Foundations of Biopsychology: Cells of the Nervous System

Question 1

The nervous system is made up of two types of cells

Answer 1

neurons and glia

Question 2

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

The primary task of any _____ is to form a boundary between the cell and its external environment.

Answer 8

cell membrane

Question 9

The ______ must separate the ______ of the cell’s interior from the _______ surrounding the neuron.

Answer 9

neural membrane, intracellular fluid, extracellular fluid

Question 10

Because they are fats, ______ do not dissolve in water. (oil and water do not mix).

Answer 10

phospholipids

Question 11

Neural membranes consist of _______.

Answer 11

Neural membranes consist of double layers of phospholipid molecules.

Question 12

Embedded within the ______ are proteins that serve as ion channels and ion pumps.

Answer 12

lipid layers

Question 13

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

Answer 13

ion channel

Question 14

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

Answer 14

ion pump

Question 15

Ion channels have the ability to _____ in response to stimuli in their immediate vicinity.

Answer 15

open and close

Question 16

Some ion channels, known as _______, open and close in response to the electrical status of adjacent areas of membrane.

Answer 16

voltage-dependent channels

Question 17

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

Answer 17

ligand-gated channel

Question 18

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

Answer 18

sodium-potassium pump

Question 19

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

Answer 19

calcium pump

Question 20

Sodium-potassium and calcium pumps help ________ in chemical composition between the intracellular and extracellular fluids.

Answer 20

maintain the differences

Question 21

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

Answer 21

cytoskeleton

Question 22

3 types of cytoskeleton

Answer 22

microtubule
Neurofilaments
microfilament

Question 23

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

Answer 23

microtubule

Question 24

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

Answer 24

Neurofilaments

Question 25

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

Answer 25

microfilament

Question 26

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

Answer 26

nucleus

Question 27

An organelle in the cell body involved with protein synthesis.

Answer 27

ribosome

Question 28

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

Answer 28

endoplasmic reticulum

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Golgi apparatus

Question 30

Organelles that provide energy to the cell

Answer 30

mitochondria

Question 31

produce and assemble the cell's ribosomes

Answer 31

nucleolus

Question 32

specialized for the generation of action potentials.

Answer 32

axon hillock

Question 33

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

Answer 33

Myelin

Question 34

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

Answer 34

node of Ranvier

Question 35

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

Answer 35

collateral

Question 36

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

Answer 36

axon terminal

Question 37

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

Answer 37

unipolar neuron

Question 38

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

Answer 38

bipolar neuron

Question 39

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

Answer 39

multipolar neuron

Question 40

Types of neurons

Answer 40

astrocyte oligodendrocyte schwann cell microglia

Question 41

the cells in the nervous system that support the activities of neurons, are generally categorized by size.

Answer 41

glia

Question 42

the largest varieties of glial cells

Answer 42

macroglia

Question 43

smaller varieties of glial cells

Answer 43

microglia

Question 44

characterized by large concentrations of sodium and chloride ions and a relatively small concentration of potassium (K+) ions.

Answer 44

Extracellular fluid

Question 45

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

Answer 45

resting potential

Question 46

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

Answer 46

diffusion

Question 47

Depolarization of _____ (threshold for action potential)

Answer 47

-65mV

Question 48

2 types of synapse

Answer 48

chemical synapse, electrical synapse

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

electrical synapse width of synaptic gap

Answer 51

3.5 nm

Question 52

chemical synapse width of synaptic gap

Answer 52

20 nm

Question 53

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

Answer 53

exocytosis

Question 54

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

Answer 54

receptor site

Question 55

Methods for Deactivating Neurotransmitters

Answer 55

a)diffusion away from the synapse, b)through the action of special enzymes, or c)through reuptake.

Question 56

neurotransmitter diffuses away from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Answer 56

Diffusion

Question 57

neurotransmitter molecules are deactivated in the synapse by enzymes in the synaptic gap.

Answer 57

Deactivating Enzymes

Question 58

the presynaptic membrane uses its own set of receptors known as ______

Answer 58

transporters

Question 59

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

Answer 59

Reuptake