NEURO 80 MIDTERM STUDY SET
COMPLETE REVIEW WITH PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS |
GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,Golgi Stain Histological method which stains the entire neuron including any neuronal
processes (dendrites and axons) and only labels a small fraction of the population
of cells in a sample
Nissl Stain Histological method that stains the nucleus and surrounding material within a
neuron
Electrophysiology Experimental approach that measures the electrical activity of a living neuron
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) Noninvasive method for visualizing structure of brain by differentiating white
matter (myelinated axons) from gray matter (neuronal cell bodies)
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) Noninvasive method for visualizing changes in blood flow within the brain (brain
areas activated by specific tasks use more oxygen and require increased blood
flow)
Central Dogma DNA --(transcription)--> RNA --(translation)--> Protein
Gene expression particular times and places a gene will be transcribed
Soma - cell body of a neuron which contains the nucleus and where most protein
synthesis occurs and where other organelles (specialized structures) also reside
Cytosol protein rich fluid that fills the cell (referred to as intracellular fluid); contains
potassium rich salt solution
Nucleus double membrane-bound organelle that contains DNA and is the site of
transcription (DNA to mRNA) within the cell
Ribosome small organelle responsible for assembling protein from amino acids according to
the mRNA sequence (translation)
Rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) system of membrane stacks with many ribosomes attached which is responsible
for the synthesis of proteins and is enriched in neurons with long axons compared
to other cell types
Golgi apparatus organelle consisting of many folded membranes and vesicles that is involved int
he secretion and transport of proteins
Mitochondria organelles involved in energy production in which the energy stored in glucose
bonds is broken down to form ATP in oxygen dependent reactions
,Cell membrane Separates cytoplasm from outside and maintains chemical and electrical
differences using ion channels, pumps, and intracellular signaling receptors
Neurite neuronal process or projection that arises form the cell body which is either an
axon or a dendrite
Dendrite type of neurite which is usually branched and shorter than the axons which
receives much of the synaptic input to that neuron
- many dendrites leave soma
- cell's antennae, studded with many synaptic terminals from other neurons' axons
- receptive sites on dendrites known as spines
Dendritic spines small protrusion on a dendrite of some neurons (especially excitatory cells) that
receives a synaptic connection from axon terminals and compartmentalizes the
chemical and electrical signals
Axon long neurite that extends from the soma which lacks rough ER, causing no local
protein synthesis
- No RER
- Few polyribosomes
- No protein synthesis (almost all proteins come from soma)
- Can be very long
- Make up vast majority of neuron's volume
Axoplasmic transport Specialized transport mechanisms allow proteins to diffuse from cell body to
nerve terminals
- Anterograde (towards nerve terminals) and retrograde transport machines
- Material enclosed in vesicles walk along microtubules in the axon
- Motor proteins crawl along microtubules via an ATP-dependent mechanism
Kinesin Anterograde transport motor protein
Dynein Retrograde transport motor protein
Axon caliber Axon diameter
Microtubules cytoskeletal networks that provide structural support and a mechanism for
transport which allow axons to be very long
Anterograde Toward the axon terminal
, Retrograde Toward the cell body
Axon initial segment Site of action potential initiation, close to the origin of the axon
Axon terminal specialized endings of the axon that makes synaptic contacts with other cells
(often with dendrites/spines); presynaptic part of a synapse
- axon typically contains many branches to innervate many postsynaptic cells
- highly specialized presynaptic machinery (vesicles etc.)
Synapse junction, typically between the axon of one cell and a dendrite of another cell,
that permits signals to transfer from a neuron to another cell
Glial cells Several different types of non-neuronal cells in the nervous system, each of which
is specialized for particular functions
- Astrocytes
- Myelinating Glia
- Microglia
Astrocyte Type of glial cell located in the central nervous system which aids in maintaining
the appropriate chemical environment of the brain including formation of the
blood brain barrier and removing chemicals from the extracellular fluid
surrounding synapses
Myelinating Glia (Category of Glial Cells) ensheathe axons to prevent leakage of electrical signals
Oligodendrocyte (Type of myelinating glia) Type of glial cell responsible for myelinating axons within the central nervous
system (brain/spinal chord). A single oligodendrocyte wraps part of its membrane
many times around segments of multiple axons
Schwann cell (Type of myelinating glia) Type of glial cell responsible for myelinating axons within the peripheral nervous
system (nerves). A single Schwann cell wraps itself many times around a single
segment of one axon
COMPLETE REVIEW WITH PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS |
GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers | 100% Verified
Exam Prep and Comprehensive Rationales Included
,Golgi Stain Histological method which stains the entire neuron including any neuronal
processes (dendrites and axons) and only labels a small fraction of the population
of cells in a sample
Nissl Stain Histological method that stains the nucleus and surrounding material within a
neuron
Electrophysiology Experimental approach that measures the electrical activity of a living neuron
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) Noninvasive method for visualizing structure of brain by differentiating white
matter (myelinated axons) from gray matter (neuronal cell bodies)
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) Noninvasive method for visualizing changes in blood flow within the brain (brain
areas activated by specific tasks use more oxygen and require increased blood
flow)
Central Dogma DNA --(transcription)--> RNA --(translation)--> Protein
Gene expression particular times and places a gene will be transcribed
Soma - cell body of a neuron which contains the nucleus and where most protein
synthesis occurs and where other organelles (specialized structures) also reside
Cytosol protein rich fluid that fills the cell (referred to as intracellular fluid); contains
potassium rich salt solution
Nucleus double membrane-bound organelle that contains DNA and is the site of
transcription (DNA to mRNA) within the cell
Ribosome small organelle responsible for assembling protein from amino acids according to
the mRNA sequence (translation)
Rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) system of membrane stacks with many ribosomes attached which is responsible
for the synthesis of proteins and is enriched in neurons with long axons compared
to other cell types
Golgi apparatus organelle consisting of many folded membranes and vesicles that is involved int
he secretion and transport of proteins
Mitochondria organelles involved in energy production in which the energy stored in glucose
bonds is broken down to form ATP in oxygen dependent reactions
,Cell membrane Separates cytoplasm from outside and maintains chemical and electrical
differences using ion channels, pumps, and intracellular signaling receptors
Neurite neuronal process or projection that arises form the cell body which is either an
axon or a dendrite
Dendrite type of neurite which is usually branched and shorter than the axons which
receives much of the synaptic input to that neuron
- many dendrites leave soma
- cell's antennae, studded with many synaptic terminals from other neurons' axons
- receptive sites on dendrites known as spines
Dendritic spines small protrusion on a dendrite of some neurons (especially excitatory cells) that
receives a synaptic connection from axon terminals and compartmentalizes the
chemical and electrical signals
Axon long neurite that extends from the soma which lacks rough ER, causing no local
protein synthesis
- No RER
- Few polyribosomes
- No protein synthesis (almost all proteins come from soma)
- Can be very long
- Make up vast majority of neuron's volume
Axoplasmic transport Specialized transport mechanisms allow proteins to diffuse from cell body to
nerve terminals
- Anterograde (towards nerve terminals) and retrograde transport machines
- Material enclosed in vesicles walk along microtubules in the axon
- Motor proteins crawl along microtubules via an ATP-dependent mechanism
Kinesin Anterograde transport motor protein
Dynein Retrograde transport motor protein
Axon caliber Axon diameter
Microtubules cytoskeletal networks that provide structural support and a mechanism for
transport which allow axons to be very long
Anterograde Toward the axon terminal
, Retrograde Toward the cell body
Axon initial segment Site of action potential initiation, close to the origin of the axon
Axon terminal specialized endings of the axon that makes synaptic contacts with other cells
(often with dendrites/spines); presynaptic part of a synapse
- axon typically contains many branches to innervate many postsynaptic cells
- highly specialized presynaptic machinery (vesicles etc.)
Synapse junction, typically between the axon of one cell and a dendrite of another cell,
that permits signals to transfer from a neuron to another cell
Glial cells Several different types of non-neuronal cells in the nervous system, each of which
is specialized for particular functions
- Astrocytes
- Myelinating Glia
- Microglia
Astrocyte Type of glial cell located in the central nervous system which aids in maintaining
the appropriate chemical environment of the brain including formation of the
blood brain barrier and removing chemicals from the extracellular fluid
surrounding synapses
Myelinating Glia (Category of Glial Cells) ensheathe axons to prevent leakage of electrical signals
Oligodendrocyte (Type of myelinating glia) Type of glial cell responsible for myelinating axons within the central nervous
system (brain/spinal chord). A single oligodendrocyte wraps part of its membrane
many times around segments of multiple axons
Schwann cell (Type of myelinating glia) Type of glial cell responsible for myelinating axons within the peripheral nervous
system (nerves). A single Schwann cell wraps itself many times around a single
segment of one axon
