Neuroscience

Question 2

What is the main function of the neuron’s nucleus?

Answer 2

Control center; contains genetic material.

Question 3

What is the role of rough endoplasmic reticulum?

Answer 3

Synthesizes and transports proteins.

Question 4

What does the smooth endoplasmic reticulum do?

Answer 4

Releases calcium, synthesizes and transports lipids.

Question 5

What is the Golgi apparatus responsible for?

Answer 5

Packaging neurotransmitters.

Question 6

What is the mitochondria’s role in neurons?

Answer 6

Produces ATP (energy).

Question 7

What do dendrites do?

Answer 7

Receive information from other neurons.

Question 8

What does an axon do?

Answer 8

Sends signals away from the cell body.

Question 9

What is myelin?

Answer 9

Fatty insulation that speeds nerve conduction.

Question 10

What are the nodes of Ranvier?

Answer 10

Gaps between Schwann cells on a myelinated axon.

Question 11

What is saltatory conduction?

Answer 11

Jumping of action potentials from node to node.

Question 12

What is anterograde transport?

Answer 12

Movement from soma toward axon terminals.

Question 13

What is retrograde transport?

Answer 13

Movement from axon terminal back to soma.

Question 14

Which neuron type has two main processes?

Answer 14

Bipolar neuron.

Question 15

Which neuron type has two axons and no true dendrites?

Answer 15

Pseudounipolar neuron.

Question 16

Which neuron type is most common in the body?

Answer 16

Multipolar neuron.

Question 17

What triggers modality-gated channels?

Answer 17

Mechanical force, temperature, or chemicals.

Question 18

What opens ligand-gated channels?

Answer 18

Neurotransmitters.

Question 19

What triggers voltage-gated channels?

Answer 19

Electrical changes in the membrane.

Question 20

What are leak channels?

Answer 20

Channels allowing slow, continuous ion leakage.

Question 21

What is the resting membrane potential value?

Answer 21

About -70 mV.

Question 22

What maintains resting potential?

Answer 22

Na+/K+ ATP pump.

Question 23

What does depolarization do to a neuron?

Answer 23

Makes it more positive (excitable).

Question 24

What does hyperpolarization do to a neuron?

Answer 24

Makes it more negative (inhibitory).

Question 25

What is a local potential?

Answer 25

A small, graded change in membrane potential.

Question 26

What is an action potential?

Answer 26

A large, all-or-none electrical signal.

Question 27

What is temporal summation?

Answer 27

Multiple inputs over time.

Question 28

What is spatial summation?

Answer 28

Inputs from multiple locations summing together.

Question 29

What is the absolute refractory period?

Answer 29

No new AP can be generated.

Question 30

What is the relative refractory period?

Answer 30

AP can occur with a stronger stimulus.

Question 31

How does myelin affect conduction speed?

Answer 31

Increases speed.

Question 32

What are astrocytes?

Answer 32

Glial cells that maintain ionic balance and clean debris.

Question 33

What do oligodendrocytes do?

Answer 33

Myelinate CNS neurons.

Question 34

What do Schwann cells do?

Answer 34

Myelinate PNS neurons.

Question 35

What are microglia?

Answer 35

CNS immune cells.

Question 36

What is neuroinflammation?

Answer 36

CNS response to injury or disease.

Question 37

What positive role does neuroinflammation play?

Answer 37

Cleanup of dead cells.

Question 38

What negative effect can neuroinflammation have?

Answer 38

Neural damage through abnormal glial activity.

Question 39

What triggers neurotransmitter release?

Answer 39

Calcium influx into the presynaptic terminal.

Question 40

What is an EPSP?

Answer 40

Excitatory postsynaptic potential (depolarizes neuron).

Question 41

What is an IPSP?

Answer 41

Inhibitory postsynaptic potential (hyperpolarizes neuron).

Question 42

What is a neurotransmitter?

Answer 42

Chemical messenger between neurons.

Question 43

What is an agonist drug?

Answer 43

Mimics neurotransmitter effects.

Question 44

What is an antagonist drug?

Answer 44

Blocks neurotransmitter action.

Question 45

Function of acetylcholine in PNS?

Answer 45

Initiates skeletal muscle contraction.

Question 46

Function of norepinephrine?

Answer 46

Increases HR, attention, and alertness.

Question 47

Function of dopamine?

Answer 47

Pleasure, motor control, decision-making.

Question 48

Function of serotonin?

Answer 48

Regulates mood, sleep, appetite.

Question 49

Function of GABA?

Answer 49

Main inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Question 50

Function of glutamate?

Answer 50

Learning and memory (main excitatory neurotransmitter).

Question 51

Function of endorphins?

Answer 51

Inhibit pain signals.

Question 52

Function of Substance P?

Answer 52

Transmission of pain signals.

Question 53

What is Lambert-Eaton Syndrome?

Answer 53

Antibodies destroy calcium channels, reducing neurotransmitter release.

Question 54

What is Myasthenia Gravis?

Answer 54

Autoimmune attack on acetylcholine receptors, causing weakness.

Question 55

What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?

Answer 55

Autoimmune demyelination of CNS neurons.

Question 56

What type of MS is most common?

Answer 56

Relapsing-remitting.

Question 57

What are MS symptoms?

Answer 57

Weakness, vision problems, numbness, fatigue.

Question 58

What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?

Answer 58

Acute demyelination of PNS neurons.

Question 59

What type of pattern is seen in Guillain-Barre?

Answer 59

Ascending symmetric motor weakness.

Question 60

What is a channelopathy?

Answer 60

Disease of ion channel dysfunction.

Question 61

What is ALS?

Answer 61

Degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons.

Question 62

What division is 'fight or flight'?

Answer 62

Sympathetic nervous system.

Question 63

What division is 'rest and digest'?

Answer 63

Parasympathetic nervous system.

Question 64

Where do sympathetic nerves originate?

Answer 64

Thoracolumbar spinal cord.

Question 65

Where do parasympathetic nerves originate?

Answer 65

Craniosacral regions.

Question 66

Sympathetic bladder function?

Answer 66

Relax detrusor, contract sphincters.

Question 67

Parasympathetic bladder function?

Answer 67

Contract detrusor, relax sphincters.

Question 68

Mechanoreceptors respond to?

Answer 68

Mechanical deformation.

Question 69

Chemoreceptors respond to?

Answer 69

Chemical signals.

Question 70

Thermoreceptors respond to?

Answer 70

Temperature changes.

Question 71

Nociceptors detect?

Answer 71

Pain or tissue damage.

Question 72

What is a receptive field?

Answer 72

Area innervated by a single afferent neuron.

Question 73

What does the dorsal column pathway transmit?

Answer 73

Touch, proprioception, vibration.

Question 74

What does the spinothalamic tract carry?

Answer 74

Pain and temperature.

Question 75

What is fast pain carried by?

Answer 75

A-delta fibers.

Question 76

What is slow pain carried by?

Answer 76

C fibers (unmyelinated).

Question 77

What do alpha motor neurons innervate?

Answer 77

Extrafusal muscle fibers (contractile).

Question 78

What do gamma motor neurons innervate?

Answer 78

Intrafusal fibers (muscle spindle sensitivity).

Question 79

Medial UMN tracts control?

Answer 79

Postural and gross limb movements.

Question 80

Lateral UMN tracts control?

Answer 80

Fine voluntary movements.

Question 81

Lesions to UMNs cause what signs?

Answer 81

Spasticity, hyperreflexia, Babinski sign.

Question 82

Lesions to LMNs cause what signs?

Answer 82

Flaccidity, atrophy, hyporeflexia.

Question 83

What is neurapraxia?

Answer 83

Mild injury, myelin damage only.

Question 84

What is axonotmesis?

Answer 84

Axonal damage but connective tissue intact.

Question 85

What is neurotmesis?

Answer 85

Complete severance of nerve.

Question 86

What is Wallerian degeneration?

Answer 86

Degeneration of axon distal to injury.

Question 87

What is habituation?

Answer 87

Decreased neural response to repeated stimulus.

Question 88

What is experience-dependent plasticity?

Answer 88

Changes in neural networks due to learning.

Question 89

What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

Answer 89

Strengthening of synaptic connections.

Question 90

What is long-term depression (LTD)?

Answer 90

Weakening of synaptic connections.

Question 91

What causes excitotoxicity?

Answer 91

Overactivation by glutamate leading to neuron death.

Question 92

What is the function of the basal ganglia?

Answer 92

Control of movement and motor planning.

Question 93

What causes Parkinson's Disease?

Answer 93

Loss of dopaminergic neurons.

Question 94

What is Huntington's Disease associated with?

Answer 94

Chorea and dementia.

Question 95

What is sustained attention?

Answer 95

Maintaining focus over time.

Question 96

What is selective attention?

Answer 96

Focusing on one task despite distractions.

Question 97

What is alternating attention?

Answer 97

Switching focus between tasks.

Question 98

What is divided attention?

Answer 98

Responding to multiple tasks at once.

Question 99

What is immediate memory?

Answer 99

Recall of information within seconds.

Question 100

What is short-term memory?

Answer 100

Holding information for minutes to hours.

Question 101

What is long-term memory?

Answer 101

Storage of experiences over days to years.