Lectures 1 + 2 Neurocytology and Simple circuits

Lecture 3-Methods for studying the nervous system

I. Multiple Choice:

1. Each of the following statements regarding synapse structure is true, EXCEPT:

A. The pre- and post- synaptic membranes of neurons are aligned in parallel with one
another.
B. The postsynaptic densities reflect, in part, the presence of accumulated synaptic vesicles.
C. The synaptic cleft is wider than other non-synaptic areas of the extracellular space.
D. The adhesion of the pre- and postsynaptic membrane can be attributed to the presence of
intercleft filaments.

2. Each of the following regarding the critical regulation of neuronal communication by

inhibition is true EXCEPT:
A. Recurrent inhibition requires the depolarization of an inhibitory interneuron via an axon
collateral of the initiating neuron.
B. Increased activity of a postsynaptic neuron may be achieved by disinhibition.
C. Lateral inhibition is typically used in motor control so that unwanted movements are
prevented from competing with the intended movement.
D. Inhibition of cells in a later phase of a neural circuit is referred to as feedforward
inhibition.

3. Which of the following statements involving cytoskeletal proteins is CORRECT?

A. Anterograde transport involves the movement of synaptic vesicles along microfilaments.
B. Microtubules are proteins with contractile properties, allowing for certain processes such
as synaptic plasticity.
C. Structural integrity of neurons is maintained, due in large part to the presence of
neurofilaments.
D. Microfilaments are composed primarily of myosin proteins.

4. Which of the following statements regarding synaptic transmission is CORRECT?

A. An inhibitory synapse that is well placed, is usually powerful enough to negate multiple
excitatory synapses.
B. Exocytosis of presynaptic vesicle contents is directly stimulated by Na+ influx at the
axon terminal.
C. Synaptic inputs received at dendrites are summed spatially but not temporally.
D. Hyperpolarizing synaptic potentials are never summed.
5. An undergraduate student is running several experiments in the lab on a given day. Which of
the experiments should the student NOT perform because it uses an INCORRECT technique?
A. The student is studying a particular gene that is known to contribute to the pathogenesis
of Disease X. To determine whether this gene is expressed in a particular neuron type, the
student performs in situ hybridization to identify the transcript in those cells.
B. The student is producing antibodies against Protein Y in order to localize it in the brain
using immunohistochemistry. They inject the protein into a mouse, so that the mouse’s
immune system produces antibodies to Protein Y. The mouse’s blood is then taken, and
the antibodies are isolated from the serum.
C. A rare chemical has been discovered that breaks down fatty acid tails. To see how this
compound affects the nervous system, the student adds the compound to the diet of rats.
Two weeks later, the student anesthetizes the rats, perfuses their vasculature with
fixative, cuts brain sections, and performs a myelin stain on these sections.
D. The student wants to identify the projection targets of a particular set of neurons. To
accomplish this, they inject a retrograde tracer into the region containing the soma of the
cells of interest. They then examine the rest of the brain looking for the presence of tracer
in cell bodies.

II. Fill in the Blanks:

The principle that information is typically received at dendrites and transmitted down axons is
known as the _____________________________.

Voltage-gated Na+ channels located on neurons are primarily concentrated in two locations: a)
the ________________________ and the __________________________.

______________ are a type of glial cell that can cause smooth muscle relaxation and
vasodilation during times of high neuronal activity.

Through the use of axon collaterals, a single neuron may innervate multiple targets to help
coordinate their activity. This circuit principle is known as _____________________.

Motor neurons are said to be __________________, because they transmit information from the
CNS out towards the periphery.

At the peak of an action potential, the neuron is __________________, meaning that it is unable
to support another action potential.

Most tract-tracer agents bind to ____________________ on the cell surface and are internalized
via endocytosis.
III. Matching:

1. Useful technique for identifying major axon tracts _____. a. gross dissection

2. Technique used to determine afferent input to a region _____. b. in situ hybridization

3. A technique that identifies mRNA in the cell through c. myelin stain

a complementary nucleotide strand _____.

4. Can be used to measure high cerebral blood flow in areas d. Golgi stain
of high neuronal activity ______.

5. Used to see the broad, anatomical composition of the e. fMRI

nervous system_____.

6. A technique that allows for the detection of a receptor f. Nissl stain

using radiolabeled ligands _______.
g. anterograde tracing

7. May be used to label microglia throughout the h. retrograde tracing

cell. _________
i. autoradiography

j. immunocytochemistry