L9 - learning and memory

Question 1

what are the types of memory

Answer 1

declarative
non-declarative
long term
short term

Question 2

what is declarative memory

Answer 2

facts - can memorise

Question 3

what is non-declarative memory

Answer 3

skill

Question 4

what do the presynaptic vesicles contain

Answer 4

glutamate or GABA

Question 5

what are the functions of synaptobrevin, SNAP24 and syntaxin

Answer 5

snares that interact with each other and bring the synaptic vesicle close to the membrane and leads to fusion

Question 6

what. is synaptotagmin

Answer 6

calcium sensor, senses increase in calcium in the pre-synaptic site. it triggers the release of the neurotransmitter

Question 7

what does the distance from the calcium channel to the synaptic vesicle release site regulate

Answer 7

regulates the amount of synaptic vesicles that can be released

Question 8

what is synaptotagmin regulated by

Answer 8

proteins and cytoskeleton molecules
this regulation is plastic so there can be modification of the proteins which regulate the distance of the synaptic vesicle to the calcium channel

Question 9

what are the 3 main pools of vesicles

Answer 9

readily releasable pool
proximal pool
reserve pool

Question 10

what is the readily releasable pool

Answer 10

as soon as calcium concentrations got sip, these vesicles are ready to be released

Question 11

what is the proximal pool

Answer 11

gets turned into readily releasable pool - slightly larger population

Question 12

what is the reserve pool

Answer 12

gets turned into the proximal pool - even larger population

Question 13

what are the 3 types of glutamate receptors

Answer 13

NMDA
AMPA
mGluR

Question 14

what is AMPA most permeable to

Answer 14

sodium and potassium

Question 15

what does opening of AMPA lead to

Answer 15

depolarisation of the neuron

Question 16

what is NMDA most permeable to

Answer 16

calcium

Question 17

what does NMDA receptor lead allow

Answer 17

increase of calcium inside the post-synaptic buton

Question 18

what is habituation

Answer 18

memory that allows the nervous system to stop responding to a stimulus that is repetitively appearing

Question 19

what is sensitisation

Answer 19

opposite of habituation - if stimulus is constant and important then the NS responds more

Question 20

4 examples of habituation in humans

Answer 20

habituation of eye blink reflex
habituation of repetitive non harmful stimulus
habituation of visual attention
habituation of emotional response

Question 21

what are the two important organs of aplysia

Answer 21

gill and the siphon (used for locomotion) contains lots of sensory neurons
have developed a gill reflex when the siphon is touched

Question 22

outline habituation in aplysia

Answer 22

repeated stimuli (10-15 times, intervals of 10-60s) get a reduction of the reflex - occurs at the abdominal ganglion synapse

Question 23

what is the cellular basis of habituation

Answer 23

habituation results from a reduced synaptic strength

>50% lower quantal release

Question 24

what happens if habituation is done at the postsynaptic neuron

Answer 24

the results become smaller and smaller, therefore a change between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neuron in behaviour.

Question 25

outline sensitisation in aplysia

Answer 25

if perform electric shock, can see a very strong increase of gill withdrawal reflex, if touch siphon post electric shock the response is much larger than before

Question 26

mechanism of sensitisation of alpysia

Answer 26

1) L29 neuron responds to the mild electric shock, it synapses with the presynaptic site of the sensory neuron
2) releases 5-HT (serotonin) which is detected by the metabotropic serotonin receptors on the presynaptic buton
3) This activates the G-protein, which in turn activates adenylyl cyclase to convert ATP to cAMP
4) cAMP activates protein kinase A
5) PKA phosphorylates protein targets
6) This inactivates K+ channels, so get a longer depolarisation
7) means get more vesicular release and therefore a greater response