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Flashcards in Neurobiology basics Deck (74)
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1
Q

What is the definition of neurobiology?

A

The study of the cellular make up activity of the nervous system, the comparative study of nervous systems of different animals and the interaction of neurones with other cells.

2
Q

What is neurophysiology?

A

The mechanisms of neural membranes and cells.

3
Q

What is electrophysiology?

A

The study of ionic flow (i.e current) arising from the potentials of generated in excitable cells.

4
Q

What is sensory physiology?

A

How sensory cells (receptors) and systems encode and process the environment.

5
Q

What is sensory ecology?

A

How the sensory systems of animals enable and limit their evolutionary success.

6
Q

What is neuroethology?

A

How do nervous systems control the natural behaviour of animals and how do those systems evolve.

7
Q

What is cognitive neuroscience?

A

The study of how the brain produces thought and understand the world - the functional basis of the mind.

8
Q

What is neuropsychology?

A

The study (of mostly the brain) with the intent to understand how the human species perceives its world.

9
Q

What is neurology?

A

The study of the function and pathology of intact nervous systems (usually human) by examining their responses to stimuli.

10
Q

What is neuropathology?

A

The study of disease of the nervous system - the study of autopsied material.

11
Q

What is neurochemistry?

A

What molecules nervous systems use to maintain their homeostasis as well as communicate with other cells.

12
Q

What is neuropharmacology?

A

The study of how artificial and natural compounds (drugs) affect the nervous system and how can they be used in medical treatments.

13
Q

What does ventral-dorsal mean?

A

Front-back.

14
Q

What does rostral-caudal mean?

A

Head-tail.

15
Q

What is another name for rostal-caudal?

A

Anterior-posterior.

16
Q

What does medial lateral mean?

A

Medial is a division through the centre, whereas lateral is the outside structure.

17
Q

What is the first division of the nervous system?

A

Central and peripheral.

18
Q

What makes up the central nervous system?

A

The brain and spinal cord.

19
Q

What are the subsections of the brain in classification of the nervous system?

A

Forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain.

20
Q

What makes up the peripheral nervous system?

A

Autonomic and sensory/motor (somatic).

21
Q

What is the autonomic system divided into?

A

Sympathetic (arousing) and parasympathetic (calming).

22
Q

What is the difference between the somatic and autonomic system?

A

Somatic has sensory and motor pathways whereas the autonomic only has motor pathways. The somatic system controls muscle and movement whereas the autonomic controls internal organs and glands.

23
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

It is the tightly-packed wrinkly area of the brain. It is the outermost layer surrounding the inner structures, and is made up of the temporal, frontal, parietal and occipital lobes.

24
Q

What can be seen in a cross section through the spinal cord?

A

The central canal, grey matter, white matter, dorsal root ganglions, ventral root motor nerves and sensory nerves.

25
Q

What is the function of dorsal roots in the spinal cord?

A

They convey information to the spinal cord.

26
Q

What does the ventral root in the spinal cord do?

A

Conveys motor commands to the muscles.

27
Q

What are ganglia in the PNS?

A

They are discrete collections of cell bodies that support glia.

28
Q

What are some of the sensory ganglia in the PNS?

A

Dorsal root ganglia and cranial nerve sensory ganglia.

29
Q

What are some of the autonomic ganglia in the PNS?

A

Sympathetic - found in chains next to the spinal cord and parasympathetic - ganglia closer to organs.

30
Q

What is the significance of ganglia in the CNS?

A

Some brain regions may be referred to as ganglia such as the basal ganglia.

31
Q

What does innervate mean?

A

Stimulate/supply energy to a neuron.

32
Q

What are plexuses?

A

Areas where fibres of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic fibres meet to innervate organs close to these plexuses.

33
Q

How are the names of plexuses derived?

A

From locations or organs involved.

34
Q

What are some key plexuses?

A

Cardiac plexus, pulmonary plexus, esophageal plexus, inferior mesenteric plexus and hypogastric plexus.

35
Q

Label a diagram of the brain and the locations of the frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes.

A

Look at slides.

36
Q

What is the location of the frontal lobe and what is its function?

A

It is in the front of the central fissure and is involved in memory and movement.

37
Q

What is the location of the parietal lobe and what is its function?

A

It is behind the frontal lobe and has a somatosensory function.

38
Q

What is the location o the temporal lobe and what is its function?

A

Below the parietal lobe and is involved in speech and hearing.

39
Q

What is the location of the occipital lobe and what is its function?

A

Back of the head and is involved in vision.

40
Q

What is the function of the association cortex and what is its function?

A

Between the parietal, temporal and occipital lobes and is involved in complex behaviours and thinking.

41
Q

What is the forebrain made up of?

A

The cerebral cortex??

42
Q

What is the midbrain made up of?

A

The cerebellum, pons and medulla oblongata.

43
Q

What is the human brianstem?

A

It is a structure that extends from the top of the spinal cord into the centre of the forebrain.

44
Q

What is the brainstem made up of?

A

The medulla oblongata, the midbrain and the pons.

45
Q

What structures are involved in the midbrain?

A

THe tectum, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus.

46
Q

What are the two types of cells in the nervous system?

A

Nerve cells and glial cells.

47
Q

What is the function of nerve cells?

A

They convey information.

48
Q

What is the function of glial cells?

A

They provide support and help convey information.

49
Q

What are the subdivisions of glial cells?

A

Macroglia and microglia.

50
Q

What are examples of macroglia?

A

Oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and Schwann cells.

51
Q

What are microglia?

A

Resident macrophages that are originally from the blood.

52
Q

What are the key structures in a neuron?

A

The dendrites, soma (cell body), axon hillock, axon, axon terminals and synapses.

53
Q

What are dendrites involved in?

A

Input.

54
Q

What are soma involved in?

A

Decision making, graded potentials.

55
Q

What are axon hillocks involved in?

A

Initiations of action potentials.

56
Q

What is the axon involved in?

A

Transmitting the action potential.

57
Q

What are axon terminals involved in?

A

Multiple endings/neuron.

58
Q

What are synapses involved in?

A

Communication with target cells.

59
Q

What are the connective tissue coverings of peripheral nerves?

A

Endoneurium, perineurium and epineurium.

60
Q

What is the functionla portion of a neuron?

A

The cell body.

61
Q

What are the functions of dendrites?

A

They are short extensions that receive signals.

62
Q

What is the function of the axon?

A

A long extension that transmits impulses.

63
Q

How can neurons be classified?

A

Based on their dendritic and somatic morphologies - stellate cells are star shaped and pyramidal cells are pyramid shaped. They can be classed as spiny or aspinous.

64
Q

What is a unipolar neuron?

A

Cell body at one end, dendrites at the others. There is no axon on the other side of the cell body.

65
Q

What is a bipolar neuron?

A

Cell body in the centre of the neuron with dendrites one side and axon both sides.

66
Q

What are multipolar neurons?

A

They have a cell body with many dendrites and an axon coming from them.

67
Q

How does information flow in a neuron?

A

From dendrite to axon.

68
Q

What is the most common shape of nerve cell in vertebrates?

A

The local interneuron.

69
Q

What is the function of sensory neurons?

A

To bring information in - senses and muscles.

70
Q

What is the function of motor neurons?

A

Command muscles and glands.

71
Q

What is the function of interneurons?

A

To coordinate - local neurons and relay/projection interneurons.

72
Q

What is a postsynaptic reflex arc made up of?

A

A receptor cell, an afferent sensory neuron, efferent motor neurons and effector cell. There are synapses between the neurons.

73
Q

What are the different types of electrical signals?

A

Receptor potentials, synaptic potentials and action potentials.

74
Q

How is information converted and why does it need to be?

A

There needs to be conversion between chemical and electrical. The chemical messengers are neurotransmitters whereas the electrical signals require ion channels. These conversions occur across synapses.