Exam 2: Structure and Function of the Nervous System

If you were to insert a microelectrode through the cell membrane of a neuron, you would be able to demonstrate that

The primary benefit that the nervous system gains from myelination is

Neural inputs that target the cortex and originate in the thalamus are referred to as corticothalamic.

The most important function of myelin in the nervous system is to

Two main types of projections extend from the cell body of a neuron. receive inputs from other neurons, while send information to other neurons.

Describe the events following the fertilization of an egg that pertain to the development of the nervous system. In your answer, name the three main types of cell lines found in the blastula and describe what parts of the organism these cells become.

Dendrites, which are large treelike processes extending from a neuron, are said to be presynaptic.

The role of calcium ions Ca²⁺) in synaptic transmission is to

A patient reports that she is functionally blind after a focal brain injury, even though her eyes and optic nerves are completely intact. Of the structures listed here, the most probable location for the brain injury is the

Ouabain is a toxin that works by permanently inhibiting the activity of sodium-potassium pumps embedded in neuronal membranes. How would ouabain administration affect the resting potential of a neuron?

refers to the process of rapid cell division that occurs early in development of the nervous system.

The two main divisions of the central nervous system are the

This type of early cell line is the precursor to the cells that will compose the nervous system.

Demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis disrupt normal neural communication by

The term commissure refers to the white matter tracts that connect the brain and spinal cord.

Which of the following functions is NOT mediated primarily by the hypothalamus?

At the resting state, a higher concentration of is found outside a neuron and a higher concentration of is found inside a neuron.

The morphology of the brain of Albert Einstein revealed an unusual Sylvian fissure-the division that separates the lobe from the lobes.

During development, a structure called the blastula begins to form when the neural plate invaginates via neural folds being pushed up at its border.

The frontal lobe is to the occipital lobe, whereas the temporal lobe is to the parietal lobe.