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BMOL10030 - Biomed > Neuroscience > Flashcards

Neuroscience Flashcards

(76 cards)

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1
Q

name the two major cell types in the brain

A

neurons and glial cells

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2
Q

role of neurons

A
  • process information
  • sense environmental changes
  • communicate changes to other neurons
  • command body responses
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3
Q

role of glial cells

A
  • insulate, support and nourish neurons
  • involved in cell communication and neurodegeneration
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4
Q

describe the structure of the neuron

A

most organelles found in cell body
dendrites are highly branched extensions
axon is longer and the base is called the axon hillock

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5
Q

what is the role of dendrites and describe them

A

highly branched extensions that receive signals from other neurons

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6
Q

what is the axon hillock and where is it located

A

it is the cone-shaped base of an axon, also known as the initial segment where action potential is generated - highly specialised region

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7
Q

describe the axon

A

arises from cell body and may be ensheathed or bare (myelin sheaths improve efficiency)

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8
Q

what role does the myelin sheath have

A

wraps around axon and improves the efficiency, increasing the conduction velocity of the action potential

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9
Q

role of myelinating glial cells

A

physical support/separation
produce myelin

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10
Q

what is an astrocyte

A

a star like cell
stops bad chemicals getting into brain, have terminals which contact neurons - involved in regulating neurotransmitters

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11
Q

what does it mean that the neuronal action potential is ‘all or none’

A

it is not a graded potential
once it is initiated, it will spread along the axon and will not decrease in amplitude

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12
Q

synaptic transmission

A

caused by the action potential reaching the synaptic terminal

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13
Q

what is the role of resting membrane potential (RMP)

A

required for normal function
- muscle contraction
- synaptic transmission
- pacemaker activity
- cell to cell signaling
it is the basis for electrical excitability in the nervous system

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14
Q

what establishes the resting potential of a neuron

A

ion pumps and ion channels

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15
Q

what is the resting potential

A

the membrane potential of a neuron not sending signals

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16
Q

what is the electrochemical equilibrium

A

the membrane potential is due to the balance of electrical driving force and chemical driving force

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17
Q

what makes up the brain and spinal cord

A

Grey matter - consists of neuron cell bodies, dendrites and unmyelinated axons
White matter - which consists of bundles of myelinated axons

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18
Q

what is grey matter

A

consists of neuron cell bodies, dendrites and unmyelinated axons
makes up brain and spinal cord

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19
Q

what is white matter

A

consists of bundles of myelinated axons
makes up brain and spinal cord

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20
Q

what are the 5 groups that neurotransmitters belong to

A
  1. acetylcholine
  2. biogenic amines
  3. amino acids
  4. neuropeptides
  5. gases
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21
Q

summarise the events that occur during neuromuscular transmission

A
  • Action potential in presynaptic motor axon terminals
  • Increase in Ca++ permeability and influx of Ca++ into axon terminal
  • Release of acetylcholine from synaptic vesicles into the synaptic cleft
  • Diffusion of acetylcholine to postjunctional membrane
  • Combination of acetylcholine with specific receptors (nicotinic) on postjunctional membrane
  • Increase in permeability of postjunctional membrane to Na+ and K+ causes EPP
  • Depolarisation of areas of muscle membrane adjacent to endplate and initiation of an AP
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22
Q

examples of disorders of neuromuscular junction

A

myasthenia gravis
lambert eaton syndrome

not sure if we need to know this ??

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23
Q

describe the role of glia

A

numerous functions to nourish, support and regulate neurons

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24
Q

what makes up the peripheral nervous system

A

everything other than the brain and spinal cord

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25
what are the two efferent components of the PNS | PNS - peripheral nervous system
the motor system - voluntary the autonomic nervous system - involuntary
26
describe the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system
- Sympathetic division regulates arousal and energy generation ('fight-or-flight' response) - Parasympathetic division has antagonistic effects on target organs and promotes calming and a return to 'rest and digest' functions - Enteric division controls activity of the digestive tract, pancreas and gallbladder
27
how do antidepressant drugs work
serotonin and norepinephrine is in low quantities so signal in synaptic cleft is reduced antidepressants block some receptors in the presynaptic cleft, to prevent reuprtake and thus balance the concentration boosts neurotransmitter signal
28
limitations of antidepressant drugs
- benefits only occur after several weeks - not all patients are responsive - chronic, long-term therapy required to prevent relapse - drugs are not better than placebo for mild and moderate depression
29
define neurogenesis
the process in which new nerons are formed in the adult brain ## Footnote one region of adult neurogenesis is the hippocampus
30
suggest some factors that increase neurogenesis
- enriched environment - exercise - learning - antidepressant treatment
31
suggest some factors that decrease neurogenesis
- age - stress - opiates
32
what is the name of the major neurotransmitter in the brain reward system
dopamine
33
how does the **reward system** in the brain work
important behaviours such as eating, drinking, sex are perceived as rewarding as dopamine is released, creating a 'high' feeling and increasing the likelihood that they are repeated
34
describe the mechanism of action of cocaine
blocks neurotransmitter recycling
35
define neural plasticity
the ability of the nervous system to be modified after birth ## Footnote an example is the formation of memories
36
what is the role of the hippocampus
forming long-term memory access of short-term memory
37
describe declarative (explicit) memory
hippocampal dependent fast learning facts, figures spatial learning; route to work, home
38
descrive procedural (implicit) memory
motor learning - cerebellar dependent slow accumulation of skills previous experience e.g. riding a bike
39
describe the synaptic organisation of explicit memory
explicit memory information is taken from the entorhinal cortex to the hippocampus for processing first time is encoding, repeated processing is rehearsal -> explains why need to revisit things multiple times to understand
40
what are some positive regulators of new neuron survival
- hippocampal-dependent learning - physical exercise - environment enrichment - LTP
41
what are some negative regulators of new neuron survival
- stress - social isolation - alcohol/drug abuse - ageing
42
define Alzheimer's disease
an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills
43
what causes Alzheimer's disease
the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques in the brain
44
what are some hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease
- senile plaques - found in neocortex, hippocampus and several subcortical areas - neurofibrillary tangles - NFT density correlates with disease duration and severity
45
what are the four lobes that make up the cerbrum and their functions
frontal - higher executive function, decision making, planning, memory aspects temporal - auditory information, speech, memory processing, emotion occipital - visual perception, colour, form parietal - sensation, sensory perception and integration
46
what are the functions of the frontal lobe
higher executive function, decision making, planning, memory aspects
47
what are the functions of the temporal lobe
auditory information, speech, memory processing, emotion
48
what are the functions of the occipital lobe
visual perception, colour, form
49
what are the functions of the parietal lobe
sensation, sensory perception and integration
50
what is the cerebral cortex
the outermost layer of grey matter making up the superficial aspect of the cerebrum
51
what is the corpus callosum
links left and right hemisphere
52
what is the role of sensory areas in the brain
receive impulses from sense organs and transmit them to the association areas
53
what is the role of the association areas in the brain
receive impulses, interpret them in the light of similar past experiences and transmit impulses to motor areas
54
what is the role of the motor areas in the brain
transmit impulses to the effectors e.g. hands, feet
55
summarise the events of information processing
- The cerebral cortex receives input from sensory organs and somatosensory receptors - Somatosensory receptors provide information about touch, pain, pressure, temperature and the position of muscles and limbs - The thalamus directs different types of input to distinct cortical locations - Adjacent areas process features of the sensory input and integrate information from different sensory areas - Integrated sensory information passes to the prefrontal cortex which helps plan actions and movements - In the somatosensory cortex and motor cortex, neurons are arranged according to the part of the body that generates input or receives commands
56
what is **Broca's area**
the area of the left frontal lobe responsible for the articulation of speech
57
what is **Wernicke's area**
an area of language comprehension, located on the left temporal lobe ## Footnote Wernicke's aphasics show deficits in language comprehension and sentence formation may be inhibited
58
what does the left hemisphere specialise in
more adept at language, math, logic, and processing of serial sequences
59
what does the right hemisphere specialise in
stronger at pattern recognition, nonverbal thinking and emotional processing
60
define lateralisation
the differences in hemisphere function
61
how do the left and right hemispheres work together
communicate through the fibres of the corpus callosum ## Footnote see split brain research
62
what is the **visual word form area (VWFA)**
a reproducible site of activation during reading in all cultures possibly involved in dyslexia
63
why do we sleep?
to sustain normal levels of cognitive skills e.g. speech, memory, innovative and flexible thinking
64
what can occur after a lack of sleep
- brain function is disrupted - grumpiness - grogginess - irritability - forgetfulness - attention span shortens - language, memory, planning and sense of time is severly affected
65
what is the **reticular formation** and what is its function
the diffuse network of neurons at the core of the brainstem it regulates the amount and type of information that reaches the cerebral cortex and affects alertness
66
67
what are the 4 stages of sleep
- **Stage 1:** half awake and half asleep. Muscle activity slows down and slight twitching may occur. A period of light sleep, we can be awakened easily at this stage - **Stage 2:** within ten minutes of light sleep, enter stage 2 which lasts approx. 20 minutes. Breathing pattern and heart rate start to slow down, accounts for the largest part of human sleep - **Stage 3:** the brain begins to produce delta waves, a type of wave that is large (high amplitude) and slow (low frequency). Breathing and heart rate at their lowest levels - **Stage 4:** rhythmic breathing and limited muscle activity. If we are awakened during deep sleep we do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes after waking up. Some children experience sleepwalking during this stage
68
what structures are involved in the generation and experience of emotions
the amygdala hippocampus parts of the thalamus grouped as the limbic system
69
what does the **limbic system** function in
- emotion - motivation - olfaction - behaviour - memory
70
what structure is used in the storage of emotion in the memory
the amygdala - a mass of nuclei near the base of the cerebrum
71
define behaviour
the nervous systems response to a stimulus, carried out by the muscular or hormonal system
72
what are the different forms of animal behavioural triggers
visual, chemical, tactile and auditory signals
73
what is a **cross-fostering study**
places the young from one species in the care of adults from another species e.g. twin studies in humans
74
define imprinting
a behaviour that includes learning and innate components and is generally irreverersible distinguished from other learning by a **sensitive period**
75
what is associative learning
animals associate one feature of their environment with another e.g. classical conditioning when an arbitrary stimulus (certain noise etc) is associated with reward or punishment
76
define innate behaviour
behaviour that occurs without obvious environmental influence e.g. spiders can spin a web immediately after hatching with no training it suggests a genetic component to behaviour

BMOL10030 - Biomed (6 decks)

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