exam 1

Question 1

What is the vision pathway?

Answer 1

1. Photoreceptors
2. Ganglion cells
3. Thalamus
4. V1
5. Rest of visual pathway

Question 2

Strength of synapses depend on: 
1. number of vesicles released, 
2. size of cleft, 
3. speed of re-uptake,  
4. cross-sectional area of the soma 
5. number of ligand gated channels
which one isn't true?

Answer 2

4.

Question 3

Transient, two closed states, and 1 open state. Does this describe potassium or sodium?

Answer 3

Sodium

Question 4

An excitatory neuron opens the ligand gated channels, what does this cause?

Answer 4

causes a +ve current into the cell. Sodium of calcium ions flow into the cell.

Question 5

Why have auto-associative networks never been useful for machine learning?

Answer 5

Because they cant effectively store anything but random patterns.

Question 6

What is the best studied function of the hippocampus?

Answer 6

Spatial memory

Question 7

What is the basal ganglia connected to?

Answer 7

The cortex, thalamus and brain stem.

Question 8

What type of synapse does the Ventral tegemental area have a large number of?

Answer 8

Gap junctions

Question 9

What does the Marr-Albus model say about connections from parallel fibers to purkinje cell?

Answer 9

They act as a perceptron

Question 10

Name all the places along the visual path way where processing or de-noising takes place.

Answer 10

1. In the eye
2. Thalamus
3. Visual cortex

Question 11

What is responsible for the brains reward system?

Answer 11

the mesocortical dopaminergic pathway

Question 12

What is a conditioned stimulus?

Answer 12

A stimulus that you are trained to produce a response to.

Question 13

Can the effect of one neuron on another vary?

Answer 13

Yes, not just from neuron to neurons, but time to time as well.

Question 14

When a spike arrives at the terminal bouton, what does it cause?

Answer 14

1. Opens the calcium gates in the cellular membrane
2. The resulting influx of calcium ions causes some of the vesicles to move towards the membrane by the cleft
3. These vesicles burst - releasing the neurotransmitters in to the cleft

Question 15

What is the basal ganglia considered to be?

Answer 15

Seat of action selection.