intro to neuroscience

Question 1

How many ppl will be affected with a brain disease at some point in their life?

Answer 1

1 in 4 ,

brain disease is 35% of the global burden

Question 2

who does brain diseases effect the most?

Answer 2

young ppl in their 20’s

Question 3

why will the same disease not produce the same symptoms in different or even the same person?

Answer 3

because of plasticity , the brain is always changing

Question 4

why are some artists like da Vinci and vesalius important for the history of neuroscience?

Answer 4

they studied the brain and drew it

Question 5

do other organisms besides animals have nervous systems?

Answer 5

no but some plants have sensors like the sundew whereas the sea anemone has a nervous system b/c it is an animal

Question 6

why have we developed such an evolved and highly-diverse nervous system??

Answer 6

because it allows us to select for the most adaptive meaningful behaviors.

Question 7

what are the 3 basic functions performed by the nervous system?

Answer 7

sensation- receive sensory input from internal and external environment

• perception- create internal maps of information
• action- response in adaptive manner to stimuli

Question 8

which cells have the most advanced dentritic system?

Answer 8

purkinje cells

Question 9

ganglion can collect more info than__________ cells ( because their________are more spread out)

Answer 9

bipolar cells

dendrites are more spread out

Question 10

what is the main info processor in the cortex?

Answer 10

cortical pyramidal cell ( their soma is triangular) which are found throughout the cortex

Question 11

What are the main non neuronal cell types in the nervous system?

Answer 11

glial cells: astrocytes, oligodentrocytes, and microglia

Question 12

what do astrocytes do and what is their structure?

Answer 12

they have lots of processes ( look like a star) to fill in spaces around the neurons.

They serve as a source and sink for molecules released by neurons. they contribute to the blood brain barrier and control transprt of substances from the blood to neural tissue

they can change the role they perform when activated by injury or illness.

Question 13

what do oligodentrocytes do?

Answer 13

they provide myelin sheathing in the central nervous system.

Question 14

what do microglial cells do?

Answer 14

they serve as a source and a sink of metabolites, nutrients,

they are protective of nervous tissue in that they can become phagocytic

they are 10% of cells in the nervous system ( and are hematopoetic not derived from the brain cells)

Question 15

what is a synaptic button or ending?

Answer 15

where the neurotransmitter is released

Question 16

what happens to dendritic spines when you learn new things?

Answer 16

they get rearranged

Question 17

What happens to dendritic spines constantly?

Answer 17

we lose them and make new ones

Question 18

when does the # of dendritic spine cells peak?

Answer 18

btw ages 8-12 then they start to decline but we keep the correct ones ( we have a great excess of them)

Question 19

what are the 3 neuron types?

Answer 19

sensory/afferent- have long dendrite and short axon, carry message from sensory receptors to the CNS.

motor/efferent neurons- long axon and short dendrites, they transmit messages from CNS to muscles and glands

interneurons - found only in the CNS where they interconnect neurons

Question 20

what is the paleocortex?

Answer 20

the most primitive layer of cortex composed of 4 layers in the pyriform cortex

Question 21

what is the archiocortex?

Answer 21

3 layers of cortex, which are mainly found in the hippocampus

Question 22

what is the neocortex?

Answer 22

the last part of the cortex to develop.

Question 23

explain the knee jerk response in terms of neurons?

Answer 23

hammer taps the tendon which in turn stretches sensory receptors in leg extensor muscle.

the sensory neuron synapses w/ and excites motor neuron in the spinal cord

sensory neuron also excites spinal interneuron

interneuron synapse inhibits motor neuron to flexor muscles

motor neuron conducts action potential to synapse on extensor muscle fibers causing contractions

flexor muscle relaxes b/c the activity of it’s neurons has been inhibited

leg extends

Question 24

what part of the body has the largest sensory input?

Answer 24

the hands

Question 25

what is the functional stretch reflex?

Answer 25

contraction of the calf muscles –> promote further tipping backward, so calf muscles response is reduced over multiple trials ( demonstrated when he tipped annete back on table in class)

Question 26

Are all nervous systems the same?

Answer 26

no, e.g crickets hear through their legs