NSC 4330 Exam 2 Terms (for final) Questions Solved Correctly Graded A+
experimental ablation - Answers the removal or destruction of a portion of the brain of a laboratory
animal; presumably, the functions that can no longer be performed are the ones the region previously
controlled
lesion study - Answers a synonym for experimental ablation
excitotoxic lesion - Answers a brain lesion produced by intracerebral injection of an excitatory amino
acid, such as kainic acid
sham lesion - Answers a placebo procedure that duplicates all of the step of producing a brain lesion
except for the one that actually causes the brain damage
stereotaxic surgery - Answers brain surgery using a stereotaxic apparatus to position an electrode or
cannula in a specified position of the brain
stereotaxic atlas - Answers a collection of drawings of sections of the brain of a particular animal with
measurements that provide coordinates for stereotaxic surgery
bregma - Answers the junction of the sagittal and coronal sutures of the skull; often used as a reference
point for stereotaxic brain surgery
stereotaxic apparatus - Answers a device that permits a surgeon to position an electrode or cannula into
a specific part of the brain
deep brain stimulation - Answers a technique using stereotaxic surgery to implant a permanent
electrode in the brain; used to treat chronic pain, movement disorders, epilepsy, depression, and
obsessive-compulsive disorder
fixative - Answers a chemical such as formalin; used to prepare and preserve body tissue
formalin - Answers the aqueous solution of formaldehyde gas; the most commonly used tissue fixative
microtome - Answers an instrument that produces very thin slices of body tissues
cyrostat - Answers an instrument that produces very thin slices of body tissue inside a freezer chamber
immunocytochemical method - Answers a histological method that uses radioactive antibodies or
antibodies bound with a dye molecule to indicate the presence of particular proteins of peptides
transmission electron microscope - Answers a microscope that passes a focused beam of electrons
through thin slices of tissue to reveal extremely small details
scanning electron microscope - Answers a microscope that provides three-dimensional information
about the shape of the surface of a small object by scanning the object with a thin beam of electrons
, confocal laser scanning microscope - Answers a microscope that provides high-resolution images of
various depths of thick tissue that contains fluorescent molecules by scanning the tissue with light from
a laser beam
anterograde labeling method - Answers a histological method that labels the axons and terminal buttons
of neurons whose cell bodies are located in a particular region
retrograde labeling method - Answers a histological method that labels cell bodies that give rise to the
terminal buttons that form synapses with cells in a particular region
computerized tomography (CT) - Answers the use of a device that employs a computer to analyze data
obtained by a scanning beam of X-rays to produce a two-dimensional picture of a "slice" through the
body
magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) - Answers a technique whereby the interior of the body can be
accurately imaged; involves the interaction between radio waves and a strong magnetic field
diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) - Answers an imaging method that uses a modified MRI scanner to reveal
bundles of myelinated axons in the living human brain
microelectrode - Answers a very fine electrode, generally used to record activity of individual neurons
single-unit recording - Answers recording of the electrical activity of a single neuron
macroelectrode - Answers an electrode used to record the electrical activity of large numbers of
neurons in a particular region of the brain; much larger than a microelectrode
electroencephalogram (EEG) - Answers an electrical brain potential recorded by placing electrodes on
the scalp
magnetoencephalography - Answers a procedure that detects groups of synchronously activated
neurons by means of the magnetic field induced by their electrical activity; uses an array of
superconducting quantum interference devices, or SQUIDs
2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) - Answers a sugar that enters cells along with glucose but is not metabolized
autoradiography - Answers a procedure that locates radioactive substances in a slice of tissue; the
radiation exposes a photographic emulsion or a piece of film that covers the tissue
Fos - Answers a protein produced in the nucleus of a neuron in response to synaptic stimulation
functional imaging - Answers a computerized method of detecting metabolic or chemical changes in
particular regions of the brain
positron emission tomography (PET) - Answers a functional imaging method that reveals the localization
of a radioactive tracer in a living brain
experimental ablation - Answers the removal or destruction of a portion of the brain of a laboratory
animal; presumably, the functions that can no longer be performed are the ones the region previously
controlled
lesion study - Answers a synonym for experimental ablation
excitotoxic lesion - Answers a brain lesion produced by intracerebral injection of an excitatory amino
acid, such as kainic acid
sham lesion - Answers a placebo procedure that duplicates all of the step of producing a brain lesion
except for the one that actually causes the brain damage
stereotaxic surgery - Answers brain surgery using a stereotaxic apparatus to position an electrode or
cannula in a specified position of the brain
stereotaxic atlas - Answers a collection of drawings of sections of the brain of a particular animal with
measurements that provide coordinates for stereotaxic surgery
bregma - Answers the junction of the sagittal and coronal sutures of the skull; often used as a reference
point for stereotaxic brain surgery
stereotaxic apparatus - Answers a device that permits a surgeon to position an electrode or cannula into
a specific part of the brain
deep brain stimulation - Answers a technique using stereotaxic surgery to implant a permanent
electrode in the brain; used to treat chronic pain, movement disorders, epilepsy, depression, and
obsessive-compulsive disorder
fixative - Answers a chemical such as formalin; used to prepare and preserve body tissue
formalin - Answers the aqueous solution of formaldehyde gas; the most commonly used tissue fixative
microtome - Answers an instrument that produces very thin slices of body tissues
cyrostat - Answers an instrument that produces very thin slices of body tissue inside a freezer chamber
immunocytochemical method - Answers a histological method that uses radioactive antibodies or
antibodies bound with a dye molecule to indicate the presence of particular proteins of peptides
transmission electron microscope - Answers a microscope that passes a focused beam of electrons
through thin slices of tissue to reveal extremely small details
scanning electron microscope - Answers a microscope that provides three-dimensional information
about the shape of the surface of a small object by scanning the object with a thin beam of electrons
, confocal laser scanning microscope - Answers a microscope that provides high-resolution images of
various depths of thick tissue that contains fluorescent molecules by scanning the tissue with light from
a laser beam
anterograde labeling method - Answers a histological method that labels the axons and terminal buttons
of neurons whose cell bodies are located in a particular region
retrograde labeling method - Answers a histological method that labels cell bodies that give rise to the
terminal buttons that form synapses with cells in a particular region
computerized tomography (CT) - Answers the use of a device that employs a computer to analyze data
obtained by a scanning beam of X-rays to produce a two-dimensional picture of a "slice" through the
body
magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) - Answers a technique whereby the interior of the body can be
accurately imaged; involves the interaction between radio waves and a strong magnetic field
diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) - Answers an imaging method that uses a modified MRI scanner to reveal
bundles of myelinated axons in the living human brain
microelectrode - Answers a very fine electrode, generally used to record activity of individual neurons
single-unit recording - Answers recording of the electrical activity of a single neuron
macroelectrode - Answers an electrode used to record the electrical activity of large numbers of
neurons in a particular region of the brain; much larger than a microelectrode
electroencephalogram (EEG) - Answers an electrical brain potential recorded by placing electrodes on
the scalp
magnetoencephalography - Answers a procedure that detects groups of synchronously activated
neurons by means of the magnetic field induced by their electrical activity; uses an array of
superconducting quantum interference devices, or SQUIDs
2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) - Answers a sugar that enters cells along with glucose but is not metabolized
autoradiography - Answers a procedure that locates radioactive substances in a slice of tissue; the
radiation exposes a photographic emulsion or a piece of film that covers the tissue
Fos - Answers a protein produced in the nucleus of a neuron in response to synaptic stimulation
functional imaging - Answers a computerized method of detecting metabolic or chemical changes in
particular regions of the brain
positron emission tomography (PET) - Answers a functional imaging method that reveals the localization
of a radioactive tracer in a living brain
