Brain Bee round 2 questions

Damage to what side of the Parietal lobe causes difficulty understanding language?

Left side. Damage to right side: difficulty navigating spaces

Which part of the brain is the control center for sleep-wakefulness?

hypothalamus

Which lobe do scientists believe plays a role in short term memory? Due to what formation?

Temporal lobe, hippocampal formation

What are two functions of the basal ganglia?

The cerebral nuclei (basal ganglia) coordinate muscle movements and rewards useful behaviours

In which lobe is the sensory cortex situated?

Parietal lobe

What are the two pairs of small hills in the midbrain called?

Colliculi

Which lobe is involved in the processing of visual information?

Occipital lobe

In which lobe is the motor cortex situated?

Frontal lobe

What are three functions of the hypothalamus?

Control centre for appetites, defensive and reproductive behaviours, sleep-wakefulness

The hindbrain is made of ____, ____, which controls ______, ______ and _____. Another part is the ____ which helps control movement and cognitive processes which require _____

Pons, medulla oblongata, blood-glucose levels, heart rate, respiration, cerebellum, precise timing

Which lobe is responsible for processing auditory information and integrating information from other senses?

Temporal lobe

The basal ganglia, thalamus, hypothalamus are key structures of which of the 3 large divisions of the brain?

The forebrain

Which lobe coordinates motor movements?

Frontal lobe, also responsible for higher cognitive skills such as thinking, problem solving, aspects of personality and emotional makeup

In which lobe is the amygdala located?

Temporal lobe

Why is the temporal lobe located near the ears?

Because it is responsible for processing auditory information

Which structure in the temporal lobe is responsible for learned emotional response?

Amygdala

What are the two main divisions of the nervous system as a whole?

Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

The CNS consists of which 2 parts?

Brain (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain), and spinal cord

Which part of the central nervous system receives sensory information from all parts of the body below the head?

Spinal cord

True or false, the CNS communicates directly to muscles that control movement in response to stimuli?

False, CNS receives sensory info from PNS, communicates with PNS which communicates with muscles to coordinate a response.

True or false, the PNS makes decisions about how to respond to external stimuli?

False, the PNS must pass info of external stimuli to CNS which decides how to respond and communicates decision to PNS which communicates with body to complete decision.

Which part of the brain plays an important role in Pavlovian learning?

Cerebellum

Which division of the nervous system controls muscles and internal organs?

Peripheral nervous system

The spinal cord is protected by ________

the vertebral column

The somatic nervous system connects the _____ to ______

CNS to parts of the body that interact with the outside world.

The parasympathetic nervous system is a division of the ______

Autonomic nervous system

Which division of the autonomic nervous system mobilizes energy and resources in times of stress and arousal?

Sympathetic nervous system

Which division of the autonomic nervous system conserves energy and resources during relaxed states such as sleep?

Parasympathetic nervous system

The cell body of a neuron contains _______ and _______

Nucleus and cytoplasm

What are the three main structures of a neuron?

Dendrites, cell body, axon

Where is the nerve terminal located?

At the end of the axon

What is a synapse?

Contact points where neurons communicate, where the end of an axon contacts with a dendrite of another neuron.

The myelin sheath is made by specialized cells called ____. In the brain, ____ that make the myelin sheath are called ______, and in the PNS they are called ______

Glia, glia, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells

What is the overall internal charge in the cell membrane of a neuron before an action potential takes place?

Negative internal charge (switches to positive in action potential)

What are four functions of glia cells?

Transports nutrients to neurons, cleans up brain debris, digest parts of dead neurons, helps to hold neurons in place

Nerve impulses travel along the _____ of a neuron.

Axon

The _________ of a neuron receive information from other cells

Dendrite

What is the name of the change in electric potential that passes along an axon during the transmission of a nerve impulse?

Action potential

Which neurotransmitter is released by neurons that control the heartbeat?

Acetycholine

When ACh attaches to its receptor in voluntary muscles, which ion channel open causing muscles to contract?

Sodium ion channels

ACh is broken down by which enzyme?

Acetycholinesterase

Why is myasthenia gravis characterized by muscle weakness?

Because in myasthenia gravis, antibodies block one type of ACh receptor (which causes voluntary muscles to contract), without ACh receptors muscles cannot function normally.

ACh is synthesized where?

In nerve terminals

Ach in the brain is critical for _____, ______ and ________

Normal attention, memory, sleep

How do the main drugs presently used to treat Alzheimer's work?

They inhibit acetycholinesterase and increase ACh in the brain because acetycholine-releasing neurons die in the brains of Alzheimer's patients

GABA and Glycine are what kind of neurotransmitter? They act as excitatory or inhibitory signals?

Amino acids, inhibitory

Which neurotransmitter was the first to be identified? About how many years ago?

Acetycholine, about 80 years ago

GABA stands for what?

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

Why does Huntington's disease, a hereditary disorder that begins during midlife, cause uncontrollable movements?

Because GABA producing neurons in brain centres that regulate movement degenerate in Huntington's patients.

Suggest two treatments for Huntington's disease

Benzodiazephines (eg. Valium) and anticonvulsant drugs as they increase the activity of GABA.

Which receptors, when stimulated promotes beneficial changes in the brain for learning and memory?

NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors. Over-stimulation, such as in a stroke may lead to cell death and damage.

Which two amino acids act as excitatory signals?

Aspartate and Glutamate

Dopamine and _______ are in what category of neurotransmitter?

Norepinephrine, Catecholamines

Why do patients with Parkinson's disease show symptoms such as muscle tremors, rigidity and difficulty moving?

Because there are dopamine deficits in the dopamine circuit that regulates movement.

Suggest a treatment for Parkinson's disease

Levadopa - a substance from which dopamine is synthesized

Which disease with symptoms such as difficulty moving is caused by dopamine deficits?

Parkinson's disease

What 2 pieces research suggest that dopamine is a factor involved in mental illness?

1. Abnormalities in dopamine circuit for cognition and emotion is implicated in schizophrenia

2. Drugs that block certain dopamine receptors in the brain are helpful in diminishing psychotic symptoms

Which disease, characterized by uncontrollable movements is caused by the degeneration of GABA-producing cells is brain centres that regulate movement?

Huntington's disease

Abnormalities in the dopamine circuit important for emotion and cognition is implicated in which disease?

Schizophrenia

Which disease, characterized by muscle weakness is caused by antibodies that block a certain kind of ACh receptor?

Myasthenia gravis

Which neurotransmitter is attached to voluntary muscles, causing them to contract?

Acetycholine

Abnormalities in which dopamine circuit is implicated in Schizophrenia?

The dopamine circuit that controls cognition and emotion

Drugs that block certain which neurotransmitter receptors in the brain are helpful in diminishing psychotic symptoms?

Dopamine receptors

Which dopamine circuit triggers the manufacturing and release of hormones?

The circuit that regulates the endocrine system

What are the three principal circuits dopamine in which dopamine is present in the brain?

1. Cognitions and emotion 2. Regulation of endocrine system 3. Regulation of movement

The catecholamine neurotransmitter _______ is secreted by the _____ nervous system to regulate ______ and ______.

Norepinephrine, peripheral, heart rate, blood pressure

Deficiencies in norepinephrine occur in patients with A___, P____, and K______, a cognitive disorder associated with _______

Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Korsakoff's syndrome, chronic alchohlism

The conditions Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Korsakoff's syndrome all lead to _________

memory loss and a decline in cognitive functioning

Why do researchers believe the neurotransmitter norepinephrine plays an important role in both learning and memory?

Because deficiencies in norepinephrine occur in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Korsakoff's syndrome - all these conditions lead to memory loss and a decline in cognitive functioning.

Somatic nerves in the cervical regions are related to the ______ and _____

neck and arms

Which cognitive disorder is associated with chronic alcoholism?

Korsakoff's syndrome

Acute stress causes norepinephrine to be released from where?

Sympathetic nerves and the adrenal medulla, the innermost part of the adrenal gland.

Which neurotransmitter has been identified in the brain as an important factor in mood, sleep quality, depression and anxiety?

Serotonin

The neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain is an important factor in m_____, s_____ q_____ , d_______, and a_________

mood, sleep quality, depression, anxiety

Switches affecting emotional states can be manipulated using ______, chemicals with molecular structure similar to _____

analogs, serotonin

What is an example of a drug that alters the action of serotonin and relieves symptoms of depression and OCD?

Fluoxetine

Somatic nerves in which region of the body are related to the neck and arms?

Cervical region

Somatic nerves in the ______ and _______ regions of the body interact with the legs

Lumbar and Sacral

How does fluoxetine relieve symptoms of depression and OCD?

It alters the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Somatic nerves in the _______ region of the body serve the chest.

Thoraic

The midbrain plays a critical role in a________ r_________ and in relaying this type of information to the t_________

auditory reflexes, thalamus

The midbrain also contains clusters of neurons that regulates activity in the c______ and are thought to be important for r_______ m______ and m______

central nervous system, reward mechanisms, mood

What is a peptide?

Short chains of amino acids linked together

Where are peptides synthesized?

In the cell body

What type of neurotransmitter is most numerous in the brain?

Peptides

When did scientists first discover receptors for opiates in the brain?

In 1973

What was the first opiate peptide discovered in the brain named?

enkephalin

Other types of opiate peptides discovered were named e________, literally meaning e________ m_________.

endorphins, endogenous morphines

What is the effect of endorphins when released?

It minimizes pain

What are 2 kinds of opiate peptides?

Enkephalin, endorphins (literally: 'endogenous morphine)

The neurotransmitter enkephalin binds to what kind of receptor?

Opioid receptors

What kind of neurotransmitter relieves pain? Where is it synthesized?

Opiate peptides such as enkephalin or endorphins. It is synthesized in the cell body.

What is the name of the peptide that causes the sensation of burning pain?

Substance P

Why do chilli peppers cause the sensation of burning pain?

Because the active ingredient capsaicin causes the release of the neurotransmitter substance P which causes burning pain.

Where is the peptide substance P contained?

In some sensory nerves - tiny unmyelinated C fibres

What are trophic factors?

Small proteins in the brain necessary for the development, function and survival of specific groups of neurons.

True or false, trophic factors bind to only one type of receptor?

False, trophic factors bind to receptors expressed by specific neurons.

C fibres contain what kind of neurotransmitter that causes the sensation of burning pain?

A peptide called substance P

True or false, trophic factors can communicate over a long distance?

False. Trophic factors are released locally.

True or false, trophic factors are released throughout the body to promote cell survival?

False. Trophic factors are released locally in the brain and are necessary for the survival of specific groups of neurons.