8- Neuronal/Microscopic Development

Question 1

What are the 6 stages of neuron development?

Answer 1

Proliferation, migration, differentiation, synaptogenesis, myelination, arborisation

Question 2

Which stage involves cell division and differentiation?

Answer 2

Proliferation

Question 3

How many new cells are generated per minute in proliferation?

Answer 3

250,000

Question 4

What allows stem cells to begin to differentiate?

Answer 4

Specialisation

Question 5

What is specialisation guided by?

Answer 5

Chemical signals that trigger specific genes

Question 6

What does it mean when stem cells are omnipotent?

Answer 6

They are able to develop to any tissue in the body

Question 7

When can stem cells turn into neuroblasts?

Answer 7

Once they get chemical signals

Question 8

What can neuroblasts become once they divide?

Answer 8

Any kind of cells in the nervous system

Question 9

What is the key event in migration?

Answer 9

Neurons move to different places or different layers of the brain

Question 10

What are the eventual destinations in migration?

Answer 10

Different for each neuron

Question 11

What determines neurons’ final positions?

Answer 11

Genetic code

Question 12

What guides the journey of neurons in migration?

Answer 12

Surrounding chemical signals

Question 13

What is the chemical gradient like in migration?

Answer 13

Neurons move towards the direction where the chemical has a higher concentration

Question 14

What do cells look like when they are migrating?

Answer 14

They have no dendrites and the axons are like tails without branches

Question 15

When do cells align with specific neurons?

Answer 15

Once arriving to begin differentiation

Question 16

How many layers is the human neocortex organised into?

Answer 16

6

Question 17

What layer does migration begin with?

Answer 17

Layer 6

Question 18

What can problems with cell migration lead to?

Answer 18

Developmental problems

Question 19

What is an example when there is a problem with cell migration?

Answer 19

Dyslexia

Question 20

What morphological changes happen in differentiation?

Answer 20

Changes to make them look like their neighbour neurons

Question 21

What is the 1st step of differentiation?

Answer 21

Axon growth

Question 22

What do axons determine in differentiation?

Answer 22

Who to form synapses with

Question 23

What are chemoattractants?

Answer 23

Molecules attracting the growth cone

Question 24

What are chemorepellants?

Answer 24

Molecules repelling the growth cone

Question 25

What do neurons start to do in synaptogenesis?

Answer 25

Start to form axons and dendrites

Question 26

When is a complex network of synapses created?

Answer 26

In synaptogenesis

Question 27

What is the nerve growth factor?

Answer 27

A protein or nutrient that promotes neural growth

Question 28

What happens if a cell doesn't receive the nerve growth factor?

Answer 28

Apoptosis

Question 29

Why do working synapses attract nerve growth factor?

Answer 29

To provide more nutrients

Question 30

How many neurons and synapses do newborns have?

Answer 30

Lots of neurons but few synapses

Question 31

When does synapse formation increase and peak?

Answer 31

Increases after birth and peaks in childhood

Question 32

What is the role of neuronal pruning?

Answer 32

To remove unnecessary synaptic connections

Question 33

How is the strength of a synapse determined?

Answer 33

By how it's being used

Question 34

What does the Hebbian Theory of how neurons are wired say?

Answer 34

'Neurons which fire together wire together' and 'neurons which fire out of synch lose their link'

Question 35

Which stage only happens in axons?

Answer 35

Myelination

Question 36

What happens in myelination?

Answer 36

Layer of fatty tissue starts to emerge covering a neuron's axon

Question 37

What type of cells surround the axon of a neuron?

Answer 37

Glial cells

Question 38

What makes transmission of an action potential more efficient?

Answer 38

Myelination

Question 39

When is there further growth of dendrites?

Answer 39

Arborisation

Question 40

What happens in arborisation?

Answer 40

Dendrites grow to smaller dendrites and create connections

Question 41

What did Gaser and Schlaug find?

Answer 41

Bigger volume in brain regions related to playing and perceiving piano found in musicians

Question 42

What did Draganski et al do?

Answer 42

Trained volunteers to juggle

Question 43

What did Draganski et al find?

Answer 43

An increase in volume of motor cortex