Ch.1 Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses

Question 1

What are the two main types of cells in the nervous system?

Answer 1

Neurons and Glia

Question 2

This type of cell in the nervous system is unevenly distributed.

Answer 2

Neurons

Question 3

On average, how many neurons does the adult human brain contain?

Answer 3

Approximately 86 billion neurons, however, the exact number varies by the individual.

Question 4

Neurons have two main functions, what are they?

Answer 4

Receive information and transmit it to other cells.

Question 5

The idea that the brain is composed of individual cells was in doubt up until the 1800s. Who debunk it?

Answer 5

Santiago Ramon y Cajal

Question 6

How did Santago Ramon y Cajal prove that the brain consists of individual cells?

Answer 6

Using a more advance microscope at the time, he was able to see the gap separating the neuron’s tips and fiber from the surface of the next neurons.

Question 7

Who were the two main scientists widely recognized as the founders of neuroscience?

Answer 7

Charles Sherrington, and Santiago Ramon y Cajal