NEUROSCIENCE TEST QUESTIONS
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Anatomy of a neuron - Answer-dendrites, soma/cell body, nucleus, axon, myelin
(oligodendrocytes/ Schwann cells), nodes of Ranvier, axon terminal, synapses,
axonal hillock
Hypothesized evolutionary origin of neurons: neurosecretory network hypothesis -
Answer--neurons evolved to coordinate ciliary activity over larger spatial scale
-neurotransmitters are diffusion-limited and signaling at a distance require other
mechanisms
-neural networks within tissues are first step toward complex nervous system
Functions of the different parts of the neuron - Answer--dendrites and cell body:
reception/input
-axonal hillock: integration
-nodes, axon, myelin: conduction
-axonal terminal, synapses: output
Axon hillock - Answer-generates the impulse in the neuron
Schwann cell - Answer-produces myelin sheath
Axon terminal - Answer-forms junctions with other cells
Myelin sheath - Answer-increases the speed of the signal
Functional divisions of the neuron - Answer--Sensory neuron: from cells to central
neuron, cell body in the middle of axon
-Motor neuron: from axon terminal to muscle
-Local interneuron: from axon terminal to central neuron (no myelin)
-Projection interneuron: from axon terminal to central neuron (myelin)
-Neuroendocrine cell: from axon terminal to capillary etc.
Form and function diversity of neurons - Answer--Multipolar: cortical pyramidal cell.
Able to receive impulses from multiple neurons via dendrites
-Bipolar: retinal bipolar, retinal ganglion, retinal amacrine. Usually associated with
sensory of visual and audio system
-Unipolar: mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus, cerebellar purknje. Rapid signal
transmission
Neurofilament - Answer--highly stable
-specialized to neurons
-look like braids of filament made of braided monomers into more complex braids like
dimers and protofilament
Microtubule - Answer--major axonal element
-transport tracks
, -tubulins
-unstable and require microtubule associated proteins (MAPS)
-protofilament wraps into tunnel
Microfilament - Answer--actin
-motility
-membrane domain formation
-two lines of beads wrapped
Microtubule associated protein - tau - Answer--tau hyper phosphorylates
protofilament on microtubule and creates paired helical and straight filaments, then
they go into tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs)
Cytoskeletal organization - Answer-microtubules, neurofilaments, microfilaments
Neuron intracellular transport - Answer--challenging to neurons
-super long neurons like the femoral nerve need help
-transport is expensive, take more than 10^8 ATP to move single cargo down 500
cm neuron
Kinesins - Answer--motor protein
- to + (terminal to body)
-move vesicles, mitochondria, smooth ER, mRNA
-move on microtubules
Dyneins - Answer-+ to - (body to terminal)
-move endosomes, lysosomes, neurotrophic signaling molecules
sensory (afferent) neurons - Answer-transmit information from the sensory receptors
of the body to the CNS
motor (efferent) neurons - Answer-carry commands from the CNS to the muscles
and glands
Interneurons - Answer--most numerous type
-relay interneurons transmit info from one brain region to another
-local interneurons connect to neighboring neurons to form local circuits
Glia - Answer--greek for glue
-supporting cells
-less excitable
-astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and schwann cells derive from the same precursors
as neurons
-microglia arise from bone marrow stem cells (immune cells of the CNS function like
macrophages)
Glia types - Answer--Astrocytes
-Microglia
-Schwann Cells
-Oligodendrocytes
WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Anatomy of a neuron - Answer-dendrites, soma/cell body, nucleus, axon, myelin
(oligodendrocytes/ Schwann cells), nodes of Ranvier, axon terminal, synapses,
axonal hillock
Hypothesized evolutionary origin of neurons: neurosecretory network hypothesis -
Answer--neurons evolved to coordinate ciliary activity over larger spatial scale
-neurotransmitters are diffusion-limited and signaling at a distance require other
mechanisms
-neural networks within tissues are first step toward complex nervous system
Functions of the different parts of the neuron - Answer--dendrites and cell body:
reception/input
-axonal hillock: integration
-nodes, axon, myelin: conduction
-axonal terminal, synapses: output
Axon hillock - Answer-generates the impulse in the neuron
Schwann cell - Answer-produces myelin sheath
Axon terminal - Answer-forms junctions with other cells
Myelin sheath - Answer-increases the speed of the signal
Functional divisions of the neuron - Answer--Sensory neuron: from cells to central
neuron, cell body in the middle of axon
-Motor neuron: from axon terminal to muscle
-Local interneuron: from axon terminal to central neuron (no myelin)
-Projection interneuron: from axon terminal to central neuron (myelin)
-Neuroendocrine cell: from axon terminal to capillary etc.
Form and function diversity of neurons - Answer--Multipolar: cortical pyramidal cell.
Able to receive impulses from multiple neurons via dendrites
-Bipolar: retinal bipolar, retinal ganglion, retinal amacrine. Usually associated with
sensory of visual and audio system
-Unipolar: mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus, cerebellar purknje. Rapid signal
transmission
Neurofilament - Answer--highly stable
-specialized to neurons
-look like braids of filament made of braided monomers into more complex braids like
dimers and protofilament
Microtubule - Answer--major axonal element
-transport tracks
, -tubulins
-unstable and require microtubule associated proteins (MAPS)
-protofilament wraps into tunnel
Microfilament - Answer--actin
-motility
-membrane domain formation
-two lines of beads wrapped
Microtubule associated protein - tau - Answer--tau hyper phosphorylates
protofilament on microtubule and creates paired helical and straight filaments, then
they go into tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs)
Cytoskeletal organization - Answer-microtubules, neurofilaments, microfilaments
Neuron intracellular transport - Answer--challenging to neurons
-super long neurons like the femoral nerve need help
-transport is expensive, take more than 10^8 ATP to move single cargo down 500
cm neuron
Kinesins - Answer--motor protein
- to + (terminal to body)
-move vesicles, mitochondria, smooth ER, mRNA
-move on microtubules
Dyneins - Answer-+ to - (body to terminal)
-move endosomes, lysosomes, neurotrophic signaling molecules
sensory (afferent) neurons - Answer-transmit information from the sensory receptors
of the body to the CNS
motor (efferent) neurons - Answer-carry commands from the CNS to the muscles
and glands
Interneurons - Answer--most numerous type
-relay interneurons transmit info from one brain region to another
-local interneurons connect to neighboring neurons to form local circuits
Glia - Answer--greek for glue
-supporting cells
-less excitable
-astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and schwann cells derive from the same precursors
as neurons
-microglia arise from bone marrow stem cells (immune cells of the CNS function like
macrophages)
Glia types - Answer--Astrocytes
-Microglia
-Schwann Cells
-Oligodendrocytes
