Evolution of the brain and synapse

Question 1

What does the term homolog mean?

Answer 1

Genes or proteins that share a common ancestor found in different species.

Question 2

What does the term ortholog mean?

Answer 2

Genes and proteins that share a common function or structure in different species

Question 3

What does the term paralog mean?

Answer 3

Multiple variants of a similar protein or gene in one species. The alpha and beta genes.

Question 4

Describe the evolution of the synapse

Answer 4

It first started with the protosynapse, then the ursynapse and now the synapse

Question 5

Name which critical synapse gene arise in different species

Question 6

Analyse the difference between the brain of humans and of other species

Answer 6

In nocturnal primates the visual cortex is a lot bigger compared to humans.

Question 7

Which organisms mark the forst organisms with a nervous system?

Answer 7

Glutamate receptors

Question 8

What is a protosynapse?

Answer 8

Protein complex in organisms without a nervous system

Question 9

What does ontogeny and phylogeny mean?

Answer 9

ontogeny: development of an organism in embryology
phylogeny: development of a species in evolution