Aplysia: Sensitization and Habituation; Classical Conditioning; Consolidation

Question 1

Sensitization and habituation are examples of what kind of learing?

Answer 1

Non-Associative Learning

Question 2

Classical Conditioning is an example of what kind of learning?

Answer 2

Associative learning

Question 3

Why do we use model systems?

Answer 3

All animals learn
NS physiology is similar across species
simple systems easier to reveal cellular processes

Question 4

Why Aplysia?

Answer 4

~15,000 neurons organized into ganglia
Identified cell number, location, and connectivity

Question 5

What happens when the siphon skin is stimulated?

Answer 5

The gill withdraw reflex happens

Question 6

What does the abdominal ganglion control?

Answer 6

Siphon and gills

Question 7

What are the two pathways for the gill withdraw reflex?

Answer 7

Direct: SN -> MN -> muscle
Indirect: SN -> Ex. Int. -> MN -> muscle

Question 8

Why have two pathways?

Answer 8

Redundancies allow for back ups incase of injury
allows for modulation of the circuit

Question 9

How many SN are excited on siphon skin stimulation?

Answer 9

44 Glut

Question 10

What is habituation?

Answer 10

If the stimulus is non-threatening the animal will ignore the stimulus after a while

Question 11

Which neuron shows decrease in EPSP?

Answer 11

the motor neuron

Question 12

What is iontophoresis?

Answer 12

delievering small amounts of a chemical(NT) directly to a single cell

Question 13

What is Quantal Analysis?

Answer 13

The measurement of how many vessicles are released from the pre-synaptic neuron

Question 14

What causes the habitual learning?

Answer 14

A change in the release of Glut from the pre-synaptic cell( reduced)

Question 15

What causes less NT to be released?

Answer 15

Closing of Ca2+ channels

Question 16

What does Ca2+ do in a pre-synaptic neuron?

Answer 16

It allows vesicles to fuse to the membrane and release NT

Question 17

What is an example of Sensitization in Aplysia?

Answer 17

habituation an animal to siphon stimulation then paring it with stimulation of the tail

Question 18

What is an Axo-axonic aynpase?

Answer 18

when an axon creates a synapse with another axon terminal

Question 19

Where does the tail pathway innervate the gill withdraw reflex pathway?

Answer 19

It creates axo-axonic synapses with the Ex. Int. and the MN

Question 20

Axo-axonic synapses cause a greater response in the MN via?

Answer 20

metabotropic biochemical cascades

Question 21

What is the outcome of these biochemical cascades?

Answer 21

Phosphorylation of K+ channels
Opening of Ca2+ channels
Mobilization of vesicles

Question 22

What does the closing of K+ channels result in?

Answer 22

Extended depolarization, more NT released

Question 23

What happens when the FI(Facilitative Interneuron) is stimulated?

Answer 23

Increase levels of cAMP