Neuroscience - Key Terms

Question 1

receptor adaptation

Answer 1

receptor cells responding strongly to changes in stimulus strength, but reset their membrane potentials back to rest if a stimulus remains constant

Question 2

lateral inhibition

Answer 2

inhibition of one part of a sensory pathway by excitation of a neighbouring part

e.g. in visual system - cells carrying information from neighbouring patches of retina inhibit one another

Question 3

dynamic range

Answer 3

the range of stimulus strengths over which a sensory system can respond

a receptor cell without the ability to adapt has poor sensitivity or a limited response range

Question 4

saturation

Answer 4

point at which a sensory system/ part has reached its maximum response magnitude

can’t signal increases in stimulus strength or differentiate between stimuli that differ in strength

Question 5

synaptic plasticity

Answer 5

changes in the strength and effectiveness of synapses in response to patterns of use

e.g. long-term potentiation

Question 6

long-term potentiation/ LTP

Answer 6

a long-lasting increase in the strength of synaptic transmission

increases strength of synapse by increasing transmitter availability, receptor numbers andd receptor effectiveness

Question 7

neuroplasticity

Answer 7

ability of the brain/NS to change its neural network structure, connections and activity through growth and reorganisation in response to stimuli