Resting & Action Potentials
What is the typical resting membrane potential of a neuron?
About -60 to -80 mV.
What type of synapse uses neurotransmitters?
Chemical synapse.
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
CNS and PNS.
Which part of the brain is responsible for complex processing and learning?
Forebrain.
What term describes the brain’s ability to change after birth?
Neuronal plasticity.
Which ion has the greatest influence on the resting potential due to many open channels?
K⁺ (potassium).
What is the gap between two neurons called?
Synaptic cleft.
Which neurons carry information toward the CNS?
Afferent neurons.
What structure connects the left and right hemispheres?
Corpus callosum.
Which structure is important for accessing short-term memory?
Hippocampus.
What happens when a neuron reaches threshold (~ -55 mV)?
An action potential is triggered.
What type of postsynaptic potential brings the neuron closer to threshold?
EPSP (excitatory postsynaptic potential).
Which system controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscle?
Motor system.
Which brain region regulates homeostasis and behaviors like hunger and “fight or flight”?
Hypothalamus.
What happens to connections during long-term memory formation?
Connections shift to the cerebral cortex.
What property explains why action potentials are the same size regardless of stimulus strength?
All-or-none response.
What is it called when multiple signals from different synapses add together?
Spatial summation.
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic.
Which structure coordinates movement and balance?
Cerebellum.
Which neurotransmitter pathway is strongly linked to addiction?
Dopamine pathway.
Why can’t an action potential travel backward along the axon?
Because Na⁺ channels are inactivated during the refractory period.
Name two ways neurotransmitter signaling is stopped.
Enzymatic breakdown and reuptake.
What is the difference in neuron pathways between the motor system and autonomic system?
Motor uses one neuron. Autonomic uses two (preganglionic and postganglionic).
Which brain area acts as the main sensory input center to the cerebrum?
What are two key brain changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease?
Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.