Week 2 Advanced Neural Transmission

Question 1

What is “resting potential”?

Answer 1

refers to the difference in electric charge between the inside and the outside of a cell when it is at rest (aka resting membrane potential).

Question 2

What is an ion?

Answer 2

an atom or molecule which has an uneven number of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. (electrically charged particle).

Question 3

What ions are of particular importance to neural communication?

Answer 3

Sodium, potassium, and chloride.

Question 4

The resting potential is approximately…

Answer 4

-70mV, meaning that the inside of the cell is 70mV more negative than the outside of the cell (although it can be anywhere from -65 to -95).

Question 5

Depolarization to the neuron’s threshold (around -55mV) level results in …

Answer 5

an action potential.

Question 6

depolarize means

Answer 6

make more positive

Question 7

hyperpolarize means

Answer 7

make more negative

Question 8

neurons receive messages via their

Answer 8

axons

Question 9

neurons send messages via their

Answer 9

dendrites (or sometimes cell body)

Question 10

dorsal is to vetral as

Answer 10

top is to bottom

Question 11

What is a gyrus?

Answer 11

a protuberance on the surface of the brain (plural = gyri)

Question 12

What is a sulcus?

Answer 12

fold or groove separating gyri (plural = sulci)

Question 13

What is a fissure?

Answer 13

a long, deep sulcus

Question 14

what is proximal and distal?

Answer 14

proximal is close to, distal is far from

Question 15

Ipsilateral means…

Answer 15

same hemisphere

Question 16

Contralateral means…

Answer 16

opposite hemisphere

Question 17

What are the nervous systems?

Answer 17

Central (brain and spinal cord),

Peripheral (Somatic nervous system (voluntary muscles and sense) and autonomic nervous system (involuntary muscles)).

Question 18

What are the two groups within the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 18

sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest).

Question 19

What do neurons do?

Answer 19

receive and transmit information.

Question 20

what do gila do?

Answer 20

many varied functions like insulation and support.

Question 21

What is a synapse?

Answer 21

The gap between two (or more) neurons where messages are chemically transmitted.

Question 22

What are the three major divisions of the brain?

Answer 22

Hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain.

Question 23

What is the hindbrain?

Answer 23

Posterior portion of the brain including the pons, medulla, and cerebellum.

Question 24

What is the medulla?

Answer 24

enlarged extension of the spinal cord into the skull, controls vital reflexes – breathing, heartrate, vomiting, salivating, coughing, sneezing – through the cranial nerves.

Question 25

What is the pons?

Answer 25

lie interior to the Medulla. In the pons, axons from each half of the brain cross to the opposite side of the spinal cord, so that the left hemisphere controls the muscles of the right side of the body and vice versa.

Question 26

What is the cerebellum?

Answer 26

a large hindbrain structure with many deep folds. It is mainly known for its role in movement and coordination but also has cognitive functions.

Question 27

What does the midbrain consist of?

Answer 27

tectum, superior colliculus(vision), and inferior colliculus(hearing).

Question 28

What does the forebrain consist of?

Answer 28

Limbic System, Diencephalon, Basal Ganglia, & Cerebral Cortex.

Question 29

What is the limbic system?

Answer 29

The Limbic System forms a border around the midbrain and consists of the: Cingulate Gyrus, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Mamillary body, Hippocampus, Amygdala, Olfactory bulb.
Limbic structures carry out a very wide variety of functions, including emotion, motivation (including feeding/sleeping), and cognition.

Question 30

The thalamus and hypothalamus together form the…

Answer 30

Diencephalon.

Question 31

What does the thalamus do?`

Answer 31

Many important functions, one of which is a sensory relay. Information from all sensory receptors (except olfactory) goes to the thalamus for processing before traveling on to specific areas of the cortex.

Question 32

what is the hypothalamus?

Answer 32

Tiny area below the thalamus, vital for homeostatic functions, regulation of the autonomic nervous system

Question 33

What is the basal ganglia?

Answer 33

A group of subcortical structures lateral to the Thalamus includes the: Caudate nucleus, Putamen, and Globus Pallidus. Functions include movement and memory.

Question 34

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 34

The outer layer of the brain.

Question 35

What are the primary sensory/motor areas of the cerebral cortex?

Answer 35

Frontal- primary visual cortex
Parietal- primary somatosensory cortex
Occipital- primary vison cortex
Temporal- primary motor cortex

Question 36

What is the pre-frontal cortex?

Answer 36

Area in the frontal lobe where a lot of “higher” information processing occurs.

Question 37

What is white matter?

Answer 37

bundles of axons connecting different areas of the brain, very important to brain function, as it allows for neural communication.

Question 38

What are the major white matter tracts?

Answer 38

Corpus Callosum: connects left and right hemisphere
Anterior commissure: connects left and right hemisphere
Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus: connects frontal and occipital lobes