Questions and Answers
What is one of the main advantages of transcranial magnetic stimulation?
What is a limitation of pharmacological techniques in neuroscience?
Which method uses genetic ‘scissors’ to manipulate DNA?
What is a unique feature of optogenetics compared to other techniques?
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Which receptor is primarily activated by the Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs)?
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What is a common method used in gene-editing to remove genetic information from specific cells?
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What is a significant drawback of using DREADDs in research?
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Which chemical compound is commonly used in pharmacological inactivation within the brain?
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What is the primary function of interneurons in a simple reflex circuit?
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Which type of neuron has one axon and one cell body?
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What process uses ion channels to facilitate movement of ions across a membrane?
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In which state is the membrane potential typically around -70mV?
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Which of the following neurotransmitters is typically involved in excitatory post-synaptic potentials (EPSPs)?
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What happens to a neuron when sodium ions flow in, causing the membrane potential to become more positive?
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Which type of receptor is characterized as being ionotropic?
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What is the all or nothing law in relation to action potentials?
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What mechanism allows action potentials to jump from node to node in a myelinated axon?
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Which method is primarily used to manipulate neuronal activity causally?
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What occurs in the axon hillock before an action potential can be triggered?
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Facilitated diffusion requires ATP to move ions across the membrane.
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Define depolarization in terms of membrane potential.
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The __________ gate opens when the membrane potential reaches a certain threshold, allowing sodium ions to enter the neuron.
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Match the neurotransmitters with their primary effect:
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What is the primary function of sensory neurons?
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Inhibitory post-synaptic potentials (IPSPs) make a neuron more likely to fire an action potential.
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What is the role of saltatory conduction in the nervous system?
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During __________, the membrane potential becomes more negative than the resting potential, making it harder to trigger an action potential.
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Which of the following accurately describes a multipolar neuron?
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What is the primary purpose of DREADDs in neuroscience research?
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Chemogenetics and optogenetics both utilize light to control neuronal activity.
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What is the function of CRISPR in genetic approaches?
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Transcranial magnetic stimulation is advantageous due to its ________ duration, providing good temporal resolution.
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What compound is commonly used to activate designer receptors in DREADDs?
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Match the following techniques with their primary features:
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The CRE-lox system is a method used to block plasticity in neurons.
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Name one limitation of pharmacological techniques in neuroscience.
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Study Notes
Neuronal Function Overview
- Simple reflex circuits involve sensory neuron activation, interneurons, and motor neurons, culminating in muscle contractions and relaxation through ACh release.
Neuron Types
- Unipolar neurons feature one cell body with a single axon.
- Bipolar neurons consist of one cell body and two axons.
- Multipolar neurons have one cell body, one axon, and multiple dendrites.
Ion Movement and Diffusion
- Diffusion: Movement of ions along their concentration gradient (high to low) toward equilibrium.
- Electrostatic movement: Involves moving against the concentration gradient (low to high) and requires ATP.
- Facilitated diffusion: Utilizes ion channels to assist ions in crossing the membrane.
Neurotransmitter Effects
- Excitatory neurotransmitters increase the likelihood of postsynaptic NT release.
- Inhibitory neurotransmitters decrease the likelihood of postsynaptic NT release.
- Conditional NTs modulate the effects of other neurotransmitters.
Ion Channels
- Ion channels act as selective gates for ions, opening or closing at specific moments.
- Types include ion-specific, voltage-gated, and ligand-gated channels, accommodating ions like Na+, Cl-, K+, and Ca++.
Membrane Potential and Action Potential
- At rest, the membrane potential is approximately -70mV; extracellular environment is more positive.
- Action potentials are generated when LGIC or VG-Na+/K+ pumps open, altering ion flow and membrane polarization.
- Depolarization occurs with influx of Na+ ions; EPSP typically involves glutamate.
- Hyperpolarization occurs with influx of Cl- ions; IPSP is usually mediated by GABA.
- The action potential follows the "all-or-nothing law," requiring a threshold of -55mV.
Axon Hillock and Saltatory Conduction
- The axon hillock is the site where action potential initiation occurs, “opening” to allow signal propagation.
- Saltatory conduction enables action potentials to leap across nodes, facilitated by voltage-gated Na+ channels.
Receptor Types
- Ionotropic receptors (ligand-gated ion channels) and metabotropic receptors (G protein-coupled receptors) are key in neurotransmission.
Common Receptors
- Excitatory: Glutamate (AMPA, NMDA)
- Inhibitory: GABA
- Additional receptors include dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, histamine, and opiate receptors.
Methods of Brain Activity Analysis
- Correlational approaches: fMRI, EEG, MEG, and various imaging techniques at cellular levels.
- Causal methods: Assessing lesions, intracellular and extracellular changes, and recording single-cell voltage during behaviors.
Pharmacological Techniques
- Involves injecting agonists or antagonists to manipulate receptor activity (e.g., GABA agonist or NMDA antagonist).
- Advantages: Specific targeting and reversible effects; Limitations: Duration of effects varies from behavior interest.
Genetic Approaches
- Gene-editing: Techniques like CRISPR, TALEN, and Zinc finger nucleases.
- Transgenics: Involves adding or manipulating DNA sequences using methods like CRE-Lox technology to control gene expression.
Chemogenetics and Optogenetics
- Optogenetics: Utilizes light-activated proteins from jellyfish to control neuron activity, allowing specific stimulation or inhibition through light exposure (ChR2 for activation, Halo for inhibition).
- DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs): Engineered GPCRs activated by specific drugs to modulate neuronal activity.
Advantages and Limitations of Techniques
- Optogenetics allows precise control of neuronal activity; however, it relies on light and specific protein incorporation.
- DREADDs offer targeted manipulations with the potential for systemic administration, yet they can raise questions about the naturalistic effects of drug activation.
Neuronal Function Overview
- Simple reflex circuits involve sensory neuron activation, interneurons, and motor neurons, culminating in muscle contractions and relaxation through ACh release.
Neuron Types
- Unipolar neurons feature one cell body with a single axon.
- Bipolar neurons consist of one cell body and two axons.
- Multipolar neurons have one cell body, one axon, and multiple dendrites.
Ion Movement and Diffusion
- Diffusion: Movement of ions along their concentration gradient (high to low) toward equilibrium.
- Electrostatic movement: Involves moving against the concentration gradient (low to high) and requires ATP.
- Facilitated diffusion: Utilizes ion channels to assist ions in crossing the membrane.
Neurotransmitter Effects
- Excitatory neurotransmitters increase the likelihood of postsynaptic NT release.
- Inhibitory neurotransmitters decrease the likelihood of postsynaptic NT release.
- Conditional NTs modulate the effects of other neurotransmitters.
Ion Channels
- Ion channels act as selective gates for ions, opening or closing at specific moments.
- Types include ion-specific, voltage-gated, and ligand-gated channels, accommodating ions like Na+, Cl-, K+, and Ca++.
Membrane Potential and Action Potential
- At rest, the membrane potential is approximately -70mV; extracellular environment is more positive.
- Action potentials are generated when LGIC or VG-Na+/K+ pumps open, altering ion flow and membrane polarization.
- Depolarization occurs with influx of Na+ ions; EPSP typically involves glutamate.
- Hyperpolarization occurs with influx of Cl- ions; IPSP is usually mediated by GABA.
- The action potential follows the "all-or-nothing law," requiring a threshold of -55mV.
Axon Hillock and Saltatory Conduction
- The axon hillock is the site where action potential initiation occurs, “opening” to allow signal propagation.
- Saltatory conduction enables action potentials to leap across nodes, facilitated by voltage-gated Na+ channels.
Receptor Types
- Ionotropic receptors (ligand-gated ion channels) and metabotropic receptors (G protein-coupled receptors) are key in neurotransmission.
Common Receptors
- Excitatory: Glutamate (AMPA, NMDA)
- Inhibitory: GABA
- Additional receptors include dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, histamine, and opiate receptors.
Methods of Brain Activity Analysis
- Correlational approaches: fMRI, EEG, MEG, and various imaging techniques at cellular levels.
- Causal methods: Assessing lesions, intracellular and extracellular changes, and recording single-cell voltage during behaviors.
Pharmacological Techniques
- Involves injecting agonists or antagonists to manipulate receptor activity (e.g., GABA agonist or NMDA antagonist).
- Advantages: Specific targeting and reversible effects; Limitations: Duration of effects varies from behavior interest.
Genetic Approaches
- Gene-editing: Techniques like CRISPR, TALEN, and Zinc finger nucleases.
- Transgenics: Involves adding or manipulating DNA sequences using methods like CRE-Lox technology to control gene expression.
Chemogenetics and Optogenetics
- Optogenetics: Utilizes light-activated proteins from jellyfish to control neuron activity, allowing specific stimulation or inhibition through light exposure (ChR2 for activation, Halo for inhibition).
- DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs): Engineered GPCRs activated by specific drugs to modulate neuronal activity.
Advantages and Limitations of Techniques
- Optogenetics allows precise control of neuronal activity; however, it relies on light and specific protein incorporation.
- DREADDs offer targeted manipulations with the potential for systemic administration, yet they can raise questions about the naturalistic effects of drug activation.
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Description
This quiz explores various aspects of neuronal function, including different neuron types, mechanisms of ion movement, and the effects of neurotransmitters. Test your understanding of reflex circuits and the roles of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters.
