chapter 2: the nervous system

Question 1

cells that support the function of neurons

Answer 1

glia

Question 2

around how many neurons are there in the human body?

Answer 2

90-100 billion

Question 3

part of the neuron that sums incoming signals and decides if the signal is strong enough to be transmitted to the next cell

Answer 3

soma

Question 4

weak electrical signals conducted toward the soma by the dendrites

Answer 4

graded potentials

Question 5

part of the neuron that conducts action potentials

Answer 5

axon

Question 6

common neuron morphology in this course

Answer 6

pyramidal cell

Question 7

neurons whose soma and axon are located in the same neural region; axons and dendrites are not very discernible

Answer 7

interneurons

Question 8

all cns tissue develops from the same origins EXCEPT ____________

Answer 8

microglia

Question 9

glia that form myelin

Answer 9

oligodendrocytes

Question 10

major component of the BBB; responds to neuronal injury (e.g. forms scar/lesion tissue in the brain and fills in space left by dead neurons) and supplies nutrients to neurons to synthesize NTs

Answer 10

astrocytes

Question 11

immune cells of the brain; remove cellular waste

Answer 11

microglia

Question 12

glia that produce cerebral-spinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 12

ependymal cells

Question 13

the axis of the neural tube front to back through the spinal cord and brain (turns 90 degrees at head in bipedals)

Answer 13

neuraxis

Question 14

anterior-posterior

Answer 14

front-back

Question 15

dorsal-ventral

Answer 15

top-bottom or back-belly

Question 16

medial-lateral

Answer 16

middle-side

Question 17

superior-inferior

Answer 17

above-below

Question 18

vertical brain dissection separating front and back

Answer 18

coronal

Question 19

vertical dissection severing the brain’s two hemispheres

Answer 19

sagittal

Question 20

brain dissection separating dorsal and ventral regions

Answer 20

horizontal

Question 21

part of the nervous system that regulates digestion

Answer 21

enteric nervous system

Question 22

long axons projecting to the brain and spinal cord influencing much of the CNS

Answer 22

pons

Question 23

major NE source in the hindbrain

Answer 23

locus coeruleus

Question 24

part of the brain related to balance, coordination, timing of movement, procedural/muscle memory; rich in GABA and responds to GABA

Answer 24

cerebellum

Question 25

part of the brain that regulates basic survival functions; origin of many cranial nerves; narcotics and CNS suppressants work here, suppressing life functions

Answer 25

medulla

Question 26

controls and receives sensory info from the heart, liver, intestines, and other vital organs

Answer 26

vagus nerve

Question 27

part of the midbrain related to visual tracking

Answer 27

superior colliculus

Question 28

part of the midbrain related to hearing (binaural)

Answer 28

inferior colliculus

Question 29

part of the midbrain important for movement; origin of DA fibres projecting to the forebrain basal ganglia

Answer 29

substantia nigra

Question 30

part of the midbrain important for reward

Answer 30

ventral tegmental area

Question 31

part of the midbrain that is rich in endorphins and regulates pain

Answer 31

periaqueductal gray

Question 32

regulates hunger, thirst, sexual desire; regulates the endocrine system via the pituitary gland

Answer 32

hypothalamus

Question 33

which brain system forms a ring around the diencephalon

Answer 33

limbic system

Question 34

part of the brain important for regulation of emotional life, reactivity to painful stimuli, processing of emotional memories, and attention to sensory stimuli

Answer 34

cingulate gyrus

Question 35

part of the brain related to learning and memory (working and episodic memory)

Answer 35

hippocampus

Question 36

the brain's reward center located near the basal ganglia and the limbic system; strongly activated by addictive drugs

Answer 36

nucleus accumbens

Question 37

brain pathway that determines if someone will become addicted via dopamine

Answer 37

mesolimbic pathway

Question 38

parts of the basal ganglia

Answer 38

caudate, putamen, globus pallidus

Question 39

structure that organizes blood supply to the brain

Answer 39

circle of willis

Question 40

chemical released by highly active neurons to dilate capillaries and promote blood flow

Answer 40

nitric oxide

Question 41

fibre layers that surround the brain and prevent it from directly touching the skull

Answer 41

meninges

Question 42

fluid that fills the spaces between meninges, fills ventricles and canals within the brain and the spinal cord; provides cushioning; pathway for nutritional support, hormones, and metabolites

Answer 42

cerebral-spinal fluid (CSF)

Question 43

what is analyzed to determine "turnover" rates of a drug i.e. how much of the drug is actually making it to the brain

Answer 43

CSF

Question 44

where is CSF produced?

Answer 44

ventricles

Question 45

how does CSF flow?

Answer 45

directional flow

Question 46

where is CSF reabsorbed?

Answer 46

superior sagittal sinus

Question 47

space between the two hemispheres

Answer 47

superior sagittal sinus

Question 48

how many chromosomes are contained in a cell nucleus?

Answer 48

46

Question 49

a segment of DNA that codes for a specific trait within an organism

Answer 49

gene

Question 50

differences in gene sequences that result in differences in protein expression (e.g. liver enzymes, number of NT receptors, etc.)

Answer 50

polymorphisms

Question 51

the process of making RNA from DNA

Answer 51

transcription

Question 52

a substance (usually a protein) that influences transcription of a particular DNA segment (can be triggered by a drug)

Answer 52

transcription factor

Question 53

how many possible transcription factors does the human body have?

Answer 53

2800

Question 54

about how much of the human genome codes for transcription factors?

Answer 54

20%

Question 55

process of making proteins from mRNA

Answer 55

translation

Question 56

DNA that is tightly wound around the histones and is inaccessible for transcription

Answer 56

methylated

Question 57

DNA that is loosely wound around the histones and is accessible for transcription

Answer 57

acetylated

Question 58

the study of gene expression mechanisms that do not involve alteration in the DNA sequence (e.g. methylation/acetylation of histones)

Answer 58

epigenetics

Question 59

an animal that has either altered genes or additional genetic information

Answer 59

transgenic animal

Question 60

transgenic animal with genetic differences throughout its whole body (easier but less control and dangerous to survival)

Answer 60

global

Question 61

transgenic animal with genetic differences that are limited to certain cell types or developmental time periods

Answer 61

conditional

Question 62

a way of editing genes or turning them on or off altogether; finding a specific bit of DNA inside a cell

Answer 62

CRISPR

Question 63

what does CRISPR stand for?

Answer 63

clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats