NEUROBIOLOGY EXAM 1 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Define Trepanation. - Correct Answers -Boring holes into the skull in an attempt to cure
cranial illnesses. Skulls found originating from 7000 years ago bear healed trepanation
holes, indicating that the procedure was carried out on live subjects, who survived the
surgeries.
Who discovered the ventricles? - Correct Answers -Galen
What role was attributed to the ventricles of the body? - Correct Answers -Since the
ventricles were filled with fluid, Galen concluded that sensations were registered and
movements initiated by the movement of the humors to or from the brain ventricles.
Describe how function was attributed to the white matter in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Correct Answers -Because white matter was anatomically continuous with the nerves
of the body, scientists of the 17th and 18th century believed that white matter contained
the fibers that send information to and from the gray matter.
White matter contains myelinated cells; high in fats.
What was Bell's contribution to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Bell discovered that
cutting the ventral root of the spinal cord resulted in muscle paralysis. He concluded that
the ventral root ganglia controlled motor function.
Bell also determined that the cerebellum was the origin of motor fibers, and that the
cerebrum was the destination of sensory fibers.
What was Magendie's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Magendie
discovered that cutting the dorsal root of the spinal cord causes a loss in sensation. He
concluded that the dorsal root ganglia controlled sensory function.
Describe phrenology. - Correct Answers -The science that correlated the structure of
the head with personality traits, as it was believed that the dimensions of the head
reflect brain surface. (Franz Joseph Gall)
What was Flourens' contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Flourens
performed experimental ablations that showed that particular traits are not isolated to
the portions of the cerebrum specified by phrenology.
, What was Broca's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Broca had a
patient who could understand language but could not speak. After the patient's death,
Broca examined his brain and found a lesion in the left frontal lobe. Broca concluded
that this region of the cerebrum was specifically responsible for the production of
speech, and it has been dubbed 'Broca's area'.
What was Fritsch and Hitzig's contribution to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Fritsch
and Hitzig experimented on dogs and found that applying electrical currents to a
circumscribed region of the brain could elicit discrete movements.
What was Ferrier's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Continued Fritsch
and and Hitzig's experiments, showing that removing the same regions of the brain in
monkeys causes paralysis of the same muscles.
What did Herman Munk contribute to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Used ablation
methods to determine that the occipital lobe of the brain was involved in vision.
What did Theodor Schwann contribute to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Cell theory
- all tissues are composed of microscopic units called cells; neurons are the basic unit
of the nervous system.
What is neurophilosophy? - Correct Answers -The idea that there is no separation
between the mind and the brain.
What was Darwin's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Darwin theorized
that species of organisms evolved from a common ancestor, that differences among
species arise through natural selection, and that the nervous systems of different
species may share common mechanisms.
What are the 5 levels of neuroscience analysis? Describe them. - Correct Answers -
Molecular Neuroscience - studying molecules inside of the cell
Cellular Neuroscience - studying extracellular connections and wiring
Systems Neuroscience - studying circuits (movement, vision, etc.)
Behavioral Neuroscience - mood, behavior, drugs, dreams
Cognitive Neuroscience - higher level function, self-awareness, imagination, language
Describe the background required for jobs in clinical neuroscience. - Correct Answers -
Clinical research is mainly conducted by physicians (M.D.s) and involves treating
patients. Associated with neurology (M.D.), psychiatry (M.D.), neurosurgery (M.D.), and
neuropathology (M.D. or Ph.D.)
AND ANSWERS
Define Trepanation. - Correct Answers -Boring holes into the skull in an attempt to cure
cranial illnesses. Skulls found originating from 7000 years ago bear healed trepanation
holes, indicating that the procedure was carried out on live subjects, who survived the
surgeries.
Who discovered the ventricles? - Correct Answers -Galen
What role was attributed to the ventricles of the body? - Correct Answers -Since the
ventricles were filled with fluid, Galen concluded that sensations were registered and
movements initiated by the movement of the humors to or from the brain ventricles.
Describe how function was attributed to the white matter in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Correct Answers -Because white matter was anatomically continuous with the nerves
of the body, scientists of the 17th and 18th century believed that white matter contained
the fibers that send information to and from the gray matter.
White matter contains myelinated cells; high in fats.
What was Bell's contribution to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Bell discovered that
cutting the ventral root of the spinal cord resulted in muscle paralysis. He concluded that
the ventral root ganglia controlled motor function.
Bell also determined that the cerebellum was the origin of motor fibers, and that the
cerebrum was the destination of sensory fibers.
What was Magendie's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Magendie
discovered that cutting the dorsal root of the spinal cord causes a loss in sensation. He
concluded that the dorsal root ganglia controlled sensory function.
Describe phrenology. - Correct Answers -The science that correlated the structure of
the head with personality traits, as it was believed that the dimensions of the head
reflect brain surface. (Franz Joseph Gall)
What was Flourens' contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Flourens
performed experimental ablations that showed that particular traits are not isolated to
the portions of the cerebrum specified by phrenology.
, What was Broca's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Broca had a
patient who could understand language but could not speak. After the patient's death,
Broca examined his brain and found a lesion in the left frontal lobe. Broca concluded
that this region of the cerebrum was specifically responsible for the production of
speech, and it has been dubbed 'Broca's area'.
What was Fritsch and Hitzig's contribution to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Fritsch
and Hitzig experimented on dogs and found that applying electrical currents to a
circumscribed region of the brain could elicit discrete movements.
What was Ferrier's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Continued Fritsch
and and Hitzig's experiments, showing that removing the same regions of the brain in
monkeys causes paralysis of the same muscles.
What did Herman Munk contribute to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Used ablation
methods to determine that the occipital lobe of the brain was involved in vision.
What did Theodor Schwann contribute to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Cell theory
- all tissues are composed of microscopic units called cells; neurons are the basic unit
of the nervous system.
What is neurophilosophy? - Correct Answers -The idea that there is no separation
between the mind and the brain.
What was Darwin's contributions to neuroscience? - Correct Answers -Darwin theorized
that species of organisms evolved from a common ancestor, that differences among
species arise through natural selection, and that the nervous systems of different
species may share common mechanisms.
What are the 5 levels of neuroscience analysis? Describe them. - Correct Answers -
Molecular Neuroscience - studying molecules inside of the cell
Cellular Neuroscience - studying extracellular connections and wiring
Systems Neuroscience - studying circuits (movement, vision, etc.)
Behavioral Neuroscience - mood, behavior, drugs, dreams
Cognitive Neuroscience - higher level function, self-awareness, imagination, language
Describe the background required for jobs in clinical neuroscience. - Correct Answers -
Clinical research is mainly conducted by physicians (M.D.s) and involves treating
patients. Associated with neurology (M.D.), psychiatry (M.D.), neurosurgery (M.D.), and
neuropathology (M.D. or Ph.D.)
