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Introduction to Neuroscience > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the action potential?

A

The action potential is the electric signal that propogates down the axon and triggers communication across a synapse

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2
Q

Where does the Action Potential start?

A

The action potential starts at the axon hillock when it is depolarized to threshold

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3
Q

Is depolarization the increase or the decrease of positive charge?

A

Increase of positive charge

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4
Q

What is hyperpolarization?

A

The increase of negative charge

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5
Q

Are there more or less K+ ions outside the cell?

A

Less

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6
Q

Are there more or less Cl- ions outside the cell?

A

More

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7
Q

Are there more or less Na+ ions outside the cell?

A

More

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8
Q

Are there more or less Ca2+ ions outside the cell?

A

More

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9
Q

Fill in the blank; the farther the receding electrode, the ____ the action potential reaches the electrode

A

later

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10
Q

Is the AP an all or one phenomenon?

A

yes

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11
Q

How are action potentials spread?

A

They are regenerated across the axon

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12
Q

Explain what a graded potential is

A

Small changes in the membrane potential of a neuron due to depolarization or hyperpolarization

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13
Q

What is the threshold to initiate an action potential?

A

-60 mv

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14
Q

Draw an action potential

A

curve with flat line at -65 mv

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15
Q

T or F: either the action potential happens, or it doesn’t

A

T

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16
Q

How does magnitude and direction vary with action potentials?

A

It doesn’t

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17
Q

Summarize the action potential

A

the cell/axon hillock is depolarized to threshold, activating vg na+ channels that further depolarize the neuron. Then, the vg na+ channels inactivate and k+ channels open, letting the potassium go out and allowing hyperpolarization to occur. VERIFY

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18
Q

When do voltage gated potassium channels close

A

at the end when membrane potential is at rest again

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19
Q

Why does the action potential only travel in one direction?

A

Voltage gated sodium channels deactivate, meaning they can no longer depolarize until they reset back to close; they cannot pass a current.

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20
Q

What are the two nervous systems under the pns?

A

Somatic and autonomic

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21
Q

What does the somatic nervous system do?

A

Innervates muscles and control conscious body movements. Sensory nerves relate info from the body to the brain and motor nerves can carry commands to create muscle movement. Also includes cranial and spinal nerves

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22
Q

Autonomic nervous system description

A

Involuntary aspects of body, such as pupil dilation and blood vessel constriction. Further divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

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23
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Hormone regulator, emotion, and motivations

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24
Q

Corpus callusom

A

Connects two hemispheres of brain

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25
Thalamus
Sensory processing, arousal
26
Cerebellum
Motor control
27
Medulla and pons
Live saving actions like breathing and swallowing, pons origin for many cranial nerves
28
Broca's area
Speech production
29
Precentral gyrus
Important for motor control, located in frontal lobe
30
Postcentral gyrus
A strip of cortex behind central sulcus, responsible for touch
31
Sylvian fissure (aka lateral sulcus
Boundary of temporal lobe- separates lobe from other regions
32
Central sulcus
Boundary of frontal and parietal lobe
33
Prefrontal cortex
Planning, impulse control, decision making
34
Parietal Lobe
Located in center, responsible for planning/impulse control but also sensory info
35
Parietal association areas _______
integrate information from different sensory modalities
36
Temporal lobe
auditory cortex, language, auditory, and visual areas.
37
Wernicke's area
Language production and comprehension
38
Inferior temporal cortex
Visual identification
39
Occipital lobe
Primary visual cortex contains a map of visual space | Secondary visual areas that process individual components of a scene
40
List the important gyri and sulci
Sylvian fissure- boundary of temporal lobe Central sulcus- boundary of frontal and parietal lobe Precentral gyrus- in frontal lobe, important for motor control Postcentral- A strip of cortex behind central sulcus, important for touch
41
What is a gyri and what is a sulci?
Gyri- raised folds on cerebral cortex, sulci are depressions
42
Cerebral cortex
Outer wrinkly layer of brain, the result of folding of tissue, mostly dendrites, cell bodies, and axonal projections of neurons
43
Basal ganglia
Group of subcortical nuclei mainly responsible for movement Motor coordination+control The “basal ganglia” refers to a group of subcortical nuclei responsible primarily for motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions.
44
Limbic system
emotional system of the brain, with hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, frontal lobe, olfactory bulb, and amygdala
45
Midbrain
roles in vision, audition, movement
46
White vs gray matter
Gray matter- cell bodies and dendrites | White matter- myelinated axons
47
Saggital plane
Left and right
48
Coronal plane
Anterior and posterior
49
Horizontal plane
upper and lower
50
Meninges
Dura (tough outside) Arachnoid (middle, connects dura and pia, web like appearance, keeps the brain in place Pia (soft, innermost layer, on brain surface)
51
True or false: the nerves that make up the somatic nervous system are the cranial and the spinal nerves
True
52
How many pairs of cranial nerves are there?
12- olfactory, optic, vestibulocochlear (balance), spinal accessory (control neck muscles)
53
Name the spinal sections from top to bottom
Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral
54
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?
31, one member of each pair serves a side of the body
55
What is each spinal nerve composed of?
A group of motor fibers, projecting from the ventral (front) part of the spinal cord to the organs and muscles, and a group of sensory fibers that enter the dorsal part of the spinal cord (remember that this is all within the somatic nervous system still)
56
Why is it called the autonomic nervous system?
Stems from the idea of being "autonomous"- we have little conscious, voluntary action over things such as digestion or blood vessel constriction
57
What are the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic- act more or less in opposition with one another
58
Describe characteristics of the sympathetic nervous system
Axons of the sympathetic nervous system exit from middle parts of the spinal cord, travel a short distance, then innervate the sympathetic ganglia which run in two chains along the spinal column. Axons from the sympathetic ganglia then course throughout the body, innervating major organ systems. Axons from the sympathetic ganglia mainly prepare the body for immediate action- increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, rapid heatbeat, etc
59
Describe the parasympathetic nervous system
Helps the body to relax, recuperate (rest and digest). These nerves originate from brainstem abd in the sacral spinal cord (which makes sense because para means around- around the sympathetic nervous system). These nerves travel a longer distance before terminating in parasympathetic ganglia, usually located close to the organs they serve.
60
True or false: organs receive different neurotransmitters from the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
True- norepinephrine from sympathetic nerves and acetylcholine from parasympathetic nerves
61
What does the spinal cord do?
Funnels sensory info from the body to the brain and also conveys commands out to the body
62
Why is the cortex folded up?
Increases surface area and amount of cortex that can be crammed into the skull
63
T or F: folding of cortex is random and individual to each person
F
64
Medial
towards middle
65
Lateral
towards the side
66
Ipsilateral
same side
67
Contralateral
opposite sides
68
Superior
Above
69
Inferior
Below
70
basal
towards base or bottom
71
anterior/rostral
front
72
posterior/caudal
back
73
proximal
near center
74
Distal
towards periphery
75
dorsal
back
76
ventral
tummy
77
affervent vs effervent
A- carries info into area of interest, effervent- carries info away
78
What are the four lobes and where are they located
Frontal lobe- very front, parietal lobe- middle, occipital lobe- back, temporal lobe, bottom
79
What symptoms would someone with cortical damage exhibit
depends on region-- personality changes, visual impairments, speech errors, changes in sensation, etc
80
describe the difference between grey and white matter
interior is white matter (transmits), w/myelin, exterior grey matter is the cell bodies that form the outer layers of the cortex (receives/processes) and nuclei within the brain
81
Basal ganglia
consists of caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus
82
limbic system
curled around basal ganglia, , widespread network of struvtures involved in emotion and learning
83
amygdala
emotion, odor perception
84
hippocampus and fornix
learning and memory
85
cingulate gyrus
direction of attention
86
Astrocytes
most numerous cell type within the central nervous system (CNS) and perform a variety of tasks, from axon guidance and synaptic support, to the control of the blood brain barrier and blood flow. NT cleanup/reuptake
87
Oligodendrocyte
produce the myelin sheath insulating neuronal axons (analogous to Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system), although some oligodendrocytes (called satellite oligodendrocytes) are not involved in myelination.
88
Microglia
Microglial cells are a specialised population of macrophages that are found in the central nervous system (CNS). They remove damaged neurons and infections and are important for maintaining the health of the CNS. Engulf+destroy

Introduction to Neuroscience (3 decks)

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