Neurons and neurotransmitters

Question 1

What is the main function of the brain??

Answer 1

The brain interprets and predicts.

Question 2

Explain brain activity.

Answer 2

All our experiences, thoughts and actions are the direct reflection of the activity of the brain. The brain is a physical system operating according to physical laws. The mid is a product of brain activity.

Question 3

Explain the nervous system and its parts.

Answer 3

The ns has 2 main parts. The central ns is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral ns is made up of nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body.

Question 4

Name the 4 lobes of the brain.

Answer 4

Frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and the temporal lobe.

Question 5

What are the brain’s processing units?

Answer 5

These are called neurons.

Question 6

What are the main components of a neuron.

Answer 6

A neuron has a cell body, which includes the cell nucleus and special extensions called axons and dendrites. Bundles of axons called nerves, are found throughout the body. Axons and dendrites allow neurons to communicate, even across long distances.

Question 7

What is a bundle of axons called?

Answer 7

Nerves

Question 8

Is the inside of a neuron negatively or positively charged compared to the outside?

Answer 8

Negatively

Question 9

These neurons transmit messages from the brain to the rest of the muscles to generate movement.

Answer 9

Motor neurons.

Question 10

What are the 2 different types of neurons that control/perform different activities?

Answer 10

Motor and sensory neurons.

Question 11

What are sensory neurons?

Answer 11

They detect light, sound, odor, taste, pressure, heat and send messages about those things to the brain.

Question 12

Explain the process of how a neuron sends a message to another neuron?

Answer 12

• It sends an electrical signal down the length of its axon.
• At end of axon that signal turns into a chemical signal.
• the axon releases the signal with chemical messengers called neurotransmitters into the synapse
• the neurotransmitters move the signal through the synapse to the neighboring dendrite which converts the chemical signal back into an electrical signal.
• That signal then travels through the neuron and goes through the same conversion process as it moves to neighboring neurons.

Question 13

What is a synapse?

Answer 13

This is the space between end of an axon and the tip of the dendrite from another neuron.

Question 14

What is a dendrite?

Answer 14

A dendrite (tree branch) is where a neuron receives input from other cells..

Question 15

What is the axon?

Answer 15

This cable, several times thinner than a human hair, is called an axon, and it is where electrical impulses from the neuron travel away to be received by other neurons.

Question 16

What is resting membrane potential?

Answer 16

RMP is the difference in electrical potential across the plasma membranes when the cell is not stimulated or when the cell is in a state of relaxation. Info is transmitted within the cell by transient alterations in the membrane.

Question 17

What is action potential?

Answer 17

When a neuron is stimulated enough it fires an electrical impulse that zips down its axon to its neighboring neuron. They only have 1 signal they can send and it only transmits 1 uniform strength and speed. That nerve impulse is called action potential.

Question 18

Integration of info can occur in the dendrite by the … or …

Answer 18

Spatial or temporal summation of graded potentials

Question 19

Within axons this “pulse” is ..

Answer 19

All or none

Question 20

Explain temporal summation…

Answer 20

Multiple neurotransmitters are released from one presynaptic terminal.

Question 21

Explain spatial summation…

Answer 21

Multiple presynaptic terminals release neurotransmitters to generate a postsynaptic action potential.

Question 22

What is the RMP electricity?

Answer 22

The resting potential of electrically excitable cells lies in the range of -70mV.

Question 23

What is an ion channel?

Answer 23

These receptors are usually multimeric proteins located in the plasma membrane. Each of these proteins arranges itself so that it forms a passageway or pore extending from one side of the membrane to the other.

Question 24

What is an axon hillock?

Answer 24

The axon arises from the cell body at a small elevation called the axon hillock.

Question 25

What is the initial segment?

Answer 25

The proximal part of the axon, adjacent to the axon hillock is the initial segement.

Question 26

How is info transmitted within the cell?

Answer 26

It is transmitted within the cell by transient alterations in the membrane potential.

Question 27

Define a neuron and neurotransmitters.

Answer 27

A neuron is cells of the nervous system specialized to transmit ‘messages’. A neurotransmitter is chemicals used by neurons to communicate to each other.