thermogenesis
- hunger & satiety centers, wakefulness, sleep, sexual arousal,
- emotions (w/limbic-anger, fear, pain, pleasure), osmoregulation, (ADH secretion),
- Secretion of ADH, Oxytocin, Releasing Hormones for Anterior pitutary
- Linkage of nervous and endocrine systems
- The Mesencephalon or Midbrain -
- red nucleus, motor coordination (cerebellum/Motor cortex),
- substantia nigra
- The Metencephalon
- The Cerebellum -
- Performs automatic adjustments in complex motor activities
- Input from Proprioceptors (joint, tendon, muscles), position of body in Space
- Motor cortex, intended movements (changes in position of body in Space)
- Damping (breaking motor function), Balance, predicting, inhibitory function of Purkinji cells (GABA), speed, force, direction of movement
- The Pons - Respiratory control centers (apneustic, pneumotaxic)
- Nuclei of cranial nerves V, VI, VII, VIII
- The Cerebellum -
- Myelencephalon
- The Medulla
- Visceral motor centers (vasomotor, cardioinhibtory, respiratory)
- Reticular Formation RAS system, alert cortex to incoming signals, maintenance of consciousness, arousal from sleep
- All Afferent & Efferent fibers pass through, crossing over of motor tracts
- Corpus Callosum: Permits communication between cerebralhemispheres
- The Medulla
- Generalized Brain Avtivity
- Brain Activity and the Electroencephalogram(EEG)
- alpha waves: resting adults whose eyes are closed
- beta waves: adults concentrating on a specific task;
- theta waves: adults under stress;
- delta waves: during deep sleep and in clinical disorders
- Brain Seizures
- Grand Mal: generalized seizures, involvs gross motor activity, affects the individual for a matter or hours
- Petit mal: brief incidents, affect consciousness but may have no obvious motor abnormalities
- Chemical Effects on the Brain
- Sedatives: reduce CNS activity
- Analgesics: relieve pain by affecting pain pathways or peripheral sensations
- Psychotropics: alter mood and emotional states
- Anticonvulsants: control seizures
- Stimulants: facilitate CNS activity
- Memory and learning
- Short-term, or primary, memories last a short time, immediately accessible (phone number)
- Secondary memories fade with time (your address at age 5)
- Tertiary memories last a lifetime (your name)
- Memories are stored within specific regions of the cerebral cortex.
- Learning, a more complex process involving the integration of memories and their use to direct or modify behaviors
- Neural basis for memory and learning has yet to be determined.
- Brain Activity and the Electroencephalogram(EEG)
- Fibers in CNS
- Association fibers: link portions of the cerebrum;
- Commissural fibers: link the two hemispheres;
- Projection fibers: link the cerebrum to the brain stem
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) - controls cell function via transcription and translation (in other words, by controlling protein synthesis in a cell)
Transcription - DNA is used to produce mRNA
Translation - mRNA then moves from the nucleus into the cytoplasm & is used to produce a protein . requires mRNA, tRNA (transfer RNA), amino acids, & a ribosome
tRNA molecule
- sequence of amino acids in a protein is determined by sequence of codons (mRNA). Codons are 'read' by anticodons of tRNAs & tRNAs then 'deliver' their amino acid.
- Amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds (see diagram to the right)
- As mRNA slides through ribosome, codons are exposed in sequence & appropriate amino acids are delivered by tRNAs. The protein (or polypeptide) thus grows in length as more amino acids are delivered.
- The polypeptide chain then 'folds' in various ways to form a complex three-dimensional protein molecule that will serve either as a structural protein or an enzyme.
HEART DISORDERS
- Pump failure => Alters pressure (flow) =>alters oxygen carrying capacity.
- Renin release (Juxtaglomerular cells) Kidney
- Converts Angiotensinogen => Angiotensin I
- In lungs Angiotensin I Converted => Angiotensin II
- Angiotensin II = powerful vasoconstrictor (raises pressure, increases afterload)
- stimulates thirst
- stimulates adrenal cortex to release Aldosterone
(Sodium retention, potassium loss) - stimulates kidney directly to reabsorb Sodium
- releases ADH from Posterior Pituitary
- Myocardial Infarction
- Myocardial Cells die from lack of Oxygen
- Adjacent vessels (collateral) dilate to compensate
- Intracellular Enzymes leak from dying cells (Necrosis)
- Creatine Kinase CK (Creatine Phosphokinase) 3 forms
- One isoenzyme = exclusively Heart (MB)
- CK-MB blood levels found 2-5 hrs, peak in 24 hrs
- Lactic Dehydrogenase found 6-10 hours after. points less clearly to infarction
- Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT)
- Found 6 hrs after infarction, peaks 24-48 hrs at 2 to 15 times normal,
- SGOT returns to normal after 3-4 days
- Creatine Kinase CK (Creatine Phosphokinase) 3 forms
- Myocardium weakens = Decreased CO & SV (severe - death)
- Infarct heal by fibrous repair
- Hypertrophy of undamaged myocardial cells
- Increased contractility to restore normal CO
- Improved by exercise program
- Prognosis
- 10% uncomplicated recovery
- 20% Suddenly fatal
- Rest MI not fatal immediately, 15% will die from related causes
- Congenital heart disease (Affect oxygenation of blood)
- Septal defects
- Ductus arteriosus
- Valvular heart disease
- Stenosis = cusps, fibrotic & thickened, Sometimes fused, can not open
- Regurgitation = cusps, retracted, Do not close, blood moves backwards
As the contents of the stomach become thoroughly liquefied, they pass into the duodenum, the first segment of the small intestine. The duodenum is the first 10" of the small intestine
Two ducts enter the duodenum:
- one draining the gall bladder and hence the liver
- the other draining the exocrine portion of the pancreas.
From the intestinal mucosal cells, and from the liver and gallbladder. Secretions from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder enter the duodenum through the hepatopancreatic ampulla and the sphincter of Oddi. These lie where the pancreatic duct and common bile duct join before entering the duodenum. The presence of fatty chyme in the duodenum causes release of the hormone CCK into the bloodstream. CCK is one of the enterogastrones and its main function, besides inhibiting the stomach, is to stimulate the release of enzymes by the pancreas, and the contraction of the gallbladder to release bile. It also stimulates the liver to produce bile. Consumption of excess fat results in excessive bile production by the liver, and this can lead to the formation of gallstones from precipitation of the bile salts.
The acid in the chyme stimulates the release of secretin which causes the pancreas to release bicarbonate which neutralizes the acidity
Ingestion: Food taken in the mouth is
- ground into finer particles by the teeth,
- moistened and lubricated by saliva (secreted by three pairs of salivary glands)
- small amounts of starch are digested by the amylase present in saliva
- the resulting bolus of food is swallowed into the esophagus and
- carried by peristalsis to the stomach.