NSCI 175 Final Exam Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Explain Why Progress in science is often slow - Answers -Because experiments take time and
the process of observation, replication, interpretation, and verification is exhaustive. It also
takes time to get published and for the new information to become widespread.
Explain the Reductionist Approach:
- How is the Approach? - Answers Is the process of breaking down the enormous problem of
understanding how the brain works into smaller pieces for systematic experimental analysis.
The reductionist approach lends itself to different levels of analysis in the brain from molecular
to cognitive neuroscience.
Compare different levels of analysis:
Question: What are they? - Answers - Molecular Neuroscience
- Cellular Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Definition For All Levels of Analysis: - Answers - Molecular: Studying the variety of molecules in
the brain and the roles they play in brain function; the most elementary level of neuroscience.
- Cellular: Studying how all those molecules work together to give neurons their special
properties; the study of cells and their properties/functions in the brain.
- Systems: Studying how different neural circuits analyze sensory information, from perceptions
fo the external world, and execute movements
,- Behavioral: Studying how neural systems work together to produce integrate behaviors (such
as behavior, memory, mood, dreams)
- Cognitive: Studying the neural mechanisms responsible for higher levels of human mental
activity, such as self-awareness, imagination, and language; studies how he activity of the brain
creates the mind.
List and Describe the Four Essential Steps in the Scientific Process with examples. - Answers
Observation: Observations are made during experiments designed to test a particular
hypothesis, or are made by carefully watching the world us (like observing clinical patients)
Replication: Observations must be then replicated BY THE ORIGINAL OBSERVER by repeating
the experiment on different subjects or making similar observations in different patients, as
many time as necessary to rule out the possibility that the observation occurred by chance.
Interpretation: Observations are then interpreted after they are believed to be correct.
Interpretations seek to explain the observation. Interpretations depend on the state of
knowledge or ignorance at the time and on a scientists preconceived notions, so they don't
always hold up over time.
Verification: Assesses whether the observation is sufficiently robust that any competent
scientist who precisely follows the protocols of the original observer can reproduce it. The
process of verification establishes new scientific fact.
Discuss the importance of animal research in the field of neuroscience - Answers - Animal
research is important to the field of neuroscience because it enables us to learn about the
nervous system to a degree that would be impossible if we only performed noninvasive
experiments on humans. Animal research lets us work with living tissue and helps us
understand the human nervous system by examining that of animals.
Explain when animal research is needed: - Answers Is needed when questions about the
nervous system are unable to be answered by an ethical examination of humans. Animal
models allow us to answer these questions
Differentiate animal rights and animal welfare views. - Answers Animal Welfare: Accepting the
necessity for animal experimentation to advance knowledge, as long as it is performed
humanely and with proper response for animals' welfare.
,- Animals are only being used in worthwhile experiments that promise to advance our
knowledge of the nervous system, all necessary steps being taken to minimize pain and
distress experience by animals, and all possible alternative to the use of animals are considered.
Animal Rights: Seeking to totally abolish animal use for human purposes, including
experimentation; believing that animals should/do have the same legal and moral rights as
humans.
Describe the three Rs of Ethical Animals Research - Answers Reduction: Reducing the numbers
of animals using in experiments by:
- Improving experimental techniques
- Improving techniques of data analysis
- Sharing information with other researchers
Refinement: Refining the experiment of the way the animals are care for so as to reduce their
suffering by:
- Using less invasive techniques
- Better Medical Care
- Better living conditions
Replacement: Replacing experiments on animals with alternative techniques.
Identify how many neurons and glia are in the human Brain. - Answers Approximately 85 billion
neurons and 85 billion glia in the human brain
Discuss Important histological procedures and how they contributed to the advancement of
neuroscience
(i.e. Golgi method, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization) - Answers Golgi Method: The
Golgi Method is a silver nitrate based stain. It stains a few neurons at the time in their entirety,
allowing us to study them in detail against the backdrop of other cells. The Golgi method
enabled scientists to see the distinct structure and features of a neuron better than before.
, Immunohistochemistry: Utilizes aspects of the immune system to selectively identify protein
expression in neurons. The expression of individual proteins can be used to identify the location
and identity of unique cell populations in the nervous systems. BASED ON PROTEIN
In situ Hybridization: Is a type of hybridization that uses a labeled complementary DNA, RNA or
modified nucleic acids strand (i.e., probe) to localize a specific DNA or RNA sequence in a
portion or section of tissue. IN situ hybridization is used to reveal the location of specific nucleic
acid sequences on chromosomes or in tissues, a crucial step for understanding the
organization, regulation, and function of genes, BASED ON RNA.
What did Golgi and Cajal disagree about? - Answers Golgi and Cajal disagreed about the nature
of the nervous system. Whether it was a continuous electrical circuit (reticular Theory) or
composed of individual cells that communicate information to one another (neuron Doctrine).
Compare Neuron Doctrine and Reticular Theory - Answers Neuron Doctrine:
- The brain is composed of independent cells, as cell theory states. Information is transmitted
from cell to cell across synapses. The neuritis of different neurons are not continuous with each
other and communicate by contact (at synapses) not continuity.
Reticular Theory:
- The brain is an exception to cell theory and is composed of continuous electrical circuit of
neurites that are fused together.
Diagram a Neuron List Its components. - Answers Soma: Cell body housing nucleus, cytoplasm,
ribosomes, rough ER, etc.
Axon: Transmits the action potential and neurotransmitters
Dendrites: Receive neurotransmitters/ messages from neighboring cells
Axon Terminal:
Explain Why Progress in science is often slow - Answers -Because experiments take time and
the process of observation, replication, interpretation, and verification is exhaustive. It also
takes time to get published and for the new information to become widespread.
Explain the Reductionist Approach:
- How is the Approach? - Answers Is the process of breaking down the enormous problem of
understanding how the brain works into smaller pieces for systematic experimental analysis.
The reductionist approach lends itself to different levels of analysis in the brain from molecular
to cognitive neuroscience.
Compare different levels of analysis:
Question: What are they? - Answers - Molecular Neuroscience
- Cellular Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Definition For All Levels of Analysis: - Answers - Molecular: Studying the variety of molecules in
the brain and the roles they play in brain function; the most elementary level of neuroscience.
- Cellular: Studying how all those molecules work together to give neurons their special
properties; the study of cells and their properties/functions in the brain.
- Systems: Studying how different neural circuits analyze sensory information, from perceptions
fo the external world, and execute movements
,- Behavioral: Studying how neural systems work together to produce integrate behaviors (such
as behavior, memory, mood, dreams)
- Cognitive: Studying the neural mechanisms responsible for higher levels of human mental
activity, such as self-awareness, imagination, and language; studies how he activity of the brain
creates the mind.
List and Describe the Four Essential Steps in the Scientific Process with examples. - Answers
Observation: Observations are made during experiments designed to test a particular
hypothesis, or are made by carefully watching the world us (like observing clinical patients)
Replication: Observations must be then replicated BY THE ORIGINAL OBSERVER by repeating
the experiment on different subjects or making similar observations in different patients, as
many time as necessary to rule out the possibility that the observation occurred by chance.
Interpretation: Observations are then interpreted after they are believed to be correct.
Interpretations seek to explain the observation. Interpretations depend on the state of
knowledge or ignorance at the time and on a scientists preconceived notions, so they don't
always hold up over time.
Verification: Assesses whether the observation is sufficiently robust that any competent
scientist who precisely follows the protocols of the original observer can reproduce it. The
process of verification establishes new scientific fact.
Discuss the importance of animal research in the field of neuroscience - Answers - Animal
research is important to the field of neuroscience because it enables us to learn about the
nervous system to a degree that would be impossible if we only performed noninvasive
experiments on humans. Animal research lets us work with living tissue and helps us
understand the human nervous system by examining that of animals.
Explain when animal research is needed: - Answers Is needed when questions about the
nervous system are unable to be answered by an ethical examination of humans. Animal
models allow us to answer these questions
Differentiate animal rights and animal welfare views. - Answers Animal Welfare: Accepting the
necessity for animal experimentation to advance knowledge, as long as it is performed
humanely and with proper response for animals' welfare.
,- Animals are only being used in worthwhile experiments that promise to advance our
knowledge of the nervous system, all necessary steps being taken to minimize pain and
distress experience by animals, and all possible alternative to the use of animals are considered.
Animal Rights: Seeking to totally abolish animal use for human purposes, including
experimentation; believing that animals should/do have the same legal and moral rights as
humans.
Describe the three Rs of Ethical Animals Research - Answers Reduction: Reducing the numbers
of animals using in experiments by:
- Improving experimental techniques
- Improving techniques of data analysis
- Sharing information with other researchers
Refinement: Refining the experiment of the way the animals are care for so as to reduce their
suffering by:
- Using less invasive techniques
- Better Medical Care
- Better living conditions
Replacement: Replacing experiments on animals with alternative techniques.
Identify how many neurons and glia are in the human Brain. - Answers Approximately 85 billion
neurons and 85 billion glia in the human brain
Discuss Important histological procedures and how they contributed to the advancement of
neuroscience
(i.e. Golgi method, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization) - Answers Golgi Method: The
Golgi Method is a silver nitrate based stain. It stains a few neurons at the time in their entirety,
allowing us to study them in detail against the backdrop of other cells. The Golgi method
enabled scientists to see the distinct structure and features of a neuron better than before.
, Immunohistochemistry: Utilizes aspects of the immune system to selectively identify protein
expression in neurons. The expression of individual proteins can be used to identify the location
and identity of unique cell populations in the nervous systems. BASED ON PROTEIN
In situ Hybridization: Is a type of hybridization that uses a labeled complementary DNA, RNA or
modified nucleic acids strand (i.e., probe) to localize a specific DNA or RNA sequence in a
portion or section of tissue. IN situ hybridization is used to reveal the location of specific nucleic
acid sequences on chromosomes or in tissues, a crucial step for understanding the
organization, regulation, and function of genes, BASED ON RNA.
What did Golgi and Cajal disagree about? - Answers Golgi and Cajal disagreed about the nature
of the nervous system. Whether it was a continuous electrical circuit (reticular Theory) or
composed of individual cells that communicate information to one another (neuron Doctrine).
Compare Neuron Doctrine and Reticular Theory - Answers Neuron Doctrine:
- The brain is composed of independent cells, as cell theory states. Information is transmitted
from cell to cell across synapses. The neuritis of different neurons are not continuous with each
other and communicate by contact (at synapses) not continuity.
Reticular Theory:
- The brain is an exception to cell theory and is composed of continuous electrical circuit of
neurites that are fused together.
Diagram a Neuron List Its components. - Answers Soma: Cell body housing nucleus, cytoplasm,
ribosomes, rough ER, etc.
Axon: Transmits the action potential and neurotransmitters
Dendrites: Receive neurotransmitters/ messages from neighboring cells
Axon Terminal:
