Deck 2: Memory and the Brain: Central Concepts

Question 1

It is generally agreed that the brain works like a warehouse to store items of information.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Memory is a result of experience modifying synaptic connections between neurons that are activated by the experience.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The ionic composition of the intracellular and extracellular fluids become more alike when the neuron depolarizes.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

An extracellular electrode used to measure the field potential detects a single depolarizing synapse.

Question 5

When a neuron depolarizes, the composition of the inside of the cell becomes less like that of the extracellular fluid.

Question 6

Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter.

Question 7

Glutamate receptors involved in LTP are found along the axon.

Question 8

Calcium is a second messenger.

Question 9

Second messengers are proteins.

Question 10

Second messengers can be quickly synthesized.

Question 11

Phosphatases add phosphates to other proteins.

Question 12

Ionotropic receptors protrude outside and inside the cell.

Question 13

Competitive antagonists, such as APV, can replace a ligand and cause conformational changes in the receptor.

Question 14

AMPA receptors influx mainly Na⁺; NMDA receptors influx both Na⁺ and Ca²⁺.

Question 15

Initial change in the strength of synapses depends on post-translational processes; however, enduring changes require new protein (transcription and translation processes).

Question 16

Describe the in vitro LTP preparation.

Question 17

Why is the resting membrane potential negative?

Question 18

What is LTD?

Question 19

Describe the simple form of an LTP experiment.

Question 20

What are the three components of the synapse?

Question 21

Where are glutamate receptors found?

Question 22

What is an excitatory synapse?

Question 23

What is the composition of the postsynaptic density?

Question 24

Where is the extracellular matrix located?

Question 25

What is glutamate?

Question 26

Where is the postsynaptic density located?

Question 27

Why is glutamate a first messenger?

Question 28

What are the two types of proteins targeted by second messengers?

Question 29

What is the function of a kinase?

Question 30

What is the structure of a kinase?

Question 31

What are the two functions of the postsynaptic density?

Question 32

What is the cytosol?

Question 33

What are the functions of phosphorylation?

Question 34

Memories evolve in four overlapping stages. What are they?

Question 35

The performant path connects the entorhinal cortex to the _______.

Question 36

Hebb referred to "diffuse circuits of connected neurons that develop to represent specific percepts or concepts" as _______.

Question 37

To induce LTP in CA3 neurons, the stimulating electrode should be placed near the _______.

Question 38

Synaptic vesicles contain _______.

Question 39

When the membrane potential becomes more negative, the neuron is said to be _______.

Question 40

Axons projecting from the dentate gyrus to CA3 are called _______.

Question 41

Shaffer collaterals terminate onto _______.

Question 42

The _______ in a typical LTP experiment is the fEPSP.

Question 43

A major feature of the postsynaptic membrane in excitatory synapses is _______.

Question 44

_______ are protein complexes that transport receptors to and from the plasma membrane.

Question 45

The material that fills the synaptic cleft is called _______.

Question 46

Excitatory synapses respond to the neurotransmitter called _______.

Question 47

The _______ domain of a kinase adds phosphate groups to other proteins.

Question 48

The process of _______ depends on the catalytic unit.

Question 49

Kinases are put into the active state by _______.

Question 50

As the intensity of a high-frequency inducing stimulus increases, so does the _______ of LTP.

Question 51

The region of the spine where the membrane is thickened and contains scaffolding proteins and receptors is called the _______.

Question 52

Which statement(s) is/are true? (Select all that apply.)

A) Kinases modify other proteins via phosphorylation.
B) Kinases are directly activated by first messengers.
C) Phosphatases remove phosphates from proteins.
D) Phosphates phosphorylate second messengers.
E) None of the above

Question 53

Which does not describe a second messenger? (Select all that apply.)

A) It is a type of protein with active and regulatory domains.
B) It relays signals from receptors to target molecules inside the cell.
C) It is readily made inside the cell.
D) It can activate kinases and phosphatases.

Question 54

Which statement(s) is/are true? (Select all that apply.)

A) The flow of information through the trisynaptic circuit begins at CA3.
B) The perforant path connects CA3 to CA1
C) Mossy fibers connect the dentate gyrus to CA1
D) Shaffer collateral fibers connect CA3 connects to CA1
E) None of the above

Question 55

Where would you place the extracellular recording electrode to measure the field potential if you stimulated mossy fibers? (Select all that apply.)

A) In the dentate gyrus region
B) In the CA1 region
C) In the CA3 region
D) In the entorhinal cortex
E) None of the above

Question 56

Which statement(s) about intracellular space is/are true? (Select all that apply.)

A) Depolarization makes the intracellular space more positive and drives the neuron towards generating action potentials.
B) Hyperpolarization makes the intracellular space more positive and drives the neuron toward generating action potentials.
C) When the neuron hyperpolarizes, the intracellular fluid becomes more similar to the extracellular fluid.
D) Depolarization makes the intracellular space more negative and drives the neuron toward generating action potentials.
E) None of the above.

Question 57

The field excitatory postsynaptic potential measures the _______. (Select all that apply.)

A) release of neurotransmitter from the postsynaptic neuron
B) flow of negatively charged ions out of the neuron
C) flow of positively charged ions into the neuron
D) flow of positively charged ions into the extracellular space
E) None of the above

Question 58

The extracellular recording directly measures _______. (Select all that apply.)

A) the flow of positive ions into the neuron
B) the flow of negative ions out of the neuron
C) positive ions leaving the field surrounding the electrode
D) positive ions leaving the neuron
E) None of the above

Question 59

Which statement(s) is/are true? (Select all that apply.)

A) The warehouse view memory is generally accepted.
B) Hebb's cell assembly view of memory is generally accepted.
C) When one cell (A) participates in firing another cell (B), the ease with which A can fire B will decrease.
D) Memories are stored in many brain regions.
E) None of the above

Question 60

When a neuron hyperpolarizes, the _______. (Select all that apply.)

A) intracellular fluid becomes more negatively charged
B) likelihood of an action potential increases
C) likelihood of an action potential decreases
D) membrane potential becomes more positive
E) neuron is damaged

Question 61

Which statement(s) is/are true? (Select all that apply.)

A) Glutamate is a first messenger
B) The inhibitory unit of kinases phosphorylates proteins
C) Second messengers change the state of kinases from inactive to active.
D) Second messengers are proteins
E) Second messengers target phosphatases

Question 62

Which statement(s) describe(s) a second messengers? (Select all that apply.)

A) They are proteins with active and inhibitory domains.
B) They relay signals from receptors on the plasma membrane to target molecules inside the cell.
C) They activate kinases and phosphatases.
D) They counteract the impact of first messengers.
E) They amplify the impact of first messengers.

Question 63

Which statement(s) is/are correct? (Select all that apply.)

A) Translation requires the presence of mRNA
B) Post-translation processes modify existing protein
C) The activation of a kinase would be an example of a post-translation modification.
D) Kinases activate second messengers
E) None of the above.

Question 64

Which statement(s) is/are true? (Select all that apply.)

A) The space between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neuron is empty.
B) The extracellular matrix resides in the postsynaptic neuron.
C) Receptors and scaffolding proteins are located in the post synaptic density.
D) When the post-synaptic neuron depolarizes positive ions enter the cell.
E) When the post-synaptic neuron depolarizes negative ions enter the cell.

Question 65

Which statement(s) about an LTP experiment is/are false? (Select all that apply.)

A) The independent variable is the intensity of the electrode.
B) The dependent variable is the fEPSP.
C) The inducing stimulus is used to establish a baseline.
D) The test stimulus is set to about 35-50% of maximal response.
E) None of the above