NEURON STRUCTURE
A neuron receives information from several other neurons. Which structure is primarily responsible for receiving these incoming signals?
Dendrites
What chemical messenger is released by a neuron to communicate with another cell?
Neurotransmitter
What structure insulates an axon and helps speed up nerve signals?
Myelin sheath
What two structures make up the central nervous system?
Brain and spinal cord
Which brain region is especially important for balance and coordination?
Cerebellum
What is the minimum membrane potential that must be reached to trigger an action potential?
Threshold
What type of synapse uses neurotransmitters to communicate between cells?
Chemical synapse
What are the gaps between sections of myelin called?
Nodes of Ranvier
What type of neuron carries information from sensory receptors toward the CNS?
Sensory neuron
Which brain structure acts as a major relay station for sensory information?
Thalamus
During depolarization, which ion moves into the neuron through voltage-gated channels?
Na⁺
What is the difference between an EPSP and an IPSP?
An EPSP makes the neuron more likely to fire, while an IPSP makes it less likely to fire.
What is saltatory conduction?
The action potential travels by “jumping” from node to node.
What type of neuron connects neurons within the CNS and helps process information
Interneuron
Which brain region regulates homeostasis, including hunger, thirst, and body temperature?
Hypothalamus
During repolarization, which ion leaves the neuron to help restore the membrane potential?
K⁺
A neuron receives excitatory signals from several different neurons at the same time. What type of summation occurs?
Spatial summation
What does the sodium-potassium pump move across the membrane?
3 Na⁺ out and 2 K⁺ in.
What are the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric
What are the three major developmental regions of the brain?
Forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain
Why can’t a neuron immediately generate another normal action potential after firing one?
It enters the refractory period.
A neuron receives repeated excitatory signals from the same neuron in a short period of time. What type of summation occurs?
Temporal summation
Why does a myelinated axon conduct action potentials faster than an unmyelinated axon?
Myelin insulates the axon, allowing the action potential to travel rapidly between Nodes of Ranvier.
Which type of neuron carries signals from the CNS to muscles or glands?
Motor neuron
What is the cerebral cortex, and why is it important?
The outer layer of the cerebrum involved in higher functions such as sensory processing, thinking, memory, language, and voluntary movement.