©SIRJOEL 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PH3113 unit 4 neurodegenerative disease
Alzheimer's disease + dementia. Exam
Questions And Answers 100% Guaranteed
Pass
What are the 3 types of glia in the CNS + their function? - Answer✔oligodendrocytes - which
produce myelin and facilitate transmission
astrocytes - these enable homeostasis and are a physical barrier / connector
microglia - these are the immune cells of the brain - they phagocytose dead cells and debris
describe specific issues in the CNS that makes cell death a problem - Answer✔-in mature CNS
most neurons are post-mitotic (so they've done all their dividing + differentiating) - so neurons
aren't easily replaced by cell renewal
-cell death in CNS and neurons is more severe than in other tissues - consequences are more
severe
-cell death can occur acutely as a result of traumatic even e.g. brain injury
-cell death can also occur chronically
causes of cell death in CNS ? - Answer✔environmental toxins e.g. cigarette smoke, heavy
metals, nerve agents and alcohol
trauma e.g. head injury
disease - infection e.g. meningitis, oxygen deprivation eg. strokes, neurodegenerative disease and
viruses
what is important about a neurone meaning it has large requirements - Answer✔high metabolic
requirements due to their size
they also have trophic requirements (need to be able to release hormones)
they have excitable membrane = further high metabolic demand.
1|Page
, ©SIRJOEL 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
examples of injury that can occur to neurons - Answer✔different cell types and parts of the
neuron can be affected
toxic effect may start in the cell body or in the axon
toxic effect can also start in the myleinating cells or in mylein sheath
re-myleination is very difficult
-if there are issues in the axon then this can affect axonal transport which can then lead to loss of
mitochondrial energy, loss of newly synthesized protein, lipids made in cell body ect..
what are the 2 mechanisms of cell death - Answer✔apoptosis
necrosis
what is apoptosis + what kind of process is this? - Answer✔sometimes called cell suicide or
programmed cell death - it's an active process that can occur under any condition - it's a
physiological process
-it's also a phasic process which means it's a balance between pro and anti-apoptotic members of
beta cell lymphoma 2 family (as this controls integrity and response of mitochondria)
what do anti-apoptotic beta cells and pro-apoptotic beta cells do ? - Answer✔anti-apoptotic
stabilize mitochondrial function - which is the good type
pro-apoptotic allows for pore formation in the mitochondrial membrane - once the membrane
dies the whole cell dies - bad one
describe the process of apoptosis - Answer✔initiation stage - this can be triggered by 'death
signals' these signals activate the intracellular cascade which increases the movement of pro-
apoptotic factors to the metachronal membrane
-death signals can be intrinsic (so come from inside the cell) which is when it's cell suicide
death signals can also be extrinsic via death cell receptors on cell surface
effector stage - this is where inactivation of DNA repair enzymes are cut into fragments and are
no longer functional
degradation - eventually the cell degrades and it's reduced into a cluster of membrane bound
bodies, each with organelles - the corpse of the cell is then phagocytosed.
ALL stages involve capsase enzymes which is the final executioner
what is necrosis? - Answer✔this is always bad and is accidental death of a group of cells
secondary to traumatic injury
-it's a passive process
-it occurs due to pathological reasons, ischemia, injury, infection, cacner, inflammation ect..
2|Page
PH3113 unit 4 neurodegenerative disease
Alzheimer's disease + dementia. Exam
Questions And Answers 100% Guaranteed
Pass
What are the 3 types of glia in the CNS + their function? - Answer✔oligodendrocytes - which
produce myelin and facilitate transmission
astrocytes - these enable homeostasis and are a physical barrier / connector
microglia - these are the immune cells of the brain - they phagocytose dead cells and debris
describe specific issues in the CNS that makes cell death a problem - Answer✔-in mature CNS
most neurons are post-mitotic (so they've done all their dividing + differentiating) - so neurons
aren't easily replaced by cell renewal
-cell death in CNS and neurons is more severe than in other tissues - consequences are more
severe
-cell death can occur acutely as a result of traumatic even e.g. brain injury
-cell death can also occur chronically
causes of cell death in CNS ? - Answer✔environmental toxins e.g. cigarette smoke, heavy
metals, nerve agents and alcohol
trauma e.g. head injury
disease - infection e.g. meningitis, oxygen deprivation eg. strokes, neurodegenerative disease and
viruses
what is important about a neurone meaning it has large requirements - Answer✔high metabolic
requirements due to their size
they also have trophic requirements (need to be able to release hormones)
they have excitable membrane = further high metabolic demand.
1|Page
, ©SIRJOEL 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
examples of injury that can occur to neurons - Answer✔different cell types and parts of the
neuron can be affected
toxic effect may start in the cell body or in the axon
toxic effect can also start in the myleinating cells or in mylein sheath
re-myleination is very difficult
-if there are issues in the axon then this can affect axonal transport which can then lead to loss of
mitochondrial energy, loss of newly synthesized protein, lipids made in cell body ect..
what are the 2 mechanisms of cell death - Answer✔apoptosis
necrosis
what is apoptosis + what kind of process is this? - Answer✔sometimes called cell suicide or
programmed cell death - it's an active process that can occur under any condition - it's a
physiological process
-it's also a phasic process which means it's a balance between pro and anti-apoptotic members of
beta cell lymphoma 2 family (as this controls integrity and response of mitochondria)
what do anti-apoptotic beta cells and pro-apoptotic beta cells do ? - Answer✔anti-apoptotic
stabilize mitochondrial function - which is the good type
pro-apoptotic allows for pore formation in the mitochondrial membrane - once the membrane
dies the whole cell dies - bad one
describe the process of apoptosis - Answer✔initiation stage - this can be triggered by 'death
signals' these signals activate the intracellular cascade which increases the movement of pro-
apoptotic factors to the metachronal membrane
-death signals can be intrinsic (so come from inside the cell) which is when it's cell suicide
death signals can also be extrinsic via death cell receptors on cell surface
effector stage - this is where inactivation of DNA repair enzymes are cut into fragments and are
no longer functional
degradation - eventually the cell degrades and it's reduced into a cluster of membrane bound
bodies, each with organelles - the corpse of the cell is then phagocytosed.
ALL stages involve capsase enzymes which is the final executioner
what is necrosis? - Answer✔this is always bad and is accidental death of a group of cells
secondary to traumatic injury
-it's a passive process
-it occurs due to pathological reasons, ischemia, injury, infection, cacner, inflammation ect..
2|Page
