lecture 5 + 6 - adrian rees

Question 1

what did camillo golgi do

Answer 1

used a golgi stain allowing visualisation of the whole neurons

Question 2

what are the current methods of labelling

Answer 2

gene activated fluorescence

Question 3

how does gene activated fluorescence work

Answer 3

E.g green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluoresces when illuminates with ~488 wavelength.
Can be expressed in neurones by genetic manipulation or by injecting modified viruses
Allows us to see detailed structure
Can trace axons of neurones to work out circuitry

Question 4

Transport of tracer (virus, retrobeads) can be..

Answer 4

anterograde or retrograde

Question 5

what does anterograde mean

Answer 5

the tracer is picked up by the dendrites and the cells bodies and is transported to the axon terminals

Question 6

IHC

Answer 6

reveals the presence of a particular protein (NT, receptor)
primary antibody attaches to target protein
often secondary antibody (labelled to make it light or electron visible) is used to attach to primary.

Question 7

recording from individual neurons

Answer 7

in vivo:
- brain has no pain receptors so can do under anaesthetic
- can do acute or chronic recording
- can use physiological stimulus
- can combine recording with behavioural task

Question 8

in vitro:

Answer 8

• brain slice
• apply drugs/transmitter blockers
• electrical or optical stimulation - but not physiological
• good stability for intracellular recording
• dye fill for morphological reconstruction (label neuron)

Question 9

techniques for studying human brain

Answer 9

neural: EEG and MEG
Haemodynamic: fMRI, fNIRs and PET

Question 10

functional imaging detects…

Answer 10

changes in blood flow in the brain

Question 11

functional MRI

Answer 11

harnesses different paramagnetic properties of deoxy and oxy haemoglobin