Neuroscience Practice Questions and Answers

genomics focuses on the analysis of complete DNA sequences, both coding and regulatory. gap junctions intercellular continuities between neurons that allow for cytoplasmic continuity and the direct transfer of electrical and chemical signals between cells in the nervous system dendrites the primary targets for synaptic input from the axon terminals of other neurons and are distinguished by their high content of ribosomes, as well as by specific cytoskeletal proteins synaptic cleft an interval of extracellular space between pre and postsynaptic elements purpose of nerve cells to relay and integrate information from other neurons in a neural circuit axon portion of the nerve cell specialized for relaying electrical signals action potential an all or nothing change in electrical potential (voltage) across the nerve cell membrane that conveys info from one point or another to the nervous system. synaptic transmission the chemical and electrical processes by which the info encoded by action potential is passed on at synaptic contacts to a target cell synaptic vesicles secretory organelles in the presynaptic terminal of chemical synapses. releases is regulated by a number of proteins either within or associated with the vesicle