The neural control of behaviour

Question 1

What are the different ways we study nervous systems?

Answer 1

Physiology (Brain scans)
Anatomy (Cell staining)
Molecular biology (Examining or manipulating gene expression)

Question 2

Name some of the different types of neurons

Answer 2

Sensory
Motor
Modulatory
Inter

Question 3

What are the two ways neurons pass a signal?

Answer 3

Chemical or electrical

Question 4

What is the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation used for?

Answer 4

To calculate the membrane potential of a cell using the concentration of ions and the permeability of the cell membrane

Question 5

What is a generator potential?

Answer 5

A graded potential in a sensory neuron

Question 6

List and describe the different types of AP firing rates

Answer 6

Transient - Short lasting
Tonic - Constant
Irregular - An uneven arrangement
Phasic - Fires shorts bursts then stops

Question 7

What does an endogenous burster do?

Answer 7

Fires short bursts of APs without any stimulii

Question 8

What are the four main types of neurotransmitter? Give an example for each

Answer 8

Amines (ACh, dopamine)
Amino acids (GABA, glutamate)
Peptides (Proctolin)
Soluble gases (Octopamin)

Question 9

What are the main neurotransmitters in vertebrates and invertebrates?

Answer 9

Vertebrates = ACh
Invertebrates = Glutamate/octopamine

Question 10

What is a neuronal circuit/pathway?

Answer 10

A circuit involving direct monosynaptic connections from sensory neurons to spinal motor neurons