BIO302 EVALUATION EXAMS 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Why is the NMDA receptor a coincidence detector? - ✔✔it only opens to induce LTP
when glutamate is bound and the postsynaptic cell is depolarized to receive the blocked
channel pore from the Mg2+
✔✔Weak NMDA receptor activation by poorly correlated activity triggers... - ✔✔the loss
of AMPA receptors
✔✔Strong NMDA receptor activation by well correlated activity... - ✔✔maintains AMPA
receptors.
✔✔What happens to dendritic spines after high frequency stimulation? - ✔✔the
postsynaptic spines grow/ swell over time
✔✔What mechanism drives the postsynaptic swelling of dendrites? - ✔✔the influx of
Ca2+ from the NMDA receptor
✔✔What has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of AMPA receptors/ -
✔✔protein kinase II and CaMKII
✔✔Activation of dendrites is correlated with... - ✔✔Ca2+ and CaMKII signalling and
input sensitivity
✔✔The post-translational modification and insertion of AMPA receptors represent what?
- ✔✔the acute phase of LTP
✔✔In the late phase of LTP, long changes affecting the postsynaptic neuron requires
changes at what level? - ✔✔Gene expression level via transcriptional regulation
✔✔The late phase of LTP can be prevented by pharmacologically blocking what? -
✔✔the mechanisms related to transcription/ protein synthesis
✔✔What is the very first step in protein synthesis? - ✔✔The generation of an mRNA
transcript of a gene
✔✔What regulates the process of gene expression? - ✔✔transcription factors in the
nucleus
✔✔what is CREB? - ✔✔a transcription factor that enhances protein synthesis to
increase synaptic strength and aid in memory consolidation.
✔✔Where does CREB bind? - ✔✔cyclic AMP response elements
, ✔✔What is CREB-2? - ✔✔it represses gene expression when it binds to the CRE
✔✔what is CREB-1? - ✔✔it activates transcription, but ONLY when it is phosphorylated
by PKA.
✔✔what is Long term depression? - ✔✔synaptic transmission occurring at the same
time as weak or modest depolarization of postsynaptic neurons.
✔✔What drives both LTP and LTD? - ✔✔NMDA receptors
✔✔High influx of Ca2+ leads to what? - ✔✔long term potentiation
✔✔Low/ modest of influx of Ca2+ leads to what? - ✔✔long term depression
✔✔Long term depression is often associated with what? - ✔✔the loss of AMPA
receptors
✔✔what is declarative memory? - ✔✔facts and events
✔✔where are declarative memories stored? - ✔✔the medial temporal lobe and the
diencephalon
✔✔what is non declarative memory? - ✔✔procedural memory and classical conditioning
✔✔where are procedural memories of skills and habits stored? - ✔✔the striatum
✔✔Where are the skeletal musculature of classical conditioning stored? - ✔✔the
cerebellum
✔✔where are the emotional responses of classical conditioning stored? - ✔✔the
amygdala
✔✔what are explicit memories? - ✔✔requires conscious effort, but are easy to form and
easily forgotten.
✔✔what are implicit memories? - ✔✔results from direct experiments that take longer to
form but are retained longer.
✔✔what are the two subdivisions of declarative memory? - ✔✔episodic (events) and
semantic (facts)
✔✔what are the two subdivisions of nondeclarative memory? - ✔✔non-associative and
associative learning
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Why is the NMDA receptor a coincidence detector? - ✔✔it only opens to induce LTP
when glutamate is bound and the postsynaptic cell is depolarized to receive the blocked
channel pore from the Mg2+
✔✔Weak NMDA receptor activation by poorly correlated activity triggers... - ✔✔the loss
of AMPA receptors
✔✔Strong NMDA receptor activation by well correlated activity... - ✔✔maintains AMPA
receptors.
✔✔What happens to dendritic spines after high frequency stimulation? - ✔✔the
postsynaptic spines grow/ swell over time
✔✔What mechanism drives the postsynaptic swelling of dendrites? - ✔✔the influx of
Ca2+ from the NMDA receptor
✔✔What has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of AMPA receptors/ -
✔✔protein kinase II and CaMKII
✔✔Activation of dendrites is correlated with... - ✔✔Ca2+ and CaMKII signalling and
input sensitivity
✔✔The post-translational modification and insertion of AMPA receptors represent what?
- ✔✔the acute phase of LTP
✔✔In the late phase of LTP, long changes affecting the postsynaptic neuron requires
changes at what level? - ✔✔Gene expression level via transcriptional regulation
✔✔The late phase of LTP can be prevented by pharmacologically blocking what? -
✔✔the mechanisms related to transcription/ protein synthesis
✔✔What is the very first step in protein synthesis? - ✔✔The generation of an mRNA
transcript of a gene
✔✔What regulates the process of gene expression? - ✔✔transcription factors in the
nucleus
✔✔what is CREB? - ✔✔a transcription factor that enhances protein synthesis to
increase synaptic strength and aid in memory consolidation.
✔✔Where does CREB bind? - ✔✔cyclic AMP response elements
, ✔✔What is CREB-2? - ✔✔it represses gene expression when it binds to the CRE
✔✔what is CREB-1? - ✔✔it activates transcription, but ONLY when it is phosphorylated
by PKA.
✔✔what is Long term depression? - ✔✔synaptic transmission occurring at the same
time as weak or modest depolarization of postsynaptic neurons.
✔✔What drives both LTP and LTD? - ✔✔NMDA receptors
✔✔High influx of Ca2+ leads to what? - ✔✔long term potentiation
✔✔Low/ modest of influx of Ca2+ leads to what? - ✔✔long term depression
✔✔Long term depression is often associated with what? - ✔✔the loss of AMPA
receptors
✔✔what is declarative memory? - ✔✔facts and events
✔✔where are declarative memories stored? - ✔✔the medial temporal lobe and the
diencephalon
✔✔what is non declarative memory? - ✔✔procedural memory and classical conditioning
✔✔where are procedural memories of skills and habits stored? - ✔✔the striatum
✔✔Where are the skeletal musculature of classical conditioning stored? - ✔✔the
cerebellum
✔✔where are the emotional responses of classical conditioning stored? - ✔✔the
amygdala
✔✔what are explicit memories? - ✔✔requires conscious effort, but are easy to form and
easily forgotten.
✔✔what are implicit memories? - ✔✔results from direct experiments that take longer to
form but are retained longer.
✔✔what are the two subdivisions of declarative memory? - ✔✔episodic (events) and
semantic (facts)
✔✔what are the two subdivisions of nondeclarative memory? - ✔✔non-associative and
associative learning
