Neuroanatomy
and Organization
and Organization
Which two major divisions make up the structural organization of the nervous system
What are the Central nervous system and Peripheral nervous system
Which CNS cell type forms the mylein sheath
What are oligodendrocytes
What is the resting membrane potential of a typical neuron
What is -70mV
What is the functional difference between electrical and chemical synapses
What are electrical synapses transmitting ion directly; chemical synapse use neurotransmitters
Which neurotransmitter triggers skeletal muscle contraction at then neuromuscular junction
What is acetylcholine (ACh)
Differentiate between sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent) neurons in terms of impulse direction
Sensory neurons carry impulses toward the CNS, and motor neurons carry impulses away from the CNS
What is the primary function of astrocytes in the CNS
What is maintaining a blood-brain barrier and supporting the neurons metabolically
Define threshold potential nasd its role in generating an action potential
What is around -55mV; the voltage needed to trigger an action potential
(action potenital --> Ca2+ influx --> vesicle fusion --> neurotransmitter release --> receptor binding)
How do voltage-gated calcium channels at the axon terminal relate to muscle activation
What is opening in response to action potentials, allowing CA2+ to trigger ACh release
Which subdivision of the peripheral nervous system controls involuntary body functions
What is the autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Which neuroglial cells act as immune defense within the CNS
What are microglia
Explain the sequence of events during depolarization and repolarization
depolarization = NA+ influx, repolarization = K+ efflux
Explain how excitatiry and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP V.S. IPSP) differ
EPSP = depolarization; IPSP = hyperpolarization
Explain how temporal and spatial summation in neurons compare to graded muscle contraction
(Temporal = repeated signals; spatial = multiple inputs- similar to motor unit recruitment in muscles)
Explain how the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions differ functionally
What is fight or flight versus rest and digest
Compare Schwann cellls and oligodendrocytes in terms of myleination
(Schwann cells mylinate one PNS axon; oligodendrocytes can myelinate several CNS axons)
Describe the role of the Na+/K+ pump in maintaining neuronal stability
What is restoring ion gradients by moving 3 Na+ out and 2 K+ in using ATP
Which neurotransmitter is most closely associated with relaxation and inhibition in the brain
What is GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Describe how long-term potentiation (LTP) relates to muscle memory formation
LTP strengthens synaptic connections through repeated stimulation
Describe the role of interneurons in propcessing information within the CNS
What is interneurons integrating sensory input with motor output to coordinate complex responses
What is lining brain ventricles, circulating CSF using cilia, and regulate its composition
Explain saltatory conduction and why it increases signal speed
(in myelinated axons, action potentials "jump" between nodes of ranvier)
Explain how neurotransmitter removal from the synaptic cleft helps regulate neural signaling
What is reuptake, enzymatic breakdown, or diffusion
Discuss how disroders that affect dopamine signaling (eg. parkinson's disease) influence motor control
What is the loss of dopamine in the basal ganglia causes tremors, stiffness, and slowed movements