Week 3 [How the Brain Does Brain Things]

Question 1

Presynaptic

Answer 1

Referring to the neuron that sends a signal across a synapse.

Question 2

Postsynaptic

Answer 2

Referring to the neuron that receives a signal across a synapse.

Question 3

Cell Membrane

Answer 3

The outer layer of a cell that regulates the entry and exit of substances.

Question 4

Neurotransmitter

Answer 4

Chemical substances that transmit signals across synapses between neurons.

Question 5

Neuroreceptor

Answer 5

Proteins on the surface of postsynaptic neurons that bind neurotransmitters, initiating a response in the cell.

Question 6

Vesicle

Answer 6

A small, membrane-bound sac in neurons that contains neurotransmitters and releases them into the synapse during neurotransmission.

Question 7

Potentiation

Answer 7

The process by which repeated stimulation of a synapse increases the strength of the signal between neurons.

Question 8

Summation

Answer 8

The process by which multiple synaptic inputs are combined to produce a response in the postsynaptic neuron.

Question 9

Gap Junction

Answer 9

A direct connection between the cytoplasm of two adjacent cells, allowing electrical signals to pass directly from one cell to the next.

Question 10

Network

Answer 10

A group of interconnected neurons that work together to process information.

Question 11

Fasciculus

Answer 11

bundle of nerve fibers (axons) in the central nervous system, typically transmitting information between regions of the brain or spinal cord.