Chapter 1

Question 1

gap junctions

Answer 1

allow for cytoplasmic continuity and direct transfer of electrical and chemical signals between cells and the nervous systems

Question 2

nerve cells

Answer 2

specialize for electrical signaling over long distance

Question 3

glia cells

Answer 3

support signaling function of nerve cells
do NOT generate electrical signals
essentially for repairing the nervous system
three different types: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, schwann cells

Question 4

mitochondria

Answer 4

can be found largely concentrated at the synapses of neurons

Question 5

protein synthetic organelles

Answer 5

are kept out of axons and dendrites

Question 6

dendrites

Answer 6

primary target for synaptic input from axon terminals of other neurons
have a high concentration of ribosomes and skeletal proteins

Question 7

degree ofconvergence

Answer 7

number of inputs a single neuron reflects

Question 8

divergency

Answer 8

number of targets supplied by one neuron

Question 9

synaptic cleft

Answer 9

a site of extracellular proteins that have functions including diffusion, binding, and degradation of molecules
ex: NTs

Question 10

synaptic vesicles

Answer 10

secretory organelles located in the pre synaptic terminal of chemical synapses and are filled with NT and other neuro molecules

Question 11

astrocytes

Answer 11

maintain the correct chemical environment for neural signaling, like the formation of the BBB
can be found in the CNS (brain and spinal cord

Question 12

oligodendrocytes

Answer 12

also restricted to the CNS
they are responsible for laying down myelin around some axons
can self generate as a response of injury or disease

Question 13

schwann cells

Answer 13

found in the peripheral nervous system

are the cells that provide the myelin

Question 14

microglia

Answer 14

they remove any cellular debris due to injury aka take out the trash from our cells

Question 15

afferent neurons

Answer 15

nerve cells that carry info from other areas of the body towards the brain or spinal cord

Question 16

efferent neurons

Answer 16

carry info from the brain or spinal cord away to other areas of the brain

Question 17

extracellular recording

Answer 17

an electrode is placed near the nerve cells we want to study in order to detect its activity
useful for detecting temporal patterns of AP due to stimulation or behavioral events

Question 18

intracellular recording

Answer 18

the electrode is placed inside the cell we want to study in order to detect its activity
detects smaller changes in electrical potential that trigger APs

Question 19

calcium imaging

Answer 19

records the transient changes in intracellular concentration of calcium ions that are associated with AP firing

Question 20

calcium channels

Answer 20

establish currents that lead to voltage changes in neurons

is an important 2nd messenger

Question 21

optogenetics

Answer 21

modified and are expressed in living neurons. they can response to light and therefore light can be used to control nerve cells activity and behaviors of organisms such as mice

Question 22

receptive field

Answer 22

neurons’ region in sensory space within which a stimulus can generate an AP as a response