Question 1

The hippocampus is considered part of the neocortex.

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is not considered part of the neocortex, but is instead classified as part of the limbic system.

Question 2

Sulci are the protruding rounded surfaces of the cortex, and gyri are the fissures and invaginations between the sulci.

Accepted Answer

The statement is opposite to the actual definition. Sulci are the fissures and invaginations between the gyri, and gyri are the protruding rounded surfaces of the cortex.

Question 3

Communication between two neurons is always achieved through chemical, and not electrical, mechanisms.

Accepted Answer

While chemical synapses, where neurotransmitters are released to communicate between neurons, are common, electrical synapses also exist, allowing direct electrical communication through gap junctions.

Question 4

The amplitude of an action potential is directly proportional to the size of the initial depolarization that produced it.

Accepted Answer

The amplitude of an action potential is not directly proportional to the size of the initial depolarization; rather, it is all-or-none. Once the threshold is reached, an action potential is generated with a consistent amplitude, regardless of the size of the stimulus that initiated it.

Question 5

If the sum of the excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) causes a postsynaptic neuron to reach its threshold, then the postsynaptic neuron will generate an action potential.

Accepted Answer

When the sum of the EPSPs reaches the threshold of the postsynaptic neuron, it will generate an action potential, causing an electrical impulse to be sent down the axon.

Question 6

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the events following the fertilization of...

Question 7

Hyperpolarization makes the inside of a cell more positive and more likely to generate an action potential.

Accepted Answer

Hyperpolarization makes the inside of a cell more negative, not more positive. This makes the cell less likely to generate an action potential.

Question 8

Histological methods have been used to classify the cerebral cortex into different cytoarchitectonic divisions, such as the Brodmann areas. Can we predict the function of a brain region based on cytoarchitectonics? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Histological methods have been used to classify...

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

The term commissure refers to the white matter tracts that connect one side of the brain to the other. They are not specific to the brain and spinal cord.

Question 11

How do two neurons communicate with each other? Describe the process of synaptic transmission, including both chemical and electrical synapses.

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Describe the structure, and explain the function, of three types of glial cells.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the structure, and explain the function,...

Question 13

Describe the chemical and electrical properties of an action potential. In your answer, describe the movement of Na⁺ ions and K⁺ ions across the cell membrane and the resulting changes in electrical potential.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the chemical and electrical properties of...

Question 14

What are the major differences between electrotonic conduction and the action potential? Describe how these two processes play out in neural transmission.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the major differences between electrotonic...

Question 15

Explain the concept of electrochemical equilibrium. How does this concept allow us to understand the transmembrane potentials in neurons?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the concept of electrochemical equilibrium. How...

Question 16

What are the advantages of a cerebral cortex with gyri and sulci? Why might the human cerebral cortex be more heavily folded than those of other mammals?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the advantages of a cerebral...

Question 17

Choose six of the following eight brain regions. For each region, briefly describe its location in the brain and one of its functions. Draw a picture to accompany your answer.
• frontal lobe
• parietal lobe
• temporal lobe
• occipital lobe
• basal ganglia
• hypothalamus
• thalamus
• cerebellum

Accepted Answer

The answer of Choose six of the following eight brain...

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The blastula is an early stage of embryonic development that forms before the neural plate; the neural plate invaginates to form the neural tube, not the blastula.

Question 19

The equilibrium potential is the membrane voltage at which there is no net flow of ions in or out.

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of the equilibrium potential.

Question 20

Describe the structure of a prototypical neuron. In your answer, provide definitions for the following terms: soma, axon, dendrite, myelin, and synapse.

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 2: Structure and Function of the Nervous System