Neuroscience Basics Quiz
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of the myelin sheath in a neuron?

  • To provide structural support to the cell body
  • To receive messages from other neurons
  • To carry impulses to other cells
  • To increase the speed of electrical impulses (correct)

Which part of a neuron is responsible for receiving messages from other neurons?

  • Dendrites (correct)
  • Axon
  • Terminal buttons
  • Cell body

What occurs during the triggering of an action potential in a neuron?

  • Negatively charged ions exit the neuron
  • Positively charged ions rush into the neuron (correct)
  • Negative charge spreads towards the axon terminals
  • The neuron remains at its resting state

What characterizes the all-or-none law regarding neuron firing?

<p>Neurons either fire completely or not at all (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the normal resting electrical charge inside a neuron?

<p>−70 millivolts (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which component of the neuron carries messages away from the neuron?

<p>Axon (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens after an action potential passes through a section of the axon?

<p>The charge in that section is restored to negative (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do glial cells play in relation to neurons?

<p>They provide nourishment and support to neurons (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main goal of treatments for Parkinson's disease?

<p>To increase dopamine levels and manage symptoms (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the nervous system connects the CNS to the body's extremities?

<p>Peripheral Nervous System (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of response does the sympathetic division activate?

<p>Fight-or-flight response (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which function does the parasympathetic division serve after an emergency situation?

<p>Calming the body (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of neuron is responsible for transmitting information from the body’s perimeter to the CNS?

<p>Sensory neurons (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of hormones in the endocrine system?

<p>To regulate body functions and growth (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of message increases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire?

<p>Excitatory message (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do hormones differ from neurotransmitters in terms of speed?

<p>Neurotransmitters act faster than hormones (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of enzymes in the synapse?

<p>To deactivate neurotransmitters (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What primary functions are controlled by the Central Core?

<p>Basic survival functions such as breathing and eating (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the relationship between the nervous system and the endocrine system?

<p>The endocrine system sends signals more slowly than the nervous system but is influenced by it (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do SSRIs work in relation to neurotransmitters?

<p>They delay neurotransmitter reuptake (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which structure is primarily responsible for regulating arousal and the sleep-wake cycle?

<p>Reticular Formation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does the hippocampus play in the brain?

<p>Learning and memory (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens if neurotransmitters remain in the synapse for too long?

<p>Receiving neurons achieve constant stimulation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the limbic system is involved in fear and aggression?

<p>Amygdala (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the process of reuptake in the context of neurons?

<p>The absorption of neurotransmitters by the terminal button (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What major function does the thalamus serve in the brain?

<p>Relay station for sensory information (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is primarily affected by Parkinson's Disease?

<p>Substantia nigra (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does the integration of messages play in neuronal communication?

<p>It balances inhibitory and excitatory messages (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) affect brain activity?

<p>It disrupts brain activity in specific regions (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the hypothalamus regulate?

<p>Basic survival behaviors and homeostasis (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential symptom of disrupted neurotransmitter reuptake?

<p>Increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which feature is NOT characteristic of the limbic system?

<p>Regulation of critical body functions (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the motor area of the cortex?

<p>Responsible for voluntary body movements (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which body movements are controlled by smaller areas of the motor cortex?

<p>Larger-scale movements with less precision (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is the sensory area of the cortex organized?

<p>Somatotopically, corresponding to body parts (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which lobe is primarily responsible for the auditory area?

<p>Temporal Lobe (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens when the visual area of the cortex is electrically stimulated?

<p>It causes flashes of light or colors (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the somatosensory area primarily respond to?

<p>Body sensations like touch and pressure (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the amount of brain tissue devoted to a body part and its sensitivity?

<p>More tissue equals greater sensitivity (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is involved in both producing movement and directing complex body postures?

<p>Motor area (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which hemisphere is primarily responsible for language processing in right-handed individuals?

<p>Left hemisphere (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect on language processing for left-handed individuals?

<p>More likely split between both hemispheres (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What happens when one hemisphere of the brain loses function?

<p>The other hemisphere may compensate, especially in young individuals (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the top-brain system specialize in, according to Kosslyn's theory?

<p>Planning and goal-setting (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary outcome of severing the corpus callosum in split-brain patients?

<p>Independence of hemispheres functions (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When an object is touched with the left hand of a split-brain patient, what can they do?

<p>Identify the object without speaking (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about brain hemisphere specialization is true?

<p>Compensation after injury may occur in younger individuals (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do ongoing studies regarding lateralization hope to uncover?

<p>Lateralization differences across genders and cultures (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Neurons

Basic nerve cells that transmit information through the nervous system.

Cell body

The central part of a neuron containing the nucleus and genetic material.

Glial cells

Specialized cells that support and nourish neurons.

Dendrites

Branching fibers that receive messages from other neurons.

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Axon

A long, slender extension that carries messages away from the cell body to other neurons.

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Terminal buttons

Small bulges at the end of the axon that transmit messages to other neurons.

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Myelin sheath

A fatty coating that insulates the axon and increases the speed of nerve impulses.

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All-or-None Law

The principle that a neuron either fires completely or not at all.

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Excitatory Message

A type of neural message that increases the likelihood of the receiving neuron firing, leading to the generation of an action potential.

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Inhibitory Message

A type of neural message that decreases or prevents the likelihood of the receiving neuron firing, keeping it in a resting state.

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Integration of Messages

The process where neurons receive both excitatory and inhibitory messages simultaneously and calculate the dominant signal, determining whether to fire or not.

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Neurotransmitter Removal

The process of enzymes deactivating neurotransmitters and reuptake where the terminal button reabsorbs neurotransmitters for recycling, preventing constant stimulation or inhibition in the receiving neuron.

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Reuptake

The reabsorption of neurotransmitters by the terminal button, like a vacuum cleaner sucking up dust. This prevents synaptic clogging and allows for the reuse of neurotransmitters.

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SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

A class of drugs that delay the reuptake of serotonin neurotransmitters, keeping them active longer in the synapse. This helps reduce depression symptoms.

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Reuptake and Psychological Disorders

The understanding of the reuptake process has led to the development of effective treatments for psychological disorders.

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Parkinson's Disease

A neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects the nervous system, particularly the substantia nigra, which is responsible for producing dopamine.

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Reflexes

The part of the nervous system that controls automatic, involuntary responses to stimuli, like pulling your hand away from a hot stove.

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Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to the body's extremities.

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Sympathetic Division

The part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for stressful situations, also known as the "fight-or-flight" response.

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Parasympathetic Division

The part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body after emergencies, restoring it to a pre-crisis state.

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Sensory (Afferent) Neurons

Neurons that transmit information from the body's perimeter to the central nervous system (CNS), acting as messengers from the body to the brain.

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Motor (Efferent) Neurons

Neurons that transmit information from the CNS to muscles and glands, carrying commands from the brain to the body.

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Interneurons

Neurons that coordinate between sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord, acting as intermediaries for information flow.

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Endocrine System

A chemical communication network that uses the bloodstream to send messages throughout the body, regulating functions and growth.

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What are the lobes of the cerebral cortex?

The four major sections of the cerebral cortex, separated by deep grooves called sulci.

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What is the motor area of the cortex?

The area of the cortex responsible for voluntary body movements, mapped according to specific body parts, with larger areas dedicated to precise movements.

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What is somatotopic organization?

The concept that specific parts of the motor cortex control specific body parts.

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What is the sensory area of the cortex?

The area of the cortex that processes sensory input from different parts of the body, including touch, sight, and sound.

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What is the somatosensory area?

The part of the sensory area that processes body sensations like touch and pressure, with more brain tissue dedicated to highly sensitive areas.

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What is the auditory area?

The part of the sensory area responsible for processing auditory information, with specific locations responding to different pitches.

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What is the visual area?

The part of the sensory area that processes visual information, with more brain tissue dedicated to sensitive areas of the retina.

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How does the amount of brain tissue relate to body part sensitivity?

The relationship between the size of brain regions dedicated to specific body parts and the sensitivity of those parts.

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PET Scan

A brain imaging technique using radioactive glucose to highlight active regions, revealing tumors, memory issues, and brain abnormalities.

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TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

Utilizes magnetic fields to briefly disrupt brain activity in specific regions, helping understand brain functions and showing promise for treating depression and schizophrenia.

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Central Core (Old Brain)

The oldest part of the brain responsible for vital functions like breathing, eating, and sleeping. It's found in all vertebrates and evolved over 500 million years.

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Hindbrain

Located at the base of the skull, it includes the medulla, pons, and cerebellum. It controls crucial functions like breathing, heartbeat, and coordinated movement.

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Reticular Formation

A network of nerves extending from the medulla through the pons, midbrain, and forebrain, regulating alertness, awareness, and the sleep-wake cycle.

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Thalamus

A relay station for sensory information (sight, hearing, touch), it sends information to higher brain regions and integrates information from the medulla and cerebellum.

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Hypothalamus

Maintains homeostasis (stable internal environment, body temperature, and nutrient balance). It regulates behaviors critical for survival like eating, self-protection, and sex.

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Limbic System

Involved in emotions, self-preservation, and basic functions like eating, aggression, and reproduction. Key in learning, memory, and experiencing pleasure. It includes structures like the amygdala and hippocampus.

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Lateralization

The specialization of one hemisphere of the brain for specific functions, like language processing in the left hemisphere for most people.

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Brain Function Interdependence

The tendency for the two hemispheres of the brain to work together despite their specialization.

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Brain Compensation

The brain's remarkable ability to compensate for lost function in one hemisphere, especially in younger individuals.

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Brain Theory by Stephen Kosslyn

A theory that suggests the fundamental difference in brain function is not between the hemispheres but between the upper and lower halves of the brain.

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Split-brain patients

Individuals who have had their corpus callosum severed, typically as a treatment for severe epilepsy.

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Split-brain patient's inability to name left-hand objects

The inability of split-brain patients to name objects touched with their left hand because the right hemisphere (responsible for processing information from the left side of the body) cannot communicate verbally.

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Split-brain patient's ability to identify left-hand objects

The ability of split-brain patients to identify objects touched with the left hand, even though they cannot name them.

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Lateralization and Occupational Success

The study of how specialization in the right and left hemispheres of the brain might influence individual's success in different occupations.

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Study Notes

Neurons: The Basic Elements of Behavior

  • Neurons are the basic nerve cells in the nervous system.
  • Components of a neuron include the cell body (containing hereditary material), glial cells (support neurons), dendrites (receiving messages), axon (transmitting messages), and terminal buttons (sending messages to other neurons).
  • Myelin sheath: A protective coating around the axon, made of fat and protein, which increases the speed of electrical impulses.
  • Neuron communication is electrical.
  • Messages (impulses) are carried from dendrites to axon.

Neuron Firing

  • All-or-None Law: Neurons fire completely or not at all; there's no in-between state.
  • Resting State: Neurons have a negative electrical charge (approximately –70 millivolts) inside.
  • Action Potential: A rapid change in charge from negative to positive within the axon, triggered when the positive charge reaches a critical level. This is an electrical impulse.
  • During action potential, positive ions rush into the axon, changing the charge to positive, then positive ions are pumped out, restoring the charge back to negative.

Synapse and Neurotransmitters

  • Synapse: The gap between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite of another neuron where communication occurs.
  • Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers that carry messages across the synapse to the receiving neuron.
  • Neurotransmitters must fit precisely into a receptor site.
  • inside neurons: Messages are transmitted electrically
  • Between neurons: Messages are transmitted chemically.

Types of Chemical Messages

  • Excitatory Message: Increases the likelihood that the receiving neuron will fire (leads to action potential).
  • Inhibitory Message: Prevents or decreases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire (keeps neuron in resting state).
  • Integration of Messages: Neurons receive both excitatory and inhibitory messages simultaneously and "calculate" the dominant signal.

Preventing Constant Stimulation or Inhibition

  • Enzymes deactivate neurotransmitters.
  • Reuptake: Terminal buttons reabsorb neurotransmitters for recycling.

Major Neurotransmitters

  • Acetylcholine (ACh): Muscle movement, cognitive functioning
  • Glutamate: Memory
  • GABA: Eating, aggression, sleeping.
  • Dopamine: Movement control, pleasure, reward, attention.
  • Serotonin: Sleeping, eating, mood, pain, depression
  • Endorphins: Pain suppression, pleasurable feelings, appetites

The Nervous System & Endocrine System

  • The nervous system is a chemical communication network using the bloodstream, which controls many body functions along with growth and development
  • Endocrine system uses hormones to regulate bodily functions via the bloodstream.

Major Parts of the Brain

  • Central Core: Controls basic survival functions (breathing, eating, sleeping), similar across all vertebrates. Includes:

    • Medulla: Controls heartbeat and breathing.
    • Pons: Transmits motor information, regulates sleep.
    • Cerebellum: Coordinates muscle movements and regulates sleep.
    • Reticular Formation: Regulates arousal, awareness.
    • Thalamus: Relay station for sensory information.
    • Hypothalamus: Regulates various functions like maintaining homeostasis (temperature, nutrient balance), and survival behaviors.

  • Limbic System: Controls emotions, self-preservation, and basic functions. Includes:

    • Amygdala: Involved in fear and aggression.
    • Hippocampus: Plays a key role in learning and memory.
    • Pleasure Centers: Stimulation produces intense feelings of pleasure.

  • Cerebral Cortex: Responsible for the most sophisticated information processing. Includes:

    • Lobes: Four major sections: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.
    • Motor Areas: Control voluntary movements.
    • Sensory Areas: Processes sensory input.
    • Association Areas: Involved in higher mental processes such as speaking, learning, memory, etc.

  • Hemispheres: Two halves of the brain that process information differently. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere controls the left side. Each hemisphere specializes in unique functions.

    • Lateralization: Dominance of one hemisphere for specific functions, especially language.
    • Split-Brain patients: Severed corpus callosum ( a bundle of fibers connecting the two hemispheres) to stop seizures. This results in difficulty in coordination between the two hemispheres.

Methods for Studying the Brain

  • EEG: Electroencephalogram, measures electrical activity in the brain.
  • fMRI: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, monitors blood flow in the brain.
  • PET: Positron Emission Tomography, shows biochemical activity.
  • TMS: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, temporarily disrupts brain activity in specific areas.

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Neurons: The Basic Elements of Behavior PDF

Description

Test your knowledge on the fundamental concepts of neuroscience, including the structure and function of neurons, the roles of myelin sheaths, action potentials, and the nervous system's divisions. This quiz covers key terminology and functions relevant to understanding how the nervous and endocrine systems operate.

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