Synapses

Question 1

Name the part of a nerve cell that carries a message to the cell body.

Answer 1

Dendrites

Question 2

Name the part of the nerve cell that contains the nucleus.

Answer 2

Cell body

Question 3

Name the part of the nerve cell that carries a message away from the cell body.

Answer 3

Axon

Question 4

Name the sheath that surrounds the axon.

Answer 4

myelin

Question 5

What is the purpose of the myelin sheath?

Answer 5

Increases the speed of impulse conduction

Question 6

Why are responses to stimuli in the first 2 years of life not as rapid or co-ordinated as those of an adult?

Answer 6

Myelination in not complete

Question 7

Name the cells that produce the myelin sheath.

Answer 7

Glial Cells

Question 8

Name the cells that support neurons.

Answer 8

Glial Cells

Question 9

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that destoys the myelin sheath, what is the result for the person?

Answer 9

Loss of co-ordination

Question 10

What are neurotransmitters stored in at the presynaptic neuron?

Answer 10

vesicles

Question 11

What is the name of the gap between an axon of one cell and the dendrite of another cell?

Answer 11

synaptic cleft

Question 12

What does an electrical impulse arriving at the end of an axon cause to happen?

Answer 12

Vesicles release the neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft

Question 13

How do neurotransmitters move from the axon ending to the postsynaptic neuron?

Answer 13

diffusion

Question 14

What remove neurotransmitters from the receptors?

Answer 14

enzymes

Question 15

Why is it important that enzymes are removed from the receptor?

Answer 15

Prevents continuous stimulation of postsynaptic neurons

Question 16

What determines whether a signal is excitatory or ionhibitory?

Answer 16

The receptor

Question 17

What name is given to the minimum number of neurotransmitters that must attach to a receptor to transmit an impulse?

Answer 17

Threshold

Question 18

If threshold is not reached, what happens to the impulse?

Answer 18

It is filtered out as unimportant

Question 19

What term is used to describe a number of weak stimuli combining in order to reach threshold?

Answer 19

summation

Question 20

In which type of neural pathway does summation take place?

Answer 20

Converging

Question 21

Name the neurotransmitters that stimulate neurons involved in reducing the intensity of pain.

Answer 21

Endorphins

Question 22

Name 3 things that can increase endorphin production.

Answer 22

severe injury, exercise, stress, sex and certain foods

Question 23

Name the neurotransmitters that induce feelings of pleasure?

Answer 23

dopamine

Question 24

On which part of the brain does dopamine activate and why?

Answer 24

reward pathway to reinforce a particular behaviour

Question 25

Name the part of the brain that has neurons which secrete and respond to dopamine.

Answer 25

The reward pathway

Question 26

If a drug is described as an agonist, what does this mean?

Answer 26

they bind to and stimulate specific receptors mimicking the neurotransmitter

Question 27

If a drug is described as an antagonist, what does this mean?

Answer 27

they bind to specific receptors and block the action of the neurotransmitter

Question 28

Other than agonists and antagonists, state 2 ways drugs can affect neurotransmitters at the synapse.

Answer 28

1. inhibit enzymes that break the neurotransmitters down 2. inhibit reuptake of the neurotransmitter

Question 29

Which type of drug causes drug addiction by sensitisation?

Answer 29

antagonists

Question 30

How do antagonist drugs affect the number and sensitivity of the receptors?

Answer 30

increase the number and sensitivity

Question 31

Which type of drug causes drug tolerance due to desensitisation?

Answer 31

agonists

Question 32

How do agonist drugs affect the number and sensitivity of the receptors?

Answer 32

decrease the number and sensitivity

Question 33

What effect can the use of recreational drugs have on an individual?

Answer 33

change their mood, perception and behaviour

Question 34

What do we call drugs that imitate the natural neurotransmitter?

Answer 34

agonists

Question 35

What do we call drugs that block the receptors and stop the natural neurotransmitter from binding?

Answer 35

Antagonists

Question 36

Give an example of a behaviour that is rewarded by dopamine.

Answer 36

eating when hungry, sex