Chapter 0: Foundations of Biopsychology - Cells of the Nervous System

Question 1

The nervous system is made up of two (2) types of cells, which are?

Answer 1

1. Neurons
2. Glia

Question 2

Is specialized to carry out the functions of information processing and communication.

Answer 2

Neuron.

Question 3

Cells in the nervous system that support the activities of neurons.

Answer 3

Glia.

Question 4

A small structure within a cell that carries out a specific function.

Answer 4

Organelle.

Question 5

The main mass of a neuron, containing the nucleus and many organelles.

Answer 5

Cell body / soma.

Question 6

The branch of a neuron usually responsible for carrying signals to other neurons.

Answer 6

Axon.

Question 7

The branch of a neuron that generally receives information from other neurons.

Answer 7

Dendrite.

Question 8

Its primary task is to form a boundary between the cell and its external environment.

Answer 8

Neuron membrane (cell membrane).

Question 9

Separates the intracellular fluid of the cell’s interior from the extracellular fluid surrounding the neutron.

Answer 9

Neural membrane.

Question 10

Neural membranes consist of?

Answer 10

Double layers of phospholipid molecules.

Question 11

Embedded within the lipid layers are ________ that serve as ion channels and ion pumps.

Answer 11

Proteins.

Question 12

A protein structure embedded in a cell membrane that allows ions to pass without the use of additional energy.

Answer 12

Ion channel.

Question 13

A protein structure embedded in a cell membrane that uses energy to move ions across the membrane.

Answer 13

Ion pump.

Question 14

These open and close in response to the electrical status of adjacent areas of membrane.

Answer 14

Voltage-dependent channels.

Question 15

An ion channel in the neural membrane that responds to chemical messengers.

Answer 15

Ligand-gated channel.

Question 16

An ion pump that uses energy to transfer three (3) sodium ions to the extracellular fluid for every two potassium ions retrieved from the extracellular fluid.

Answer 16

Sodium-potassium pump.

Question 17

A protein structure embedded in the neural membrane that uses energy to move calcium ions out of the cell.

Answer 17

Calcium pump.

Question 18

These help to maintain the differences in chemical composition between the intracellular and extracellular fluids.

Answer 18

Sodium-potassium and calcium pumps.

Question 19

The structural support that maintains the shape of the neuron is provided by the?

Answer 19

Cytoskeleton.

Question 20

The largest fiber in the cell cytoskeleton, responsible for the transport of neurotransmitters and other products to and from the cell body.

Answer 20

Microtubule.

Question 21

These run parallel to the length of the axon and provide structural support.

Answer 21

Neurofilaments.

Question 22

The smallest fiber found in the cell cytoskeleton that may participate in the changing of the length and shape of axons and dendrites.

Answer 22

Microfilament.

Question 23

The substructure within a cell body that contains the cell’s DNA.

Answer 23

Nucleus.

Question 24

An organelle in the cell body involved with protein synthesis.

Answer 24

Ribosome.

Question 25

An organelle in the cell body that participates in protein synthesis.

Answer 25

Endoplasmic reticulum.

Question 26

An organelle in the cell body that packages protein in vesicles.

Answer 26

Golgi apparatus.

Question 27

Organelles that provide energy to the cell.

Answer 27

Mitochondria.

Question 28

These produce and assemble the cell's ribosomes.

Answer 28

Nucleolus.

Question 29

Specialized for the generation of action potentials.

Answer 29

Axon hillock.

Question 30

The fatty insulating material covering some axons that boosts the speed and efficiency of electrical signaling.

Answer 30

Myelin.

Question 31

The uncovered section of axon membrane between two adjacent segments of myelin.

Answer 31

Node of Ranvier.

Question 32

One of the branches near the end of the axon closest to its targets.

Answer 32

Collateral.

Question 33

The swelling at the tip of an axon collateral specialized for the release of neurotransmitter substances.

Answer 33

Axon terminal.

Question 34

A neuron with one branch that extends a short distance from the cell body then splits into two branches.

Answer 34

Unipolar neuron.

Question 35

A neuron with two branches: one axon and one dendrite.

Answer 35

Bipolar neuron.

Question 36

A neuron that has multiple branches, usually one axon and numerous dendrites.

Answer 36

Multipolar neuron.

Question 37

The largest varieties of glial cells.

Answer 37

Macroglia.

Question 38

The smaller varieties of glial cells.

Answer 38

Microglia.

Question 39

A type of glial cell found in the central nervous system whose functions include providing structural and nutritional support for neurons, isolation of the synapse, debris cleanup, blood-brain barrier, and participation in chemical signaling.

Answer 39

Astrocyte.

Question 40

A type of glial cell found in the central nervous system whose function is for the myelination of axons.

Answer 40

Oligodendrocyte.

Question 41

A type of glial cell found in the peripheral nervous system whose function is for the myelination of axons

Answer 41

Schwann cell.

Question 42

A type of glial cell found in the central nervous system whose function is for debris cleanup.

Answer 42

Microglia.

Question 43

This is characterized by a large concentrations of sodium and chloride ions and a relatively small concentration of potassium ions.

Answer 43

Extracellular fluid.

Question 44

The measurement of the electrical charge across the neural membrane when the cell is not processing information.

Answer 44

Resting potential.

Question 45

The force that moves molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration (also through electrical force).

Answer 45

Diffusion.

Question 46

The threshold for action potential is equal to?

Answer 46

-65mV

Question 47

The human brain contains about what number of neurons?

Answer 47

100 billion.

Question 48

The average neuron forms about how many synapses?

Answer 48

1000.

Question 49

A type of synapse in which messages are transmitted from one neuron to another by chemical neurotransmitters.

Answer 49

Chemical synapse.

Question 50

A type of synapse in which a neuron directly affects an adjacent neuron through the movement of ions from one cell to the other.

Answer 50

Electrical synapse.

Question 51

The width of the synaptic gap in an electrical synapse is equal to?

Answer 51

3.5mm.

Question 52

The width of the synaptic gap in a chemical synapse is equal to?

Answer 52

20mm.

Question 53

The type of message that can travel across an electrical synapse.

Answer 53

Excitatory only.

Question 54

The type of message that can travel across a chemical synapse.

Answer 54

Excitatory or inhibitory.

Question 55

The process in which vesicles fuse with the membrane of the axon terminal and release neurotransmitter molecules into the synaptic gap.

Answer 55

Exocytosis.

Question 56

A special protein structure embedded in neural membrane that responds to chemical messengers.

Answer 56

Receptor site.

Question 57

Three (3) methods for deactivating neurotransmitters.

Answer 57

1. Diffusion away from the synapse 2. Through the action of special enzymes 3. Through reuptake

Question 58

The presynaptic membrane uses its own set of receptors known as ____________ to recapture molecules of neurotransmitter substance and return them to the interior of the axon terminal.

Answer 58

Transporters.