Neurobiology Exam II Study Guide

List of Words/Things I Dont Know but Should Know by now:

1. Somatic Sensory System: Neurological system that relays information regarding touch, pain, and
temperature back to the brain. These neurons have a long dendrite and a short axon
2. Proprioception: relays information regarding the positioning of our bodies
3. Afferent: carry information from an organ or receptors back to the CNS
a. Also known as sensory nuerons
4. Efferent : carry nerve impulses away from the CNS to muscle fibers or organs
a. Also known as motor neurons.
5. Ganglia: a structure that contains multiple nerve cell bodies; typically linked by synapses.
6. Submodality: a distinction of form or structure within a sensory representational system
7. Mechanoreceptor: a sensory receptor that responds to mechanical pressure or distortion; converts
mechanical stimuli into electrical impulses
8. Transduce: occurs when mechanically gated ion channels open and allow positive ions into the cell;
depending on the strength of the depolarization (also known as a receptor potential) an action
potential will be generated and spread to the proximal branches of the axon.
9. EPSP- Excitatory Post Synaptic Potentials i.e they depolarize the cell. Depending on the
neurotransmitter.
10. IPSP Inhibitory Post Synaptic Potential they hyperpolarize the cell, depending on the
neurotransmitter.
11. Motor Neurons: efferent neurons send information form interneurons to muscle or gland cells
(effectors)
12. Interneurons : found in the brain and spinal cord; receive information and if sufficiently stimulated
they stimulate other neurons.
13. Graded potentials occurs when the stimulation of a neuron causes the Na gates to open and the
membrane becomes partially depolarized as Na ions enter the neuron. Called graded because the
amount of depolarization depends on the stimulus.
Quickie Review of Stuff that you probably need to know to think through other things:
1. Neurons are cells that transfer stimuli to other cell; they are composed of a cell body (contains
nucleus and organelles), dendrites (receive input), axons (conduct impulses away from the cell
body), axon hillock (region where the axon connects to the cell body), synaptic terminals
(responsible for the release of neurotransmitters).
2. A synapse is the junction between the synaptic terminal and another cell noted as the Postsynaptic
cell.
3. Neurolgia are cells that provide support to the neurons. They are the stock team of the brain,
provide support, myelination, metabolic assistance and protection.
a. Oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, microglia, astrocytes, and such are all examples of glial
cells.
4. The resting membrane potential is at about -60 -80 mV in the mammalian cell; this occurs due to a
constant efflux of K+ cells through the ion channels in the neuronal membrane; another factor that
plays a role is that the Sodium potassium pump 3 Na+ ions per 2 K+ ions; this leads to a greater
number of K+ on the inside of the cell and Na+ outside of the cell; Chloride is also found in greater
concentrations out of the cell.
a. The chemical gradient of K+ causes the K ions to efflux, electrical gradient (ie cell becomes
more negative) prevents the K+ from diffusing in its entirety.
5. Gated Channels: channels that open or close and thus change the polarity of the membrane as ions
go through
a. Ligand Gated: open when bound to specific molecules or ions such as specific transmitters
b. Voltage Gated: open when the membrane becomes depolarized; in sodium voltage gate
channels, they will open when the cell depolarizes at a threshold value; typically 55- mV in
mammalian cells
6. Action Potentials

a. An action potential does not depend on the strength of the action potential; it occurs when
the membrane becomes depolarized, if it is a sufficient depolarization, it will depolarize the
areas near it causing the Sodium gated channels near it to open.
b. Following depolarization the Na channels close; cutting off the entrance of Na ions and K
channels open, thus allowing for the efflux of K channels, the action potential passes up till
the action terminal where the axon joins another cell
c. Action potentials are all or nothing: meaning that the intensity of an action potential doesnt
grow weaker as the depolarization spreads along the axon.
d. A membrane that has been depolarized cannot undergo a second depolarization; it can only
be depolarized after a refractory period; it happens as the cell repolarizes, and restores its
negative charge; typically lasts about 1 millisecond.

Chapter Nine: The Somatic Sensory System: Touch and Proprioception

Key points in Chapter Nine:

Somatic Sensory System (SSS) most diverse sensory system. Responsible for relaying information
information from receptors to various CNS targets
SSS is divided into different functioning subsystems:
o Mechanical Stimuli: Subcutaneous mechanoreceptors that gie information about touch,
pressure and vibration;
Transmission of afferent mechanosensory information from the periphery begins with
receptors that initiate action potentials, the AP is conveyed by first, second and third
order neurons.
Fist order neurons are located in the dorsal root and cranial nerve ganglia
Second Order Nuerons are located in the brainstem nuclei
Third order neurons are located in the thalamus which projects from the
cerebral cortex
o Generated within the body: Muscles tendons and joints which have to do with propriception ,
our posture, positioning and balance.
SS processing is performed by neuron distributed across different brain structures connected by
ascending and descending pathways.

Items Addressed in the Lecture Powerpoints:

1. Different Receptors correspond to different submodalities
a. Receptors: cells specialized for responding to stimuli and the proteins specialized for
responding to specific chemical and physical signals
b. Cutaneous/Subcutaneous receptors:
i. Mechanoreceptors: touch pressure and vibration
ii. Nociceptor: respond to sharp and burning pain
iii. Proprioceptors: Mechanoreceptors on the joint muscle and tendon
iv. Adrenoceptors: blood vessels, heart, lings, GI tract and bladder
c. Free nerve endings: deal with warmth, cold, sharp shooting pain. Lie at the top of the skin
found in the epidermis
d. Morphologically specialized endings deal with touch pressure and vibration
i. Meissner Corpuscle found in the epidermis- chanfes in texture and vibrations
around 50 hz. Have the ability to adapt rapidly
ii. Merkels Disk-area between epidermis and dermis- they detect sustained touch and
pressure
iii. Ruffini ending found in the dermis- detect tension deep in the skin
iv. Pacinian Corpuscle found in the subcutaneous layer; detect rapid vibrations from
about 200 to 300 hz
v. MDPMCRE Mother Dont Peek! My Cat Cant Reach!
e. Mechanoreceptor Transduction
i. Stimulus opens mechanically gated channels (MGC)

1. MGCs are stretch activated/gated ion channels that open their pores win
response to mechanical deformation of a neurons plasma membrane.
2. Increased conductance for Na+ and K+ causes a local graded depolarization
of the receptor terminal. This receptor potential is analogous to an EPSP in a
central neuron