Historical Foundations
Who used the "black reaction" to propose the Reticular Theory, and who used that same stain to prove the Neuron Doctrine?
Who is Camillo Golgi (Reticular Theory) and Santiago Ramón y Cajal (Neuron Doctrine)?
What specific part of the neuron is responsible for performing "cellular arithmetic" to determine whether or not to send a signal?
What is the Cell Body (Soma)?
How do Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells differ in their capacity to myelinate axons?
What is, Oligodendrocytes (CNS) can myelinate segments of up to 50 different axons, while Schwann cells (PNS) myelinate only a single axon segment?
What is the typical resting membrane potential (Vm) of a neuron, and what membrane structure maintains this ion separation?
What is 70 mV; the Phospholipid Bilayer?
In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), what specific cellular component is the target of the autoimmune attack?
What is the Myelin Sheath in the Central Nervous System?
This is the colorful nickname given to the silver staining technique that, ironically, only stains about 1% of neurons in a given sample, allowing them to stand out against a clear background.
What is the "Black Reaction"?
(Accept: The Golgi Stain)
What neuronal structure is primarily responsible for the "plasticity" associated with learning and memory?
What is Dendritic spines?
If you are sampling tissue from the ventricles of the brain, which ciliated glial cells would you expect to find?
What are the Ependymal cells?
This term describes the ability of neurons to undergo structural and functional changes throughout life, a process most commonly seen at the dendritic spines during learning.
What is Plasticity?
This autoimmune condition, affecting roughly 2.5 million people as of 2026, results in muscle weakness and cognitive issues due to the targeted destruction of CNS myelin.
What is Multiple Sclerosis?
(Accept: MS)
Why did the discovery of the "synaptic gap" via electron microscopy effectively end the debate between the Reticular Theory and the Neuron Doctrine?
What is, it proved that neurons are discrete, individual units rather than one continuous physical network.
What is the precise site where an action potential is initiated?
What is the Axon Hillock?
Which type of glial cell is considered the "immune system" of the brain, patrolling for pathogens and debris?
What is the Microglia?
What is the functional difference between an afferent neuron and an efferent neuron?
What is the Afferent neurons are sensory (detect stimuli/input); Efferent neurons are motor (control muscles/output)?
Why is electron microscopy (EM) required to see synapses clearly, while light microscopy is not sufficient?
What is Light microscopy is limited by the wavelength of visible light (~380nm); EM uses electron beams with much shorter wavelengths, allowing for ultrastructural resolution (<100nm)?
Although they were bitter academic rivals with opposing views on the "Reticular Theory," these two scientists jointly shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906.
Who are Camillo Golgi and Santiago Ramón y Cajal?
How does the structure of an axon differ from a dendrite regarding diameter and branching?
What is, axons are generally thinner than dendrites and typically consist of one long projection (though they can branch at the end), whereas dendrites are thick, tree-like, and tapered?
Which glial cell type contributes to the "tripartite synapse" and maintains the blood-brain barrier?
What is the Astrocytes?
Which morphology is characterized by having one dendrite and one axon, and where is it typically found?
What is Bipolar; found in sensory systems?
If an axon is damaged in the Peripheral Nervous System, what factor helps guide its regeneration?
What is Nerve Growth Factor (and support from Schwann cells)?
This trio of 17th-century scientists—including the man who first coined the term "cell"—pioneered the use of light microscopy to reveal the hidden complexity of brain tissue.
Who are Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Jan Swammerdam, and Robert Hooke?
These structural components serve as molecular "railways" for transporting protein vesicles along the axon via specialized motor proteins.
What are Microtubules?
Unlike their peripheral counterparts, these highly metabolic CNS cells are capable of providing a myelin sheath for segments of up to 50 different axons simultaneously.
What are Oligodendrocytes?
Because its beam has a wavelength of approximately 50 picometers—thousands of times shorter than visible light—this tool is required to see the "ultrastructure" of a synapse.
What is Electron Microscopy?
(Accept: EM)
While most neurons are considered "forever cells," this controversial process of creating new neurons in adulthood has been observed in specific areas like the hippocampus.
What is Adult Neurogenesis?