Neurobiology

  1. Diagram a neuron. Label it from dendrite to axon terminal. Discuss the importance of each structure labeled.
  2. Within the nervous system, there is another type of cell that outnumbers neurons 50:1.What is its name and function(s)?
  3. ______Potentials vary depending on the strength of the stimulus. They can cause hyperpolarization as well as depolarization. ______Potentials are all-or-none, and always cause depolarization.
  4. Diagram an Action Potential. Explain the axis and what is happening at the molecular level at each point in the graph.
  5. What is responsible for the resting potential of the cell?
  6. Once the action potential reaches an axon terminal, it can be transferred through 2 types of synapses. One is electrical, where the electrical signal flows through gap junctions (as seen in cardiac muscle). The other is known as a ______synapse. Draw and label this accordingly.
  7. A postsynaptic potential can be ______or ______, depending on the neurotransmitter released and cell type. Explain mechanistically each type of postsynaptic potential.
  8. Briefly diagram the nervous system, explaining the different functions associated with parts of the peripheral nervous system.
  9. Diagram the parts and functions within the brain discussed in lecture.
  10. What is learning? What is memory? What is the physiological difference between short and long term memory?

Sensory

  1. What are the 3 processes involved in our ability to sense our environment? What does each mean?
  2. What indicates the strength of a stimulus?
  3. Diagram how we can interpret sound, focusing on structures within the ear and mechanism of the hair cells in the cochlea.
  4. Diagram how we can interpret light, focusing on structures of the eye and how we transduce this signal.
  5. Briefly explain gustation. How do we detect different tastes?
  6. How is olfaction different?

Prions and Biomechanics

  1. What are prions? Discuss the 3 diseases from lecture, explaining their cause(s) and effect(s).
  2. Diagram the structure of muscle, from tissue to the smallest functional unit (which is a ______).
  3. Diagram how a muscle contracts, from an action potential received at the neuromuscular junction to the muscle action itself.
  4. What are the different skeletal systems? List the components that allow movement within the vertebrate endoskeleton.