The Developing Nervous System Flashcards
What is the governing principle of developmental biology?
The genome is a set of instructions for making an organ of the body, not a blueprint.
How many genes are involved in orchestrating the development of the human body and brain?
About 40,000 genes.
Which organism shares many genes important in human nervous system development?
Fruit fly, Drosophila.
What is the first step in brain development?
Cell division.
What process follows cell division in brain development?
Cell differentiation.
What is the term for the process in which different kinds of neurons migrate to various locations?
Pattern formation.
What structure forms from a small patch of cells on the upper surface of the bilayer during early development?
Neural plate.
What happens during the third week of human gestation?
The neural plate folds into the neural tube.
What serious condition results from the failure of the neural tube to close at the head end?
Anencephaly.
What is the name of the secreted protein that helps in the position-sensing mechanism along the spinal cord?
Sonic hedgehog.
What is a growth cone?
An enlarged tip of an axon specialized for moving through tissue.
What is axonal guidance?
The process by which a growth cone selects a path to its target cell.
True or False: The wiring of some parts of the nervous system is subject to activity-dependent refinement.
True.
What does the genomic revolution refer to in the context of brain development?
Acquiring a complete catalogue of the genes needed to build a brain.
What are stem cells?
Cells with the potential to change into various kinds of other cells.
Fill in the blank: The brain adds _______ cells every minute at certain stages of development.
250,000.
What is the primary goal of current neuroscience research related to stem cells?
To find out if stem cells can be used to repair damaged neurons in the adult brain.
What happens to the neural plate after it folds into the neural tube?
It becomes enveloped by the future epidermis.
What is the significance of localized polarizing regions in the neural tube?
They secrete signal molecules that help cells know their position.
What can happen if there is a failure of neural tube closure?
Conditions like spina bifida or anencephaly can result.
What role does electrical activity play in brain development?
It sculpts the connections between neurons through activity-dependent refinement.
What is one of the grand challenges of neuroscience today?
To work out the hierarchy of genetic control that converts a sheet of cells into a working brain.
Which animal is often used in studies due to its transparent embryo?
Zebrafish.
What is the significance of the early developmental programs in the context of neuronal loss?
It raises questions about whether these programs can be re-activated to repair damaged neurons.
