Neuroscience Basics

Question 1

What are the 3 roles of the nervous system?

Answer 1

• controls and coordinates the other organs and systems in the body - allows an organism to sense its environment and make decisions based on what the environment tells us - controls and coordinates muscle and movement

Question 2

Define a neuron.

Answer 2

Cell that transmits electrical signal

Question 3

What is a nerve?

Answer 3

Axons of multiple neurons bundled together.

Question 4

Afferent neutrons go _____ the CNS and efferent neutrons go _____ the CNS

Answer 4

Aff - towards Eff - away from

Question 5

In a bilaterally symmetrical organism, what 3 functional divisions is the nervous system organized into?

Answer 5

• afferent - integration - efferent

Question 6

What are the two exceptions to cephalization?

Answer 6

Echinoderms and Cnidaria

Question 7

As the complexity of the organism increases, nervous systems have _____ nerves.

Answer 7

More

Question 8

What about the vertebrate nervous system is unique?

Answer 8

The central nervous system; brain and spinal cord encased in cartilage/bony cover.

Question 9

What are the two main divisions of the vertebrate nervous system?

Answer 9

Central and peripheral

Question 10

The ________ nervous system is the “involuntary nervous system” and is involved in homeostasis.

Answer 10

Autonomic

Question 11

What are the three branches of the ANS?

Answer 11

• sympathetic - parasympathetic - enteric

Question 12

Describe the function of the enteric nervous system.

Answer 12

Affects digestion by innervating the organs of the alimentary canal.

Question 13

Which branch of the ANS is most active during periods of stress or physical activity?

Answer 13

Sympathetic

Question 14

What are the two mechanisms for regulating autonomic function?

Answer 14

Dual innervation and antagonistic action.

Question 15

The _______ motor pathways are the body’s “voluntary system”; controlling skeletal muscle and is under conscious control.

Answer 15

Somatic

Question 16

What are the two major cell types of the CNS?

Answer 16

Glia and neurons

Question 17

What are the 5 types of Glial cells?

Answer 17

• Schwann - Astrocytes - Oligodendrocytes - Microglial - Ependymal

Question 18

Which glial cell is the primary glial cell of the PNS?

Answer 18

Schwann cells

Question 19

What is the primary glial cell of the CNS?

Answer 19

Oligodenrocytes

Question 20

Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells are similar because they both…

Answer 20

Provide myelin sheath for neurons.

Question 21

What is the function of astrocytes?

Answer 21

They are direct communication partners of neutrons, they interact with synapses; uptake and release of neurotransmitters and receptor mediated intracellular Ca2+ signalling. - transport nutrients to neurons - remove debris - guide neuronal development - regulate the space around the synapse - vascular regulation

Question 22

What glial cell is the equivalent to a macrophage?

Answer 22

Microglia

Question 23

What are the functions of microglia?

Answer 23

• remove debris - most active following trauma/injury - role in neurodegeneration

Question 24

What are ependymal cells and what do they do?

Answer 24

Line fluid filled cavities of the brain, often ciliated, that circulate cerebral spinal fluid.

Question 25

What are the four major sections of the neuron?

Answer 25

• signal reception (dendrites) - signal integration (axon hillock) - signal conduction (axon) - signal transmission (synapse)

Question 26

What are the general characteristics of neurons?

Answer 26

• post mitotic - do not replicate - oldest cells in body - variable length - maybe replaceable with neuronal stem cells

Question 27

Which part of the neuron are responsible for receiving an incoming signal?

Answer 27

Dendrites

Question 28

The ____________ is important in the neuron for integrating input from the dendrites.

Answer 28

Axon hillock

Question 29

What are the three structural classes of neurons?

Answer 29

• multipolar - bipolar - unipolar

Question 30

What are the major roles of cell membranes?

Answer 30

• isolate cells from the environment - organize intracellular pathways unto subcellular compartments

Question 31

What are lipid rafts?

Answer 31

Fluid portions used for organization of the membrane (areas that are high in cholesterol and glycolipids)

Question 32

What are integral membrane portions?

Answer 32

• tightly bound to the membrane - embedded in bilayer or spanning the entire membrane

Question 33

What are peripheral membrane proteins?

Answer 33

Weaker associations with the lipid bilayer

Question 34

The cell body of the membrane is the site of…

Answer 34

• transcription (within the nucleus) - mitochondrial biogenesis

Question 35

Movement of protein travelling along the axon happens along…

Answer 35

microtubules

Question 36

_______ are comprised of tubule dimers.

Answer 36

Microtubules

Question 37

Molecular motors move materials on microtubules, the two types of molecular motors are…

Answer 37

Kinesin and dynein

Question 38

Which molecular motor moves anterograde-from the cell to the synapse?

Answer 38

Kinesin

Question 39

Dynein moves _________ the cell body.

Answer 39

Retrograde-towards

Question 40

Define differences between axons and dendrites.

Answer 40

• axons take info away from the cell body - dendrites are rough (spines) while axons are smooth - there are many dendrites per cell - dendrites have ribosomes and axons do not - axons may have myelin and dendrites cannot - dendrites branch near the cell body.