OCCTH 585 Midterm 1 Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
evidence for a plastic brain - ✔✔- learning and memory
- skill acquisition
- development
- aging
- injury and disease
- recovery
neuron - ✔✔cell that allows transmission of information
dendrites - ✔✔collects/receives information from other sources
cell body - ✔✔integrates incoming signals and generates outgoing signal to the axon;
powerhouse of the cell
axon - ✔✔passes electrical signals (action potential) to dendrites of another cell or to an
effector cell
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,synaptic bouton - ✔✔a specialized area within the axon of the presynaptic cell that
contains neurotransmitters enclosed in small membrane-bound spheres called synaptic
vesicles
information flow through neurons - ✔✔dendrites receive information, cell body
integrates and generates outgoing signal, information is summated at the axon hillock,
axon carries action potential to synaptic bouton, synaptic bouton releases
neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft where they diffuse across and interact with the
post-synaptic cell (neuron or effector cell)
EPSP - ✔✔excitatory post synaptic potential- closer to an action potential, depolarizing
IPSP - ✔✔inhibitory post synaptic potential - further from an action potential,
polarizing
action potential - ✔✔the all-or-none electrical signal that travels down a neuron's axon -
result of the spatial/temporal summation of EPSPs and IPSPs
neuroplasticity - ✔✔- change in the properties of neurotransmission
- change in cell properties
- structural/anatomical changes of cells
change in properties of neurotransmission - ✔✔- change in NT release
- change in post-synaptic potential size/shape
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
,change in cell properties - ✔✔- size and shape
- electrical properties (resistance)
- leakiness
structural/anatomical changes of cells - ✔✔- re-growth of parts of the nervous system
(not there yet)
- growth of axons, dendrites, axonal collateral
unmasking - ✔✔immediate, exposure of pre-existing synapses resulting in functional
changes - synapses were always there, but may not of been functionally recognized
dendritic pruning - ✔✔retraction of unused bits (ex. dendritic spines/branches),
resulting in a loss in real estate and a decrease in energy expenditure - after un-masking
occurs, dendrites will wait for input, but it they don't receive any this process will take
place resulting in a reduction in cell volume impacting cell function
collateral sprouting - ✔✔growth of new bits (axon branches), requiring time, to fill
vacancies on dendrites/target - process is activity dependent and produces functional
changes
how is growth is activity dependent? - ✔✔target cells send out signals for other cells to
grow towards them - the only way for a cell to grow towards the target cell is if it is also
active:
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
, - active cells release NT and then "scoop" in excess NT - with this, they will bring in
chemicals from the target cell (neurotrophins/chemoattractants), attracting cell to grow
towards target
- dendritic spines release neurotrophins to stabalize the synapse - if the input cell dies,
the neurotrophins release into environment, attacting cells to fill in vacant space
can we stimulate collateral sprouting? - ✔✔yes, via high frequency and intensity
stimulation - tells the nervous system the input is important, because we are receiving a
lot of stimulation - so this drives anatomical and functional changes that support
efficacy of the stimulated system
neurogenesis - ✔✔formation of new neurons
neurogenesis in the mature CNS - ✔✔- dentate gyrus of the hippocampus
- corpus collosum - olfactory bulb
- neural glial cells - astrocytes
mechanism/control of neurogenesis - ✔✔VERY COMPLEX
- Proliferation (if not well controlled = tumours)
- Migration (need to move to intended target, survive hostile environment from
immune system)
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 4
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
evidence for a plastic brain - ✔✔- learning and memory
- skill acquisition
- development
- aging
- injury and disease
- recovery
neuron - ✔✔cell that allows transmission of information
dendrites - ✔✔collects/receives information from other sources
cell body - ✔✔integrates incoming signals and generates outgoing signal to the axon;
powerhouse of the cell
axon - ✔✔passes electrical signals (action potential) to dendrites of another cell or to an
effector cell
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,synaptic bouton - ✔✔a specialized area within the axon of the presynaptic cell that
contains neurotransmitters enclosed in small membrane-bound spheres called synaptic
vesicles
information flow through neurons - ✔✔dendrites receive information, cell body
integrates and generates outgoing signal, information is summated at the axon hillock,
axon carries action potential to synaptic bouton, synaptic bouton releases
neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft where they diffuse across and interact with the
post-synaptic cell (neuron or effector cell)
EPSP - ✔✔excitatory post synaptic potential- closer to an action potential, depolarizing
IPSP - ✔✔inhibitory post synaptic potential - further from an action potential,
polarizing
action potential - ✔✔the all-or-none electrical signal that travels down a neuron's axon -
result of the spatial/temporal summation of EPSPs and IPSPs
neuroplasticity - ✔✔- change in the properties of neurotransmission
- change in cell properties
- structural/anatomical changes of cells
change in properties of neurotransmission - ✔✔- change in NT release
- change in post-synaptic potential size/shape
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
,change in cell properties - ✔✔- size and shape
- electrical properties (resistance)
- leakiness
structural/anatomical changes of cells - ✔✔- re-growth of parts of the nervous system
(not there yet)
- growth of axons, dendrites, axonal collateral
unmasking - ✔✔immediate, exposure of pre-existing synapses resulting in functional
changes - synapses were always there, but may not of been functionally recognized
dendritic pruning - ✔✔retraction of unused bits (ex. dendritic spines/branches),
resulting in a loss in real estate and a decrease in energy expenditure - after un-masking
occurs, dendrites will wait for input, but it they don't receive any this process will take
place resulting in a reduction in cell volume impacting cell function
collateral sprouting - ✔✔growth of new bits (axon branches), requiring time, to fill
vacancies on dendrites/target - process is activity dependent and produces functional
changes
how is growth is activity dependent? - ✔✔target cells send out signals for other cells to
grow towards them - the only way for a cell to grow towards the target cell is if it is also
active:
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
, - active cells release NT and then "scoop" in excess NT - with this, they will bring in
chemicals from the target cell (neurotrophins/chemoattractants), attracting cell to grow
towards target
- dendritic spines release neurotrophins to stabalize the synapse - if the input cell dies,
the neurotrophins release into environment, attacting cells to fill in vacant space
can we stimulate collateral sprouting? - ✔✔yes, via high frequency and intensity
stimulation - tells the nervous system the input is important, because we are receiving a
lot of stimulation - so this drives anatomical and functional changes that support
efficacy of the stimulated system
neurogenesis - ✔✔formation of new neurons
neurogenesis in the mature CNS - ✔✔- dentate gyrus of the hippocampus
- corpus collosum - olfactory bulb
- neural glial cells - astrocytes
mechanism/control of neurogenesis - ✔✔VERY COMPLEX
- Proliferation (if not well controlled = tumours)
- Migration (need to move to intended target, survive hostile environment from
immune system)
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 4
