Synaptic Plasticity and Neuronal Function Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What refers to the process by which experiences change our nervous system and behavior?

Learning (correct)

Memory retrieval

Memory engrams

Neuronal plasticity

What is the cellular basis of long-term memory?

Changes in neuronal excitability

Neuronal plasticity (correct)

No physical change in the brain

Formation of new synapses

What do we refer to as memory traces or memory engrams?

Implicit memories

Transient memories

Memories (correct)

Durable memories

What is known as accessing memories?

Memory retrieval Signup and view all the answers

What does neuronal plasticity refer to?

Changes in neuronal excitability Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which neurons make new proteins and read new genes?

Neuronal plasticity Signup and view all the answers

What always waves in neural activity and becomes more complex with learning?

Neuronal plasticity Signup and view all the answers

What is typically used to measure neuronal plasticity?

Intrinsic excitability and synaptic strength Signup and view all the answers

What determines intrinsic excitability?

The number and type of ion channels expressed by the neuron Signup and view all the answers

What is referred to as synaptic plasticity?

Changes in synaptic connection strength between two neurons Signup and view all the answers

What can synaptic plasticity involve?

Pre- and postsynaptic changes Signup and view all the answers

What does habituation of Aplysia's gill withdrawal reflex involve?

Changes in sensory neuron excitability and synaptic connection strength Signup and view all the answers

What changes during habituation in Aplysia's sensory neuron excitability?

Fewer action potentials occurring upon touch Signup and view all the answers

What remains unchanged during habituation of Aplysia's gill withdrawal reflex?

Motor neuron excitability Signup and view all the answers

What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

A long-term increase in the strength of the connection between two neurons, often induced by high-frequency stimulation Signup and view all the answers

What drives presynaptic modifications in long-term depression (LTD)?

Retrograde endocannabinoid signaling Signup and view all the answers

What determines synaptic strength in relation to NMDA receptors?

The amount of calcium influx Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of NMDA receptors in learning and memory?

Acting as coincidence detectors sensitive to glutamate and depolarization Signup and view all the answers

When does the release of neurotransmitter need to coincide with for LTP to occur?

Substantial depolarization of the postsynaptic cell Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of persistent low-frequency stimulation on synaptic strength?

Long-term decrease in synaptic strength (LTD) Signup and view all the answers

What can drive presynaptic modifications in LTP?

Retrograde signaling of nitric oxide Signup and view all the answers

What determines the current flow through the NMDA channel?

Glutamate and membrane voltage Signup and view all the answers

What ions will enter a cell through NMDA receptors when they are bound to glutamate and Mg2+ is not blocking the pore?

Na+ and Ca2+ ions Signup and view all the answers

What enzyme is activated by calcium influx through NMDA receptors and plays a role in establishing long-term potentiation?

CaMKII Signup and view all the answers

What is the cellular basis of learning according to Donald Hebb's hypothesis?

Strengthening of synaptic connections that are active when the postsynaptic neuron fires an action potential Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of nitric oxide (NO) in synaptic plasticity?

Acts as a retrograde messenger to promote LTP Signup and view all the answers

What type of learning involves learning to recognize stimuli as distinct entities?

Perceptual learning Signup and view all the answers

Which type of learning involves learning to make skilled, choreographed movements?

Motor learning Signup and view all the answers

What is the hypothesis proposed by Donald Hebb regarding the cellular basis of learning?

Fire together, wire together Signup and view all the answers

What is the main glutamate receptor that mediates most excitatory fast synaptic currents in the brain?

AMPA receptor Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which substances in the body and characteristics of the body are maintained at optimal levels to survive?

Homeostasis Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the level that a variable, such as food and water, must be above to maintain optimal levels?

Set point Signup and view all the answers

What is the analogy used to describe the slow adjustment of the body's response to changes in variables like temperature?

Classic thermostat Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism is mentioned as a way to avoid waste when slow to warm up in response to changes in variables?

Smart heating mechanism Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the process by which the body maintains stable internal conditions necessary for survival?

Homeostasis Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the set point in maintaining optimal levels of variables like food and water?

It specifies the level that must be maintained Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone provides a negative feedback signal that decreases hunger and increases sensitivity to short-term satiety signals?

Leptin Signup and view all the answers

What is the rare condition that results in obesity and intense hunger, and can be treated with leptin injections?

Congenital leptin deficiency Signup and view all the answers

What triggers a cascade of effects including insulin suppression, glucose production, slowed energy expenditure, and intense hunger?

Glucoprivation (hypoglycemia) Signup and view all the answers

What initiates emergency feeding circuits similar to those observed in response to low blood sugar?

Lipoprivation Signup and view all the answers

What hormone regulates hunger and basal metabolic rate by acting on receptors in the brain's arcuate nucleus?

Leptin Signup and view all the answers

What disrupts insulin signaling, causing high blood sugar and weight loss, leading to intense hunger due to insufficient body fat and leptin signaling?

Diabetes Signup and view all the answers

Which neurons promote hunger and are inhibited by leptin?

AGRP/NPY neurons Signup and view all the answers

What syndrome, caused by deletion of certain genes, leads to insatiable hunger and obesity-related health issues?

Prader-Willi syndrome Signup and view all the answers

What contributes to about 50% of body fat variability?

Genetic differences and metabolic efficiency Signup and view all the answers

What is observed in rodents after consuming a high-fat, high-sugar diet?

Inflammation in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of hunger is regulated by specific neuropeptides in the medulla and hypothalamus?

Hedonic aspects Signup and view all the answers

What do overweight individuals exhibit that leads to an actively defended elevated body fat level?

Elevated leptin set point and a blunted response to increases in leptin levels Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of insulin signaling in fat cells?

Promotes the storage of fatty acids as triglycerides Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of ghrelin in the body?

Increases hunger and food intake Signup and view all the answers

What happens when blood glucose levels decrease?

The pancreas stops secreting insulin and starts secreting glucagon Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of CCK in the digestive system?

Causes the gallbladder to release digestive enzymes into the duodenum Signup and view all the answers

What is the immediate effect of short-term satiety signals released by the stomach and duodenum?

Regulate insulin secretion and inhibit food intake Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of GLP-1 in the body?

Regulates insulin secretion and inhibits food intake Signup and view all the answers

What is the mechanism that can control the regulated system variable in physiological regulatory processes?

Correctional mechanism Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which the effect of a correctional mechanism diminishes or terminates further corrective action?

Satiety mechanism Signup and view all the answers

What refers to the relative concentration of dissolved solutes on either side of a membrane that is permeable to water?

Tonicity Signup and view all the answers

What type of solution has similar concentrations of solute on either side of the membrane, causing the cell to neither gain nor lose water?

Isotonic solution Signup and view all the answers

What causes cellular dehydration (water leaves the cell) and gives rise to osmometric thirst?

Hypertonic solutions Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when there is not enough blood circulating in the body, leading to an intense thirst?

Hypovolemic thirst Signup and view all the answers

What triggers osmometric thirst?

Changes in cell size due to tonicity Signup and view all the answers

Where are osmoreceptors located?

In the brain Signup and view all the answers

What is the main determinant of volumetric thirst?

Changes in blood volume Signup and view all the answers

What triggers the feeling of thirst?

Activation of neurons in the brain Signup and view all the answers

What region of the brain is activated when ingesting hypertonic saline?

Cingulate cortex Signup and view all the answers

How is thirst monitored in the body?

Through osmometric and volumetric detectors Signup and view all the answers

Which system regulates the internal environment of the body and stimulates glands and organs?

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Signup and view all the answers

Which signaling system prepares the body for action, such as in response to a threat?

Sympathetic signaling Signup and view all the answers

Which division of the autonomic nervous system is associated with 'rest and digest' activities?

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) Signup and view all the answers

Which nervous system transmits signals to the central nervous system from muscles, joints, and skin via nerves?

Somatic Nervous System (SNS) Signup and view all the answers

Which nervous system regulates the body's internal environment and has opposing systems in terms of outcomes?

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Signup and view all the answers

Which system stimulates glands and organs, preparing the body for action and regulating the internal environment?

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the corpus callosum?

Connecting the brain hemispheres Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the brain stem?

Controlling basic functions and affecting general alertness Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the hippocampus?

Encoding events as they happen and being crucial for memory Signup and view all the answers

What happens when neurotransmitters bind to specific receptors on the post-synaptic cell?

Opening of channels, causing depolarization and potential firing in the post-synaptic neuron Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of lacking the corpus callosum?

Preventing interhemispheric communication and limiting functions like preventing epilepsy spread Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of psychopharmacological drugs like SSRIs?

Artificially increasing neurotransmitter levels in the synapse Signup and view all the answers

What is the resting potential of a neuron?

-70 mV Signup and view all the answers

What causes the axon of a neuron to fire an action potential?

Electrical stimulation exceeding the threshold of excitation Signup and view all the answers

What is responsible for the negative resting potential of the neuron?

Unequal distribution of ions, particularly K+ and Na+ Signup and view all the answers

What happens when depolarization reaches about +40 mV during an action potential?

Sodium channels close, halting the influx of Na+ Signup and view all the answers

What drives the movement of ions across the neuron membrane?

Dynamics of diffusion and electrostatic pressure Signup and view all the answers

What helps maintain the resting potential by actively transporting ions against their concentration gradients?

Sodium-potassium pump Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of the hypothalamus in the endocrine system?

Regulating the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland Signup and view all the answers

Which cells are responsible for protecting CNS neurons and forming the myelin sheath around axons?

Oligodendrocytes Signup and view all the answers

What is the basic structure of a neuron specialized for communication?

Nodes of Ranvier, vesicles with neurotransmitters, presynaptic terminals, and postsynaptic terminals Signup and view all the answers

How many basic types of neurons are there in the nervous system?

Three Signup and view all the answers

What is the main component of the human central nervous system?

Neurons Signup and view all the answers

What did Ramon y Cajal study using the silver staining method?

Structures of neurons Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of benzodiazepines in neurotransmission?

They act as GABA-A receptor agonists Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the node of Ranvier in neuron physiology?

To facilitate saltatory signal propagation Signup and view all the answers

What is the mechanism of action of ketamine in neurotransmission?

It acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist Signup and view all the answers

What is the main determinant of the velocity of action potential transmission in axons?

Axon diameter Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of autoreceptors in neurotransmission?

To regulate neurotransmitter release Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of myelination on the speed of signal propagation in axons?

It speeds up signal propagation Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor influencing the velocity of action potential transmission in axons?

The diameter of the axon Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary mechanism responsible for the significantly faster signal propagation in myelinated axons compared to unmyelinated axons?

Saltatory signal propagation Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of larger axon diameters in relation to ion flow resistance?

Larger diameters lead to decreased resistance to ion flow Signup and view all the answers

Which structures are basic components of neurons?

Node of Ranvier and presynaptic terminals Signup and view all the answers

What determines whether neurotransmitter binding has inhibitory or excitatory effects?

The type of receptor present Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary mechanism involved in the modulation of neurotransmission by agonists and antagonists?

Neurotransmitter release and binding Signup and view all the answers

What are the essential components of the nervous system, supporting and contributing to the functions of neurons?

Microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes Signup and view all the answers

What did Ramon y Cajal use to make significant discoveries about the structures of neurons?

Silver staining method Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary control center for the endocrine system?

Hypothalamus Signup and view all the answers

What axis is activated in response to perceived stress, leading to the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland?

Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland (HPA) axis Signup and view all the answers

What is the basic structure of a neuron specialized for communication?

Nodes of Ranvier, vesicles with neurotransmitters, presynaptic terminals, and postsynaptic terminals Signup and view all the answers

How many basic types of neurons are there, each serving different functions within the nervous system?

Three Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Synaptic Plasticity and Neuronal Function

Neurons can still have action potential if a part of the dendritic spine cell is cut, surviving and maintaining essential functions.
Neurons can adapt and evolve through experiences, with synapses becoming stronger or weaker based on these experiences.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a long-term increase in the strength of the connection between two neurons, often induced by high-frequency stimulation.
LTP is often initiated on the postsynaptic side, but retrograde signaling of nitric oxide can drive presynaptic modifications.
Long-term depression (LTD) is a long-term decrease in the strength of the connection between two neurons, often induced by persistent low-frequency stimulation.
LTD is often initiated on the postsynaptic side, but retrograde endocannabinoid signaling can drive presynaptic modifications.
Both LTP and LTD are a function of the number of times the synapse was activated as well as whether the postsynaptic neuron fired at those precise times.
The release of neurotransmitter must coincide with a substantial depolarization of the postsynaptic cell for LTP to occur.
NMDA receptors play a significant role in learning and memory, as they are located in almost every glutamatergic synapse in the brain and act as coincidence detectors.
The NMDA receptor is sensitive to the presence of glutamate and depolarization, with the amount of calcium influx determining synaptic strength.
NMDA receptors are a key signal for synaptic strength, with the amount of calcium influx determining whether a synapse weakens or strengthens.
NMDA receptors act as a coincidence detector, and their role in detecting depolarization and calcium influx determines whether a synapse weakens or strengthens.

Metabolism and Hunger Signals in the Body

Cold sensors in the mouth and sensory fibers in the stomach are part of the rapid satiety feedback mechanism to shut down thirst
The energy homeostasis system regulates hunger, and the body mostly consumes organic foods such as sugars, lipids, and amino acids
Cells store glucose and lipids for energy, and the pancreas releases insulin when blood glucose levels are high
Insulin signaling promotes the storage of fatty acids as triglycerides in fat cells, while glucagon signaling promotes the breakdown of triglycerides into fatty acids
Cells outside the brain require insulin to use glucose, while brain cells can always take in sugar
A decrease in blood glucose causes the pancreas to stop secreting insulin and start secreting glucagon, reserving glucose for the central nervous system
Hunger signals come from the empty stomach, particularly from the release of a peptide called ghrelin
Ghrelin increases hunger and food intake, and its levels increase with hunger and fall with satiation
The presence or absence of food in the duodenum regulates the release of ghrelin from the stomach
Short-term satiety signals released by the stomach and duodenum immediately after eating, before food has been digested, include CCK and GLP-1
CCK causes the gallbladder to release digestive enzymes into the duodenum, while GLP-1 regulates insulin secretion and inhibits food intake
These peptides are secreted in response to food intake and correlate with feelings of satiety

Physiological Regulatory Mechanisms for Hunger and Thirst

Regulatory systems maintain system variables near a set point to prevent hunger and thirst from falling below critical levels
Correctional mechanisms control the regulated system variables to keep them at optimal values
Negative feedback keeps system variables near the set point, while positive feedback turns off correctional mechanisms
Satiety mechanisms cause cessation of hunger or thirst when adequate supplies of food and water are available
Anticipation of ingested food and water triggers satiety before cells have access to them
Thirst is monitored through osmometric and volumetric detectors, related to water levels inside cells and in the circulatory system
Body fluid compartments consist of 2/4 water inside cells and the rest outside cells, with salt affecting water distribution
Osmometric thirst is triggered by changes in cell size due to tonicity, leading to water entering or leaving the cell
Osmoreceptors detect changes in cell size and release neurotransmitters based on cell volume
Volumetric thirst occurs when there is not enough blood circulating in the body, monitored by the kidneys and related to hypovolemia
The feeling of thirst is related to the activation of hypothalamic neurons near the anteroventral tip of the third ventricle
Ingestion of hypertonic saline activates neurons in the AV3V region and anterior cingulate cortex, leading to thirst and subsequent reduction in thirst-related activity when drinking water

The Endocrine System and Stress Response

The endocrine system influences thoughts, behaviors, and actions and works alongside the nervous system to prepare the body to deal with perceived threats.
The endocrine system primarily controlled by the hypothalamus, which signals to the pituitary gland located at the base of the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland (HPA) axis is activated in response to perceived stress, leading to the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland.
The human central nervous system consists of the spinal cord and brain, with neurons as its basic component.
Ramon y Cajal, a neuroanatomist, made significant discoveries about the structures of neurons using the silver staining method.
Glial cells, including microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, are essential components of the nervous system, supporting and contributing to the functions of neurons.
Microglia protect CNS neurons, while astrocytes link neurons to blood vessels and form part of the blood-brain barrier, and oligodendrocytes surround axons, forming the myelin sheath that insulates axons.
Neurons are specialized for communication, with a basic structure consisting of nodes of Ranvier, vesicles with neurotransmitters, presynaptic terminals, and postsynaptic terminals.
There are over 3300 types of brain cells in the human brain, and neurons can have different shapes depending on their function and location.
There are three basic types of neurons: interneurons, motor neurons, and sensory neurons, each serving different functions within the nervous system.
The flow of information in the neuron involves a signal being received at the dendritic spines, producing an electric current, and ultimately leading to the release of neurotransmitters.
The concept of potential is crucial in understanding the resting potential and the action potential in neurons, similar to how energy is stored in an electrical system like a battery.

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Test your knowledge of synaptic plasticity and neuronal function with this quiz. Explore concepts such as long-term potentiation, long-term depression, NMDA receptors, and the adaptive nature of neuronal connections.