13) Various Neural Circuits in the Nervous System

Question 1

Define what neural circuits are, and list the kinds that exist in the nervous system.

Answer 1

Neural circuits are complicated networks of neurons in the CNS. These are functional groups of neurons that process specific types of info.

1) simple
2) diverging
3) converging
4) reverberating
5) parallel after discharge

Question 2

What is the following type of neural circuit?
“A presynaptic neuron stimulates a postsynaptic neuron, which stimulates a second neuron, and so on.”
a) simple
b) reverberating
c) divergent
d) parallel after discharge
e) convergent

Answer 2

a - simple

Question 3

What is the following type of neural circuit?
“A nerve impulse from a single presynaptic neuron causes the stimulation of increasing numbers of cells along the circuit.”
a) reverberating
b) simple
c) parallel after discharge
d) convergent
e) divergent

Answer 3

e - divergent

Question 4

What is the following type of neural circuit?
“Several presynaptic neurons synapse with a single postsynaptic neuron.”
a) parallel after discharge
b) convergent
c) simple series
d) divergent
e) reverberating

Answer 4

b - convergent

Question 5

What is the following type of neural circuit?
“The incoming nerve impulse stimulates the first neuron, which stimulates the second, which stimulate the third and so on. Branches from later neurons synapse with earlier ones.”
a) reverberating
b) parallel after discharge
c) simple series
d) convergent
e) divergent

Answer 5

a - reverberating

Question 6

What is the following type of neural circuit?
“A single presynaptic cell stimulates a group of neurons, each with synapses with a common postsynaptic cell.”
a) reverberating
b) convergent
c) divergent
d) parallel after discharge
e) simple series

Answer 6

d - parallel after discharge

Question 7

What neural circuit functions to amplify the signal?

Answer 7

diverging circuit

Question 8

What neural circuit permits more effective stimulation or inhibition of the postsynaptic neuron?

Answer 8

converging circuit

Question 9

What neural circuit sends impulses back through the circuit again and again?

Answer 9

reverberating circuit

Question 10

in parallel after discharge circuits, why can the last neurons exhibit multiple EPSPs or IPSPs?

Answer 10

Because there are a different number of synapses bw the first and last neurons, which imposes varying synaptic delays. If the input is excitatory, the postsynaptic neuron can send out a stream of impulses in quick succession

Question 11

What neural circuit is thought to be involved in precise activities such as math calculations?

Answer 11

parallel after discharge circuit

Question 12

What neural circuit is thought to be involved in breathing, coordinated muscular activities, waking up, and short-term memory?

Answer 12

Reverberating circuit

Question 13

A single motor neuron that synapses with skeletal muscles at the neuromuscular junction receives input from several pathways that originate in different brain regions.

What type of neural circuit is this?

Answer 13

converging circuit

Question 14

A small number of neurons in the brain that govern a particular body movement stimulate a much larger number of neurons in the spinal cord.

What type of neural circuit is this?

Answer 14

diverging circuit

Question 15

Neural circuits consist of complicated networks of neurons in the:

a) somatic nervous system
b) autonomic nervous system
c) peripheral nervous system
d) central nervous system
e) more than one of the above

Answer 15

d - CNS