1
NSC 4319 Final Questions with Answers (100% Correct
Answers)
"reticular theory" of nerve cell communication Answer: each nerve cell
is connected by protoplasmic link
neuron doctrine Answer: - nerve cells are "polarized" to receive and
transmit information and communicate with each other through
specialized contacts
- nerve cells = neurons
- glia cells (neuroglia) = supporting (more numerous than neurons)
- neuronal gap junctions
neuron cell body Answer: - defined by cell's nucleus
- high frequency of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi
apparatuses
how are neurons specialized for long-distance electrical signaling?
Answer: - extensive branching of dendrites that arise from the cell
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,2
body and the presence of a single axon that can extend far beyond cell
body
oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells Answer: form myelin sheath on
CNS (oligodendrocytes) and PNS (Schwann cells)
convergence Answer: dendrite may receive input from several axonal
endings
divergence Answer: axon may subdivide into complex distributions,
forming many collateral branches
function of glial cells Answer: - do not participate directly in synaptic
transmission
- interact with pre/post-synaptic domains to define synaptic contacts
and with their axons to maintain signaling capacity
- maintains ionic milieu of nerve cells
- modulated nerve signal propagation (myelination)
- modulate synaptic action by controlling uptake and metabolism of
NTs at or near synaptic cleft
- provide scaffold for neural development
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,3
- aid in recovery of neural injury
- provide interface between brain and immune system
- facilitate convective flow of interstitial fluid through brain during
sleep (removal of metabolic waste)
astrocytes Answer: - in CNS
- starlike appearance
- maintain appropriate chemical/ionic environment (blood-brain
barrier)
- structural support
- nutritional supply
microglia Answer: - modulate inflammation and influence whether
cells live/die
- scavenge debris
- immune response
- non-neural origin, perhaps macrophages caught in CNS during
development
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, 4
golgi method Answer: silver salts
Nissl method Answer: stains nucleus and other organelles where
DNA/RNA is found (size, density, and distribution of total population
of nerve cells
dye cresyl violet stains Answer: nucleolus
neuropil Answer: regions between nerve cell bodies where most
synaptic connectivity occurs
afferent neurons Answer: carry information to CNS
efferent neurons Answer: carry information away from CNA
how are neurons classified Answer: - size
- shape (pyramidal, purkinje, basket, stellate)
- process (bipolar, multipolar, etc.)
intra-neuronal communication Answer: the AP travels down the
length of the axon away from nerve terminal
© 2025 All rights reserved
NSC 4319 Final Questions with Answers (100% Correct
Answers)
"reticular theory" of nerve cell communication Answer: each nerve cell
is connected by protoplasmic link
neuron doctrine Answer: - nerve cells are "polarized" to receive and
transmit information and communicate with each other through
specialized contacts
- nerve cells = neurons
- glia cells (neuroglia) = supporting (more numerous than neurons)
- neuronal gap junctions
neuron cell body Answer: - defined by cell's nucleus
- high frequency of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi
apparatuses
how are neurons specialized for long-distance electrical signaling?
Answer: - extensive branching of dendrites that arise from the cell
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
body and the presence of a single axon that can extend far beyond cell
body
oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells Answer: form myelin sheath on
CNS (oligodendrocytes) and PNS (Schwann cells)
convergence Answer: dendrite may receive input from several axonal
endings
divergence Answer: axon may subdivide into complex distributions,
forming many collateral branches
function of glial cells Answer: - do not participate directly in synaptic
transmission
- interact with pre/post-synaptic domains to define synaptic contacts
and with their axons to maintain signaling capacity
- maintains ionic milieu of nerve cells
- modulated nerve signal propagation (myelination)
- modulate synaptic action by controlling uptake and metabolism of
NTs at or near synaptic cleft
- provide scaffold for neural development
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
- aid in recovery of neural injury
- provide interface between brain and immune system
- facilitate convective flow of interstitial fluid through brain during
sleep (removal of metabolic waste)
astrocytes Answer: - in CNS
- starlike appearance
- maintain appropriate chemical/ionic environment (blood-brain
barrier)
- structural support
- nutritional supply
microglia Answer: - modulate inflammation and influence whether
cells live/die
- scavenge debris
- immune response
- non-neural origin, perhaps macrophages caught in CNS during
development
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
golgi method Answer: silver salts
Nissl method Answer: stains nucleus and other organelles where
DNA/RNA is found (size, density, and distribution of total population
of nerve cells
dye cresyl violet stains Answer: nucleolus
neuropil Answer: regions between nerve cell bodies where most
synaptic connectivity occurs
afferent neurons Answer: carry information to CNS
efferent neurons Answer: carry information away from CNA
how are neurons classified Answer: - size
- shape (pyramidal, purkinje, basket, stellate)
- process (bipolar, multipolar, etc.)
intra-neuronal communication Answer: the AP travels down the
length of the axon away from nerve terminal
© 2025 All rights reserved
