Exam II Flashcards
Which is the following is a landmark on the surface of the rodent skill that can be used for stereotaxic surgery?
a. Alpha
b. Sigma
c. Lambda
d. Boolean
c.Lambda
In order to perform stereotaxic surgery, the brain region of interest must first be located in
a. Brain atlas
b. Brain map
c. Brain database
d. Photograph
a. Brain atlas
Bregma is
a. An XY coordinate system
b. A point on the rodent skull where sutures meet
c. The ideal point of entry for stereotaxic surgery
d. A specialized cannula for electrophysiological implantation
b. A point on the rodent skull where sutures meet
Microelectrodes used in electrophysiological recording are generally
a. Plastic fibers
b. Epoxy-coated metal filaments
c. Glass pipettes stretched real thin
d. B and C
d. B and C
Metal screens that encase the electrophysiology equipment used to keep electromagnetic noise out of the system are called
a. Faraday cage
b. Coaxial mesh
c. Capacitor
d. Tesla coil
a. Faraday cage
IV curve for an ion channel plots
a. An observed current through a channel against a controlled voltage
b. A controlled current through a channel and the observed result voltage
c. The membrane voltage response to neurotransmitter application
d. Magnets, how do they work?
a. An observed current through a channel against a controlled voltage
What is the optical property that in principle limits resolution in optical microscopy
a. Wavelength of the light
b. Intensity of the light
c. Distance from the sample
d. Both a and b
a. Wavelength of the light
Numerical aperture depends on
a. The angle of incidence of light on the lens
b. The refractive index of the medium between sample and lens
c. Intensity of light
d. Color light
e. A and b
e. A and b
What behavior of light leads to the resolution limit
a. Refraction
b. Reflection
c. Absorption
d. Diffraction
d. Diffraction
Which is not a component of a fluorescence microscope
a. Excitation filter
b. Mercury/ full spectrum lamp
c. Dichroic mirror
d. Nomarsky filter
d. Nomarsky filter
The dichroic mirror used in fluorescence imaging generally
a. Allows high energy light to pass through but reflects low energy light
b. Allows low-energy light to pass through but reflects high-energy light
c. Allows only the excitation light to pass through and blocks everything else
d. Allows only the emission light to pass through and blocks everything else
b. Allows low-energy light to pass through but reflects high-energy light
What is not a method to enhance contrast in optical microscopy?
a. Phase contrast
b. Darkfield microscopy
c. Uchara interference
d. Differential interference
c. Uchara interference
Which is not involved in the preparation of samples for TEM
a. Ultramicrotome
b. Osmium tetroxide
c. Epon epoxy embedding medium
d. Paraffin embedding medium
a. Ultramicrotome
Confocal microscopy involves which of the following
a. Full-spectrum mercury lamp
b. Nomarsky filter
c. Dichroic or dichromatic mirror
d. Polarization filter
c. Dichroic or dichromatic mirror
What is the primary purpose of immunohistochemistry in neuroscience research?
a. Staining of lipids and proteins in tissue samples
b. Detection and visualization of specific antigens in tissue sections
c. Amplification of DNA and RNA sequences
d. Measurement of electrical activity in neurons
b. Detection and visualization of specific antigens in tissue sections
Two-photo microscopy differs from fluorescence in that
a. The excitation light source is twice the wavelength of the fluorophore excitation wavelength
b. The excitation light source is half the wavelength of the fluorophore excitation wavelength
c. It requires the simultaneous convergence of two photons on the same fluorophore
d. Both a and c
e. Both b and c
d. Both a and c
Regarding immunohistochemistry, the epitope is
a. The site on the antibody that is selectively “sticky”
b. The site of interest that the antibody “sticks” to
c. The region of the antibody that is always the same
d. The region of the antibody that is specific to the species it was raised in
b. The site of interest that the antibody “sticks” to
Regarding immunohistochemistry, the constant region is
a. The site on the antibody that is selectively “sticky”
b. The sire of the interest that the antibody “sticks” to
c. The region of the antibody that is always the same
d. The region of the antibody that is specific to the species it was raised in
c. The region of the antibody that is always the same
What type of tract tracer traces from the cell body down the axon
a. Retrograde
b. Paragrade
c. Anterograde
d. Passinggrade
c. Anterograde
What type of tract tracer traces from the cell body up the dendrites
a. Retrograde
b. Paragrade
c. Anterograde
d. Passinggrade
a. Retrograde
Electron Microscope Tomography ( EMT) differs from TEM in that
a. The tilt angle in EMT is static
b. Many tilt imaging angles are used in EMT
c. Electron backscatter is used in EMT
d. EMT uses gamma rays instead of an electron beam
b. Many tilt imaging angles are used in EMT
What structure was imaged and analyzed by Harlow et al. using EMT in the paper discussed in class?
a. Glutamatergic active zone in excitatory synapses
b. Frog neuromuscular junction
c. Mouse tectum
d. Hamster MPNimag
b. Frog neuromuscular junction
In the paper by Harlow et al., discussed in class, what evidence was there that was a tension on the vesicles imaged?
a. They were deformed in the direction of the ribs
b. They were flattened to disks as pressed against the presynaptic membrane
c. They were perfect spheres
d. They had no visible interactions with any other proteins or structures
a. They were deformed in the direction of the ribs
A freezing microtome differs from a cryostat in that the microtome
a. Only freezes the stage
b. Sections within a refrigerated chamber
c. Requires unfixed tissue
d. Must be painted red
a. Only freezes the stage
Which of the following is a key advantage of using the indirect method in immunohistochemistry?
a. Faster staining process
b. Signal amplification and increased sensitivity
c. Lower risk of cross-reactivity
d. Simple procedure with fewer steps
b. Signal amplification and increased sensitivity
Which of the following is a method of signal detection in immunohistochemistry?
a. In situ hybridization
b. DAB
c. Western blot
d. Southern blot
b. DAB
A monoclonal antibody differs from a polyclonal antibody in that
a. A polyclonal antibody only recognizes one epitope
b. A monoclonal antibody recognizes many epitopes
c. A polyclonal antibody is really a mixture of different antibodies that recognize many epitopes
d. A polyclonal antibody can only be a secondary antibody
c. A polyclonal antibody is really a mixture of different antibodies that recognize many epitopes
Which of the following was used to indicate gene expression?
i. Netrin
ii. PLAP
iii. ER81
iv. Cadherin
ii. PLAP
What type of protein is FezL?
i. Kinase
ii. Phosphatase
iii. Transcriptional repressor
iv. Polymerase
ii. Phosphatase
Which of the following was a major technique used in this study?
i. Electrophysiological recording
ii. Electrical stimulation
iii. Axonal tract tracing
iv. Dendritic electroporation
i. Electrophysiological recording
The development of which of the following is controlled by FezL?
i. Cortical projection neurons
ii. Hippocampal projections to the amygdala
iii. Denate gyrus formation
iv. Cerebellar networks
i. Cortical projection neurons
What region was studied in these experiments?
i. Lateral geniculate nucleus
ii. Middle temporal visual area
iii. Inferior temporal gyrus
iv. Occipital cortex
i. Lateral geniculate nucleus
What is the region of the brain responsible for?
i. Processing color
ii. Processing shape
iii. Face detection
iv. Motion detection
iv. Motion detection
How was this function probed?
i. Moving dots in the visual field
ii. Changing colors in the visual field
iii. Moving color fields
iv. Comparison of faces with scrambled faces
i. Moving dots in the visual field
How was the perception of this function manipulated?
i. Drug administration
ii. Antagonists to GABA
iii. Electrical microstimulation
iv. Blocking ribosomes
iii. Electrical microstimulation
What is the part of the antigen, recognized by the antibody that is selectively “sticky” to the antibody?
The epitope (or antigenic determinant) is the specific portion of an antigen that is recognized by and binds to an antibody.
Identify two techniques that can be used to visualize gene expression in research
- In Situ Hybridization (ISH)
- GFP/fluorescent proteins
Describe the difference between monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are produced by a single B cell clone and recognize a single epitope, providing high specificity but being more expensive and complex to produce. They are better for specific applications and are consistent between batches. Polyclonal antibodies, produced by multiple B cell clones and immunizing animals, recognize multiple epitopes and are more robust to antigen changes but have more batch-to-batch variation. Monoclonal applications include therapeutic use, specific protein detection, and flow cytometry, while polyclonal applications include Western blots, immunoprecipitation, and general protein detection.
Describe the process of DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing involves breaking down DNA into smaller fragments, forming a starting point for synthesis. DNA polymerization adds nucleotides, including dideoxynucleotides, which stop further DNA elongation. When a dideoxynucleotide is incorporated, DNA synthesis terminates. Each dideoxynucleotide is tagged with a fluorescent label. DNA fragments of varying lengths are separated using capillary electrophoresis, allowing the sequencing machine to resolve them by size. A laser detects the label on each terminated fragment, identifying the nucleotide at each position in the sequence.
Describe how the PCR technique is modified to sequence DNA
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is modified for DNA sequencing in Sanger sequencing, using cycle sequencing. This process involves using a DNA sample as the template, using a single primer to initiate DNA synthesis, and adding modified dideoxynucleotides (ddNTPs) to terminate the chain. The PCR-like cycles of denaturation, annealing, and extension are repeated multiple times, with random termination occurring during extension steps. As the process progresses, DNA fragments of varying lengths are generated, each ending with a fluorescently labeled ddNTP. The fragments are separated by size, and the terminal ddNTP of each fragment is detected by its fluorescent signal, revealing the DNA sequence.
Draw and label an IV curve on the axes below with the following characteristics
a. It is voltage-gated with an opening of -45 mV
b. Reversal potential of +20mV
c. The current becomes ohmic (linear) at -35mV
d. Be sure to label the axes ( I and V should also be defined not just placed on the graph)
What large anatomical structure from what animal model was imaged in the experiments described in this paper?
The large anatomical structure imaged in the experiments described by Harlow et al. (2001) was the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of frogs. The NMJ is a synapse where motor neurons transmit signals to muscle fibers, leading to muscle contraction
Identify and describe two of the structures that the researchers imaged in high detail for the first time.
Presynaptic pegs: Membrane protrusions in the presynaptic terminal, which are involved in synaptic vesicle docking and release.
Vesicular macromolecules: High-resolution imaging revealed the structural arrangement of vesicles and associated proteins critical for neurotransmitter release.
What is the relationship between the pegs and macromolecules with the vesicles? Be sure to discuss their likely identity and include the importance of proximity in your answer.
The pegs interact with the macromolecular complexes to tether vesicles to the presynaptic membrane, facilitating vesicle docking and fusion for neurotransmitter release.
What does AZM stand for? Briefly describe what that is.
AZM stands for Active Zone Material, which is a dense matrix of macromolecules at the presynaptic membrane of synapses. It plays a vital role in organizing synaptic vesicles, facilitating their docking, and coordinating neurotransmitter release at the NMJ
