Unit 1. Lec 8- Intro to Neurological Sciences

Question 1

Describe the Anatomical Planes of the brain and spinal cord

Answer 1

• Anterior-Front
• Posterior-Behind
• Superior-Top
• Inferior-Bottom

Question 2

Describe the Sagittal axes of the brain and spinal cord

Answer 2

• Rostral (toward nose)
• Caudal (toward tail)
• Ventral (Brain: belly; Spinal cord: inferior)
• Dorsal (Brain: superior; Spinal: back)

Question 2

Describe the coronal axes of the brain?

Answer 2

• Radiographic (Head- viewed from the front)
• Anatomic( Head-viewed from behind)

Question 3

Describe the axial axes of the brain and spinal cord

Answer 3

• Radiographic-Subjects feet are coming out at you
• Anatomic-Subjects head is coming up at you

Question 4

What direction do afferent neurons travel?

Answer 4

TOWARD the brain/CNS

Question 5

What direction do efferent neurons travel?

Answer 5

AWY FROM the brain/CNS

Question 6

What connects the sensation (afferent) and reaction (efferent) systems?

Answer 6

Excitatory and inhibitory interneurons

Question 7

What do different neuron shape allow for?

Answer 7

• Different Functions
• Few dendrites= Specificity
• Many dendrites=Intensity or Integration

Question 8

What do different synapse types allow for?

Answer 8

• Different functions
• Chemical=Adaptability
• Electrical= Speed

Question 9

On average the human brain has ________ neurons and _________ synapses

Answer 9

• ~100B
• ~100T

Question 10

What are the 3 cortexs of the brain?

Answer 10

• Neocortex (isocortex):6 layers
• Mesocortex (periallocortex,proisocortex):3-6 layers
• Allocortex: 3 layers

Question 11

Describe the Neocortex

Answer 11

• 90% of cerebral hemisphere
• Highly evolved
• Responsible for decision making, personality, and other higher other thinking
• Sensory, motor, and association areas

Question 12

Describe the Mesocortex

Answer 12

• Majority of limbic lobe
• Limbic system responsible for emotion and memory function

Question 13

Describe the Allocortex

Answer 13

• Within the mesocortex
• Critical for creating new memories
• Hippocampal formation (archicortex)
• Primary olfactory areas (paleocortex)

Question 14

A single genetic mutation can cause?

Answer 14

• Microcephaly
• Huntington’s disease
• Neurofibromatosis

Question 15

How many genes are expressed in the brain, genes not in brain and ubiquitous?

Answer 15

• Brain:6000
• Ubiquitous: 8000
• Not brain: 6000

Question 16

Explain major structures of the neurons

Answer 16

• Dendrites: “branches” that receive information and transmit it to the cell body
• Soma – cell body
• Axon – conducts information along the neuron
• Synapse – gap between cells; chemicals (neurotransmitters) cross the gap to convey information by binding receptors on the dendrites

Question 17

Explain the Action Potential

Answer 17

• The inside of the neuron becomes more positive
  Positive charge flows in along the axon
• Opens Ca+2 channels at the terminal or flows to next neuron

Question 18

Explain the two types of presynaptic terminals

Answer 18

• Most synapses are chemical (neurotransmitter released)
• Some synapses are electrical (neurons are pressed together and ions pass between them to generate signals)

Question 19

What are Glia and list some examples

Answer 19

• Originally thought to be support cells – actually capable of their own communication

1. Astrocytes – Glutamate/ATP uptake and release, glycogenesis, ionic and lactate balance, vasomodulation, glial scarring, long-term potentiation (memory) (e.g Satellite cells in the PNS)
2. Microglia – Scavenging-phagocytosis, inflammation, synapse pruning
3. Oligodendrocytes/Schwann Cells - Myelination
4. Radial Glia – Progenitors and Migration scaffolding