Mcb 80 - Lecture 2 Quiz Questions

Front 1

Describe Camillo Golgi’s most important contribution to neuroscience.

Back 1

Golgi created the Goli Technique – the first technique to reveal neurons in their entirety; take the brain and put it into a chemical, such as formaldehyde to stiffen it; fixed tissue is impregnated with silver nitrate and potassium dichromate ~ complete staining of small fraction of the nerve cells while others are not stained

Front 2

Define the Neuron Doctrine.

Back 2

Neurons are individual cells; basic structural and functional units of the nervous system; part of an interconnected system that cannot be broken down; (more accurate than Gogli’s reticular theory)

Front 3

Define the Law of Dynamic Polarization.

Back 3

Nerve cells are polarized, receiving information on their cell bodies and dendrites, and conducting information to distant locations through axons; Information starts into the dendrites when the dendrites are “tickled”

Front 4

List three fundamental aspects of cellular neurobiology that provide insight into behavior.

Back 4

1. Look at the way neurons produce and convey signals; (provides insight to the way we sense and respond to stimuli)
2. Look at patterns of connections between neurons; (shows particular functions of nervous system)
3. Means by which neuron signaling and connectivity are altered by experience; (provides insight to adaptability)

Front 5

What is the reticular theory and who promoted it.

Back 5

Reticular theory: the brain is a “mush” of connectivity ~ one has to look at the whole brain rather than individual parts; “rete nervosa diffusa” = diffuse neural network; promoted by Camillo Golgi

Front 6

List four features that most neurons have in common.

Back 6

1. Compartmentalization of structure and function
2. Electrical excitable
3. Synaptic connections
4. All are non-replicating

Front 7

Is a neuron alive?

Back 7

A neuron is a type of cell, not an organism so it is alive in the same sense that a cell is alive; it is not alive like an independently “thinking” organism

Front 8

List four main compartments found in most neurons.

Back 8

1. Dendrites
2. Axon
3. Soma
4. Nerve terminals

Front 9

What is the central dogma of molecular biology?

Back 9

DNA is transcribed into RNA which is translated into proteins

Front 10

What is Nissl substance? Where is it found and why is there so much of it?

Back 10

Nissls are large granular bodies found in neurons; they are rough endoplasmic reticulum where proteins are produced; because proteins are produced here, there are may of them

Front 11

What are microtubules and why are they so important in neurons?

Back 11

Microtubules are polymers of tubulin; they run longitudinally down neuritis; they are important, because they serve as transport rails to and from the nucleus; part of the inner scaffolding that gives cells their shape

Front 12

Define Wallerian degernation.

Back 12

About 12-18 hour after cutting an axon, Wallerian degeneration occurs distal (on the opposite side of the cell body) to the cut site; shows that proteins are transported from the soma to the axon

Front 13

How fast is fast axonal transport.

Back 13

200-400 mm/day (as fast as 1,000 mm/day)

Front 14

Name two transport motors and their roles.

Back 14

Kinesin is anterograde motor (towards nerve terminals); dynein is retrograde motor (towards soma)

Front 15

How do neuroscientists take advantage of retrograde axonal transport?

Back 15

Allows them to label neurons

Front 16

List six ways neurons are categorized.

Back 16

1. Number of neurites
2. Number of dendrites
3. Connections or function
4. Axon length
5. Neurotransmitter
6. Named cells (In Purkinje cells, all dendrites are in one plane)

Front 17

How many neurons are there in a human brain?

Back 17

100 billion+

Front 18

List five differences between a neuron’s axonal and dendritic processes.

Back 18

1. Dendrites are tapered branches
2. Many dendrites per cell
3. Dendrites are not myelinated
4. Dendrites have pass/active propagation
5. Polyribosomes at base of dendritic spines sugest local protein synthesis

Front 19

Define glial cell.

Back 19

Can either fill space (astrocytes), insulate electrical current (myelinating glia), or function as phagocytes (microglia)

Front 20

List three main classes of glia.

Back 20

Astrocytes, myelinating glia, microglia

Front 21

What is a Schwann cell and which cell in the CNS is it most similar to?

Back 21

A variety of glial cell that mainly provide myelin insulation to axons in the peripheral nervous system; most like Oligodendorcytes in the CNS

Front 22

List 3 important ways glia are different from neurons.

Back 22

Glial cells proliferate, they are inexcitable, and there are only 3 types