Neuroscience Basics Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the term used to describe the process when stimulation of an axon results in a more negative membrane potential?

Depolarization

Resting potential

Repolarization

Hyperpolarization (correct)

Which ion channels open first when an action potential is initiated?

Potassium

Chloride

Calcium

Sodium (correct)

Which brain region is associated with the production of dopamine?

Substantia nigra (correct)

Hippocampus

Basal ganglia

Amygdala

What happens to postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) as time passes?

They degrade Signup and view all the answers

What is an agonist in the context of neurotransmitter function?

A drug that blocks reuptake of a neurotransmitter Signup and view all the answers

What happens to photoreceptors in the dark?

They are depolarized. Signup and view all the answers

Which ions are in greater concentration inside a neuron when it is at rest?

Potassium (K+) Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a characteristic of an action potential?

It degrades over distance Signup and view all the answers

What signal is generated when hair cells in the ear move toward the tallest cilium?

Glutamate is released onto auditory nerve dendrites. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the choroid plexus?

Makes cerebrospinal fluid Signup and view all the answers

Which cells carry information from the inner ear to the brain?

Ganglion cells. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of hair cells in the Organ of Corti?

To transduce mechanical stimuli into electrical impulses. Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when cells containing halorhodopsin (NpHR) are exposed to yellow light?

They become inhibited and decrease activity. Signup and view all the answers

How does the auditory system encode loudness?

By varying the firing rate of the auditory nerve. Signup and view all the answers

Which process converts immediate memories into long-term memories?

Consolidation. Signup and view all the answers

In the retina, what is responsible for creating the blind spot?

Optic disk. Signup and view all the answers

What memory ability was preserved in patient H.M. post-surgery?

Recall of memories for events before his surgery Signup and view all the answers

Which brain area is primarily associated with studying long-term potentiation (LTP)?

Hippocampus Signup and view all the answers

What triggers the amygdala's response when viewing emotional faces?

Fearful faces elicit a stronger response than happy faces Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the conditioned stimulus during auditory fear conditioning in rats?

To predict an aversive event Signup and view all the answers

Which molecule is known to act as a retrograde messenger to foster presynaptic changes after LTP?

Nitric oxide Signup and view all the answers

How does instructed fear learning differ from other types of fear learning?

It involves being verbally informed about the aversive event. Signup and view all the answers

What does Hebb's rule state about neuronal activity?

Cells that fire together wire together. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is associated with the relationship between the hippocampus and depression?

The hippocampus is smaller in depressed individuals. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to animals in the sham group during stereotaxic surgery?

They experience surgery without actual intervention. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of cerebrospinal fluid?

It reduces the net weight of the brain and provides shock absorption. Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is synthesized from tryptophan?

Serotonin Signup and view all the answers

What structure connects the two hemispheres of the brain?

Corpus callosum Signup and view all the answers

Where in the retina are the most photoreceptor cones located?

Fovea Signup and view all the answers

What part of the neuron is stained with a Nissl stain?

Cell bodies Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the pituitary gland in the body?

It controls the endocrine system. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the raised parts of the cerebral cortex?

Gyri Signup and view all the answers

What effect does chronic stress have on the hippocampus?

Decreases hippocampal volume Signup and view all the answers

What part of the brain secretes adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) during the stress response?

Anterior pituitary Signup and view all the answers

How does high maternal care influence stress reactivity in offspring?

It reduces stress reactivity Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of good maternal care on GABAergic tone in the amygdala?

Increases GABAergic tone Signup and view all the answers

What happens to neural function during chronic stress due to elevated glucocorticoids?

Impairs function on a spatial task Signup and view all the answers

What does NOT occur after calcium activates CaMKII in dendritic spines?

Inhibition of neurotransmitter release Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between glutamate and NMDA receptor activation for LTP induction?

Glutamate binds to the NMDA receptor while strong depolarization removes the magnesium block Signup and view all the answers

How does chronic glucocorticoid release affect muscle tissue and the brain?

Causes damage to muscle tissue and brain Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Neurobiology Study Notes

Hyperpolarization: Stimulation of an axon makes the membrane potential more negative.
Action Potential Initiation: Sodium ion channels open first when an action potential is initiated.
Dopamine Production: The substantia nigra brain region contains cells that produce dopamine.
Hyperpolarization Ions: Chloride ions influx leads to hyperpolarization.
Postsynaptic Potentials (PSPs): PSP size is directly proportional to neurotransmitter release and degrades over time.
Neurotransmitter Agonist/Antagonist: A drug that blocks neurotransmitter reuptake or postsynaptic receptors is an agonist, while a drug that prevents storage of neurotransmitters or release is also an agonist.
Sodium-Potassium Pump: It does NOT pump sodium into the cell and potassium out, instead it pumps sodium out and potassium in; this is important for maintaining resting potential.
Threshold of Excitation: The voltage sensitivity of sodium ion channels determines the threshold of excitation.
Neural Integration Location: Neural integration takes place at the axon hillock.
Cholinergic Cell Bodies: The dorsolateral pons, medial septum, and basal forebrain contain cholinergic cell bodies, or all of the above.
Depolarization: Stimulation of an axon, making the membrane potential more positive.
Neurotransmitter at AMPA Receptors: Glutamate binds to AMPA receptors.
EPSP: If the binding of a neurotransmitter causes positively charged ions to enter a cell, this is an EPSP.
Neuron Signal Reception: Dendrites typically receive incoming signals from other neurons.
Resting Potential Sodium: The force of diffusion out of the cell and active pumping by the sodium-potassium pump maintain the lower sodium concentration inside the cell.
Antagonist: A drug or substance that binds to a receptor and inhibits the action of a neurotransmitter is a direct antagonist.
Postsynaptic Membrane Effects (GABA): GABA binding to its receptor results in IPSPS (inhibitory postsynaptic potentials).
Intracellular Ions: Potassium (K+) ions are more concentrated inside the cell than outside the cell, at rest.
Action Potential Properties: An action potential does not degrade over time.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Function: The choroid plexus makes cerebrospinal fluid; among other things, it reduces the net weight of the brain and plays a role in shock absorption.
Non-Monoamine: Certain substances/molecules are not classified as monoamines. For example, the question included one that was NOT a monoamine.
Serotonin Production Location: The raphe nuclei contain neurons that produce serotonin.
Norepinephrine Production Location: The locus coeruleus contains neurons that produce norepinephrine.
Parkinson's Disease Impairment Region: Basal ganglia regions have been implicated in Parkinson's disease symptoms.
Nissl Stain Targets: Cell bodies are stained by Nissl stains.
Brain Hemisphere Connectivity: The corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres.
Ventricular Content: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is within the ventricles.
Brain Directions: Specific terms defining directions relative to the neuraxis of the brain are provided.
Precursor of Serotonin: Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin.
Visual Transduction Location: Visual transduction takes place in the retina.
Photoreceptor State (Dark): Photoreceptors are depolarized and continually release neurotransmitters when it is dark.
Hair Cell Movement and Neurotransmitter Release: When hair cells move towards the tallest cilium, tension increases on tip links, leading to the opening of ion channels and neurotransmitter (e.g., glutamate) release.
Inner Ear Sensory Transduction: Sensory transduction in the inner ear occurs in the organ of Corti.
Neurotransmitter Response to Light: When ChR2, a channelrhodopsin-containing virus, is used optogenetically and cells are illuminated by blue light they become excited.
Retinal Action Potentials: Ganglion cells in the retina produce action potentials.
Optic Nerve Structure: Dendrites from retinal ganglion cells make up the optic nerve.
Sensory Transduction: Sensory transduction converts an external stimulus into a change in receptor membrane potential.
Photoreceptor State (Light): Photoreceptors are hyperpolarized and release less neurotransmitter in response to light.
Loudness Encoding in the Auditory System: Firing rate of auditory nerves is one way the auditory system encodes sound loudness.
Memory Formation: Consolidation is a process where immediate memories are transformed into long-term memories.
Conditioned Fear Response: Pairing a conditioned stimulus (CS) with an unconditioned stimulus (US) leads to the conditioned response (CR), to predict a subsequent shock or aversive event.
Types of Learning: Learning that a stimulus predicts an aversive event by watching another experience the event is an example of social fear learning.
Hippocampus and Depression: The hippocampus tends to be smaller in individuals with depression.
Stress Response Hormones: The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) secretes corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), a hormone involved in the stress response. Adrenal cortex releases glucocorticoids.

Memory and Learning

Learning and the Hippocampus: The relationship between the hippocampus and memory and learning are mentioned.
Memory Encoding (LTP): Specific processes of LTP induction are studied, including glutamate binding to NMDA receptors, strong depolarization removing Mg block, and the role of nitric oxide in enhancing neurotransmitter release.
Emotional Responses: Amygdala and responses to faces(fearful more so than happy faces)
Hebb's Rule: "Cells that fire together, wire together."

Neurobiology and Behavioral Research

Maternal Care Effects: High licking-grooming maternal care increases GABAergic tone in the amygdala; prolonged glucocorticoid elevation during chronic stress may lead to spatial reasoning impairment.
Monkey Study (Coplan): Monkeys raised in unpredictable environments exhibited stronger stress responses compared to monkeys in stable or predictable environments.
Excessive Glutamate: Excessive glutamate can lead to neuronal death.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the fundamentals of neuroscience with this quiz. It covers topics such as action potentials, neurotransmitter functions, and sensory processing. Perfect for students studying neuroscience or related fields.