Module 1

Question 1

What is an ontogenetic explanation?

Answer 1

A description of how something develops.

Why females and males differ = evaluating behavior @ different stages

Question 1

What is a physiological explanation?

Answer 1

An explanation in which it relates a behaviour to activity in the brain/other organs.

(e.g, hormones, how brain activity controls muscles)

Question 2

What is an evolutionary explanation?

Answer 2

The “reconstruction” of a behaviour or structure.

E.g, porcupine quills are modified hairs, bat wings are modified arms.

Question 3

What is a functional explanation?

Answer 3

Explaining why a structure/behavior evolved as it did.

Question 4

What is monism?

Answer 4

The idea that the universe consists of one type of being/matter.

Question 5

What is a neuron?

Neurons talk to eachother using “excitatory” and inhibitory signals; they then sum up these signals to respond accordingly. A simple “yes or no” type democracy.

Answer 5

A cell that both recieves and transmits information

Question 6

What is a nucleus?

Answer 6

A structure inside a cell that contains chromosomes.

Question 7

What is a ribosome?

Answer 7

A structure that synthesizes new protein molecules.

Question 8

What is a mitochondrion?

Plural: Mitochondria

Answer 8

The “powerhouse” of the cell; responsible for metabolic activies inside the cell.

Question 9

What is a sensory neuron?

Answer 9

A specific type of neuron, one responsible for recieving sensory information,

Question 10

What are dendrites?

Dendric spines increase surface area availible for synapses.

Answer 10

The branching fibres at the end of a neuron, which recieve information.

I.e, the “input” side of a neuron.

Question 11

What is a motor neuron?

Answer 11

A specific type of neuron, responsible for regulating muscle movement.

Question 12

What is a soma?

Also known as the “cell body”.

Answer 12

The “fat” part of a neuron, which contains the nucleus, ribosomes, and mitochondria.

Question 13

What is the axon?

Answer 13

An axon is the “spine” of the neuron, conveying impulses to other neurons.

Question 14

What is a presynaptic terminal?

AKA the “terminal button”, “end bulb”, or “bouton”.

Answer 14

The “output’ side of the neuron, where information is sent to other cells.

Question 15

What is a mylein sheath?

Answer 15

The glial coating that insulates neurons; it speeds of neural inpulses

see also: saltetory conduction

Question 16

What are the nodes of Ranvier?

Answer 16

The small “intteruptions” between the myelin sheath.

Question 17

What is an efferent axon?

Answer 17

An axon that carries info away from a structure.

Every motor neuron is an efferent neuron.

Question 18

What is an afferent axon?

Answer 18

An axon that brings information into a structure.

Every sensory neuron is an afferent neuron.

Question 19

What is a glia cell?

Answer 19

The “supportive” cells for neurons.

Question 20

What is an ependymal cell?

Hint; a type of glia cell.

Answer 20

A cell (found on walls of ventricles) that produce cerebral spinal fluid

These cells form the Choroid Plexus.

Question 21

What is a microglia?

Answer 21

Cells in the central nervous system that clean up dead neurons/glial cells.

Question 22

What is an astrocyte?

Answer 22

A type of glia cell in the CNS that help form the blood brain barrier.

Neurons “request” oxygen/glucose from blood supply via these cells.

Question 23

What is the difference between Schwann cells and Oligodendria cells?

Answer 23

Oligodendria cells myelinate axons in the central nervous system, whereas Schwann cells myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system.

Question 24

What is a radial glia cell?

Answer 24

The “developing cells”; they guide neurons during development.

Afterwards, these cells turn into other cells -neurons, astrocytes, etc.

Question 25

What is the blood-brain barrier?

Answer 25

A barrier in the brain (mostly composed of endothelial cells) that regulates what can and can’t pass into the brain.

Molecules that disolve in fats enter passively, as well as water.

Question 26

What are interneurons?

Answer 26

The neurons that bridge between motor neurons and sensory neurons.

Question 27

What is an action potential?

Answer 27

A large, brief reversal in polarity of an axon; it lasts aprox. 1 mili-second.

The AP’s threshold of Excitation is -70mV

Question 28

What is action potential propagation?

Answer 28

Refers to the propagation (or spreading) of an AP on the membrane of an axon.

Question 29

What is an axon hillock?

Answer 29

the part of the soma that connects to the axon; very rich in sensitive channels; where EPSP and IPSP will summate.

Question 30

What is an IPSP?

Answer 30

Inhibitory Post-Synaptic Potentials; a hyper-polarizing potential that decreases the chance of an AP.

Question 31

What is an EPSP?

Answer 31

Excitatory Post-Synaptic Potential; a depolarizing potential that increases the chance of an AP.

Question 32

What is the first step in an AP?

Answer 32

resting state (-70mV)

Question 33

What is the second step in an AP?

Answer 33

slight depolarization at threshold (-50mV), followed by massive depolarization

Sodium (Na+) open up - Potassium (K+) channels open - Sodium (Na+) channels close

Question 34

What is the third step in an AP?

Answer 34

repolarization - efflux of Potassium (K+), slow closing of Potassium channels

Question 35

What is the fourth step of an AP?

Answer 35

hyperpolarization; continued efflux of Potassium (K+)

Question 36

What is the fifth and last step of an AP?

Answer 36

return back to resting state (-70mV)

Question 37

What is an absolute refractory period?

Answer 37

The rising and repolarizing phase of the AP; a new AP cannot be ellicited

Question 38

What is a relative refractory period?

Answer 38

The space of time in which a new AP can be ellicited, but it requires a much stronger stimulus than before