Physiological Psych
The branching fibers that form the information-receiving pole of the nerve cells are called _____.
dendrites
Nodes of Ranvier are ____.
gaps in the myelin of axons
What is the main source of nutrition for vertebrate neurons?
glucose
Many dendrites contain short outgrowths called spines that _____.
increase the surface area available for synapses
Which type of glia builds myelin sheaths around axons in the periphery of the body?
Schwann cells
The surface of a dendrite is lined with specialized junctions through which the dendrite receives information from other neurons. What are these junctions called?
synaptic receptors
As compared to dendrites, axons usually ____.
are covered with myelin
Glial cells ____.
are smaller but more numerous than neurons in the human brain.
Water, oxygen, and ____ most freely flow across a cell membrane.
carbon dioxide
presynaptic terminal is also known as ____.
an end bulb
What type of glia helps to synchronize the activity of axons?
astrocytes
As a general rule, axons convey information ____.
away from their own cell body
Neurons typically have one ____, but many ____.
axon; dendrites
The membrane of a neuron is composed of ____ with ____ embedded in them.
fat molecules; proteins
Radial glia ____.
guide the migration of neurons during embryonic development
Chemicals are released by axons ____.
into the junction between neurons
If all of a neuron's dendrites or axons were contained within the spinal cord, it would be considered a(n) ____ neuron.
intrinsic
What do neurons have that other cells do not?
large, branching extensions
The endoplasmic reticulum is a ____.
network of thin tubes that transport newly synthesized proteins
An axon has many branches, each of which swells at its tip. These are known as ____.
presynaptic terminals
Glucose enters the brain via which type of transport?
active transport
Which type of glia remove waste material in the nervous system?
astrocytes
The cell membrane is composed of two layers of _____.
fat
The two basic kinds of cells in the nervous system are _____.
glia & neurons
What type of neuron in the pons receives information only from other cells in the pons and sends information only to other cells in the pons?
intrinsic
Glial cells whose function most closely resembles that of the immune system are called ____.
microglia
Molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier are usually ____.
molecules that can dissolve in the fats of the capillary walls
Small, charged molecules can cross the cell membrane through ____.
protein channels
Neurons differ most strongly from other body cells in their ____.
shape
What structure is composed of two layers of fat molecules that are free to flow around one another?
the membrane
What happens to a virus that manages to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain?
It remains there and may cause negative effects several years later.
Korsakoff's syndrome ____.
is marked by severe memory impairments
Ribosomes are the part of a cell that ____.
synthesizes new proteins
Which type of glia release chemicals that modify the activity of neighboring neurons?
astrocytes
If you were to accidentally touch a hot stove with your hand, you would quickly pull your hand away. The information carried to the muscles in your arm to make them contract was carried by ____.
efferent neurons
The insulating material that covers many vertebrate axons is called the ____.
myelin sheath
Why does the brain need thiamine?
to enable it to metabolize glucose
____ in the brain and spinal cord and ____ in the periphery are specialized types of glia that build the myelin sheaths that surround neurons.
Oligodendrocytes; Schwann cells
Why do neurons rely so heavily on glucose as their source of nutrition?
Other fuels do not readily cross the blood-brain barrier.
What leads to Korsakoff's syndrome?
thiamine deficiency due to chronic alcoholism