Exam One Flashcards
Neuroanatomy/physiology/chemistry/pharmacology
which field of study focuses on the macroscopic scale of the brain?
gross anatomy
front anterior to posterior, what is the correct order of brain lobes?
frontal, parietal, occipital
in humans, the dorsal side of the brain is also ___, and the dorsal side of the spinal cord is also ___.
superior, posterior
the sagittal plane divides the brain into ___ halves.
left and right
which structure corresponds to the primary motor cortex?
precentral gyrus
what types of functions are associated with the subcortical structures?
reflexive behaviors, emotions, non-cognitive functions
which brain structure is responsible for memory?
hippocampus
which part of the embryonic brain turns into the cerebral cortex?
forebrain-telencephalon
what is the typical flow of information in a neuron?
dendrite > soma > axon
which part of a neuron is directly responsible for generating electrical signal?
cell membrane
passive ion channels allow certain ions to move across the membrane ___.
down their concentration gradient
which ion is more abundant inside the cell?
K+
the resting membrane potential is influenced by ___.
concentration gradient of all ions, but especially by ions the membrane is more permeable to
the equilibrium potential for an ion is the potential at which ____.
there is no net movement of that ion across that membrane
which type of stimulus is more likely to generate an action potential?
large depolarization
increasing stimulus strength will ____ of action potentials
increase the number/frequency
which event is responsible for the upward slope of the action potential?
opening of voltage-gated Na+ channels
during relative refractory period ____.
only a strong stimulus can generate another action potential
which type of axon has the fastest speed of action potential conduction?
large myelinated axons
which type of ion channel facilitates the fusion of synaptic vesicles to the presynaptic membrane?
voltage-gated Ca2+ channel
what happens as a result of neurotransmitter binding?
ion channels open or close, producing EPSP or IPSP
electrical synapses ____.
are passive and very fast
___ is the most widespread excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain
glutamate
___ is the most widespread inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain
GABA
ACh is involved in ___.
muscle contraction/voluntary movement, arousal/attention/memory, autonomic nervous system
the target organs in the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems have ___ and ___ receptors, respectively
muscarinic ACh, adrenergic
what some targets of the autonomic nervous system?
cardiac muscles, smooth muscles, gland cells
organophosphates — acetylcholine
increase the time ACh is available in the synapse
why can’t serotonin that is produced in the gut affect the brain?
it cannot cross the blood-brain barrier
factors that affect the relationship between a drug and its target receptors are called ___
pharmacodynamics
which process is the target of antidepressants such as SSRIs?
neurotransmitter clearance
which receptor is the target of alcohol?
GABA
psychedelics are ___ of ___ receptors
agonists, serotonin 5HT2A
hallucinations due to psychedelic drugs are ___ and ___
temporary, visual
the most common mechanism of antidepressants is ___ clearance of ___
decreased, serotonin and norepinephrine
the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia was proposed because antipsychotic drugs had side effects similar to ___ in which dopamine is reduced
parkinson’s disease
the ability to delay gratification is associated with ___
less impulsivity, less chance of addiction, more chance of success
antipsychotics are ___ of ___ receptors
antagonists, dopamine D2
what is true about physical dependence?
tolerance and withdrawal are two aspects of physical dependence
caffeine is an antagonist to adenosine receptors. developing functional tolerance for caffeine involves ___ of adenosine receptors
upregulation
the perception of experiencing every reward is different but the ___ reward system is activated for all types of rewards
same
what are the direct targets of VTA in the mesolimbocortical pathway?
the amygdala, frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens
what do glial cells do?
support essential nervous system functions
what is myelin?
a lipid-based material coating some axons
what cells produce myelin?
oligodendrocytes (CNS) and Schwann Cells (PNS)
what disease is caused by myelin loss?
multiple sclerosis
what happens to membrane potential in depolarization and hyperpolarization?
in depolarization: inside of cell becomes more positive
in hyperpolarization: inside of cell becomes more negative
what is the difference between ionotropic and metabotropic receptors?
ionotropic receptors are ligand-gated ion channels; metabotropic receptors are G-protein coupled
why is nicotine addictive?
nicotine mimics ACh, increases dopamine release, registers as rewarding
why does addiction kill?
it takes over the dopaminergic reward pathway, forces out everything else
pharmacokinetics?
movement of drugs within the body
pharmacodynamics?
relationship between a drug and its target receptors
ED50?
median effective dose; 50% of recipients show desired results
LD50?
median lethal dose; 50% of recipients die from drug toxicity
therapeutic index?
TI; range of doses w/o extreme adverse effects
frequent targets of antidepressants?
serotonin and norepinephrine
target receptor of antipsychotics and psychedelics?
5HT2A (serotonin)
what is up-regulation?
response to an antagonist; more receptors
what is down-regulation?
response to an agonist; fewer receptors
