Deck 5: Development of the Brain

Question 1

In human embryonic development, the beginning of the brain is evident in the anterior portion of the neural tube by day

A) 1.
B) 10.
C) 22.
D) 60.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

An embryo has an unclosed neural groove and a neural crest. About how old is this embryo, assuming normal development?

A) 18 days
B) 20 days
C) 22 days
D) 24 days

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In human embryonic development, the crests of the neural groove come together to form the

A) ectoderm.
B) neural tube.
C) brain plate.
D) forebrain.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In neurogenesis, cells that give rise to neurons divide in via mitosis, which takes place within the _______ zone inside the neural tube.

A) forebrain
B) midbrain
C) hindbrain
D) ventricular

Question 5

The number of neurons that die during early development is

A) small.
B) close to zero.
C) large.
D) variable from one individual to another.

Question 6

Which component is necessary for apoptosis?

A) Methylation
B) Neurotrophic factors
C) Neurogenesis markers
D) Death genes

Question 7

The particular fate of an undifferentiated cell depends partially upon which factor?

A) The production of progeny cells
B) Cell-cell interactions
C) Neurogenesis
D) Apoptosis

Question 8

Which of the following prevents neurons from undergoing apoptosis?

A) Methylation
B) Neurotrophic factors
C) Neurogenesis markers
D) Death genes

Question 9

The mitotic division of nonneural cells to produce neurons is called

A) synaptogenesis.
B) neurogenesis.
C) apoptosis.
D) differentiation.

Question 10

During development, the process in which one cell affects the differentiation of other neighboring cells is called

A) cell proliferation.
B) cell-cell interaction.
C) cell competition.
D) cell diffusion.

Question 11

Undifferentiated _______ cells, if gathered from embryonic tissue and transplanted into the brain, will differentiate and integrate properly.

A) ventricular
B) apoptotic
C) stem
D) mesodermal

Question 12

In an experiment, a researcher takes undifferentiated cells and places them with cells from a particular brain region. When the undifferentiated cells begin to differentiate, they take on the appropriate identity for that brain region. These formerly undifferentiated cells are

A) target cells.
B) stem cells.
C) glial cells.
D) germ cells.

Question 13

In the adult brain, neurogenesis is evident in the

A) amygdala.
B) extrastriate cortex.
C) hippocampus.
D) basal ganglia.

Question 14

Adult neurogenesis especially affects a region of a brain that would help a person

A) navigate their way home from a friend's house.
B) read a textbook.
C) remain patient when someone is annoying them.
D) recognize their mother.

Question 15

People affected by Fragile X syndrome have a chromosome that is prone to breaking because the DNA at one site is

A) methylated.
B) unstable.
C) increased.
D) reduced.

Question 16

In the human cerebral cortex, the pruning of dendrites and axon terminals occurs last in _______ cortex.

A) auditory
B) visual
C) motor
D) prefrontal

Question 17

In human cerebral cortex, there is a net _______ of synapses from late childhood until _______.

A) loss; midadolescence
B) increase; young adulthood
C) increase; midlife
D) loss; older age

Question 18

Teenagers with the highest IQ show

A) very little cortical thinning.
B) an especially long period of cortical thinning.
C) higher levels of neurotrophic factors.
D) lower levels of neurotrophic factors.

Question 19

The importance of loss of synapses during development is demonstrated in people with _______, a condition in which the normal elimination of synapses after birth does not occur, leading to intellectual disability.

A) PKU
B) fragile X syndrome
C) Parkinson's disease
D) Alzheimer's disease

Question 20

If a child is born with vision impairment that is not repaired within the first 6 months of life, the child will have particular difficulty in recognizing

A) complex scenes.
B) inanimate objects
C) moving objects.
D) faces.

Question 21

A synapse that has a large effect on the postsynaptic cell and thus grows stronger at the expense of synapses that have weaker effects is known as a _______ synapse.

A) Hebbian
B) Hubel
C) dominant
D) neurotrophic

Question 22

Which statement concerning phenylketonuria (PKU) is true?

A) It manifests due to excessive intake of fatty foods.
B) It is interesting to researchers because it does not require an interaction of genes and environment to be expressed.
C) Left untreated, it can cause intellectual disability.
D) For those affected, dietary restrictions are critical later in life.

Question 23

The physical characteristics that make up an individual and constantly change throughout out life are called the individual's

A) genotype.
B) phenotype.
C) clone.
D) epigenome.

Question 24

Which statement provides an example of epigenetics?

A) Mothering style affecting the developing brain
B) Genetic mutations arising every other generation
C) Genetic mutations eliminating maternal behavior
D) Selective breeding of dogs to develop an ultra-aggressive strain

Question 25

Methylation _______ gene expression through _______.

A) facilitates; DNA modification
B) inhibits; DNA modification
C) facilitates; chromosomal deletion
D) inhibits; chromosomal deletion

Question 26

Each senile plaque within the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease contains

A) beta-amyloid.
B) NGF.
C) melanin.
D) neurofibrillary tangles.

Question 27

Cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's patients is most closely correlated with _______ in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

A) clumps of dead neurons
B) increased metabolism
C) neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques
D) patches of degrading axons

Question 28

Neurofibrillary tangles are

A) clumps of dead neurons in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
B) senile plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
C) abnormal whorls of neurofilaments.
D) patches of dead and dying axons.

Question 29

A patient with cognitive symptoms shows cortical atrophy in the frontal, temporal, and parietal brain areas, and a PET scans reveals pronounced reduction of metabolism in posterior parietal cortex and parts of the temporal lobe, among other symptoms. This patient most likely has

A) age-related aging.
B) Parkinson's.
C) Alzheimer's.
D) amnesia.

Question 30

Patients with Alzheimer's disease gradually lose many of the basal forebrain neurons that produce the transmitter

A) dopamine.
B) serotonin.
C) acetylcholine.
D) norepinephrine.

Question 31

In people with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid plaques are found in the _______, cortex, and associated limbic system sites.

A) hippocampus
B) amygdala
C) basal ganglia
D) cerebellum

Question 32

At present, the only way to identify Alzheimer's disease with confidence is through

A) olfactory testing.
B) genetic screening.
C) postmortem examination.
D) MRI.

Question 33

Which of the following can postpone the appearance of Alzheimer's disease?

A) Antidepressant medications
B) A lean body mass
C) Good social supports
D) Adequate amounts of sleep

Question 34

A challenge with treatment for Alzheimer's that involves trying to inhibit the production of beta-amyloid is that

A) it causes an increase in neurofibrillary tangles.
B) it decreases brain metabolism.
C) the enzymes that favor beta-amyloid production have not been identified.
D) it is not known if beta-amyloid production is caused by Alzheimer's or if it is a response to it.

Question 35

The use of _______, which has an affinity for beta-amyloid, means a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer's can now occur prior to death.

A) MRI scans
B) autoradiography
C) immunocytochemistry
D) Pittsburgh Blue dye (PiB)

Question 36

In neural development, after migrating to their appropriate positions, new cells undergo _______.

Question 37

Research indicates that exercising, socializing, and mental stimulation facilitates the growth of new brain neurons in adulthood, which is called brain _______.

Question 38

Synapses that become stronger or weaker depending on their effectiveness in driving their target cell are known as _______ synapses.

Question 39

The critical stage of development during which an organism can be permanently altered by an experience or treatment is called the _______ period.

Question 40

Chemical modification of DNA that does not affect the gene's nucleotide sequence but that makes it less likely to be expressed is called _______.

Question 41

At the cellular level, certain regions of the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's show strange patches termed _______ plaques.

Question 42

Describe the six stages of development of the nervous system.

Question 43

What are neurotrophic factors? Describe the role they play in neural connections to target structures.

Question 44

What is synaptic rearrangement? Explain how numbers of synapses in the human cortex change from birth to adulthood.

Question 45

Which brain areas are affected by light deprivation of one eye during the critical period? What is the effect on cortical neurons?

Question 46

Explain how methylation of genes in the brains of rodents can be affected by experience.

Question 47

What are the structural changes seen in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer's disease?

Question 48

Which recent technique in the diagnoses of Alzheimer's involves of brain imaging using dye? How might this type of imaging be useful for tracking the progression of the disease.

Question 49

Describe the sequence of events in the formation of the human nervous system, from conception to about 25 days of embryonic development.

Question 50

Describe the cellular processes associated with apoptosis.

Question 51

Citing experimental evidence, describe how the synaptic targets of developing neurons regulate cell death.

Question 52

Describe the process of synaptic rearrangement in the developing brain.

Question 53

Write a coherent and informative paragraph incorporating each of the following terms or concepts: proliferation; migration; differentiation; synaptogenesis; apoptosis; synaptic rearrangement

Question 54

Discuss the observations that would likely result from microscopic examination of cortical tissue samples from an Alzheimer's patient.

Question 55

Discuss the various factors influencing age-related impairments in memory.