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Last Revised: February 12, 2008. Please keep in mind that lecture content changes from year to year. Thus, these questions may not fully reflect this semester's lectures. Representative Essay and Short Answer Questions. 1. Graph. Below is a diagram of
a representative action potential. Using this diagram as a template
carefully draw any change(s) which would occur in the structure of the
action potential after adding ouabain, a drug that completely blocks
the Na+/K+ ATPase pump. 
2. Graph. Norepinephrine (NE) is a neurotransmitter which acts through the cAMP second messenger system. First, diagram and label the specifics of this pathway from the site of NE action to the resulting cellular response X (e.g., increased heart rate). Include all steps. Second, show on the diagram at what point propranolol, a NE antagonist, would act. Given your diagram, briefly explain how this antagonist would have its effect. 3. Thought Question. Tetrodotoxin
(TTX) * is a potent neurotoxin which blocks
voltage-gated Na+ channels in the axon. 1) In the presence of TTX can
a nerve generate an action potential after stimulating the trigger zone
with an above threshold stimulus? 2) If you locally apply TTX to a node
of Ranier midway along the axon and then stimulate the trigger zone,
what would happen? Explain both answers. You must use correct neurophysiological
terminology for full credit. 4. Completion. A hormone activates cellular machinery through a very specific sequence of events. One such sequence is listed below, but it is jumbled. Organize the terms (A-E) in correct order (that is, place the appropriate letter between the arrows), starting at hormone on the far left. One term is not used. A. cyclic AMP Neurotransmitter -> -> -> -> -> -> a Cellular Event5. Short Answer. How does secretion of neurotransmitter occur? Also, explain the roles of the action potential and Ca++ in secretion of neurotransmitter. 6. Define and give the physiological significance
(how or why it is important) for 4 of the following 5 terms: 7. Completion. Which brain region (or
regions) is responsible for the following actions: 8. Fill in the Blank. Using the following list of
brain structures, fill in the following statements on brain function. In mammals, visual input is point-to-point mapped onto the primary visual cortex as well as on to the ________ in the midbrain. In frogs and snakes visual input is point-to-point mapped onto a similar structure, called the ________. The ________ in the brain contains a number of “centers” responsible for involuntary reflexes, such as vomiting, breathing, and swallowing. Sleepiness and alertness are in part regulated by the reticular activating system (RAS) which is present throughout the ________ (Be inclusive!). “Centers” regulating reproduction, body temperature, salt concentration in the blood, and daily timers are all found in a brain area called the ________. 9. Graph. You place a recording electrode in the dendrite of a postsynaptic neuron. You want to determine the effect of the neurotransmitter, GABA, on the postsynaptic potential of this dendrite. Graph the change in the post-synaptic potential following administration of three increasing doses of GABA [The Y axis is change in postsynaptic membrane potential; X axis would be the three doses of GABA.] Label the axes and briefly explain why you would expect these results. 10. Matching.
11. Essay. You are invited by
the National Science Foundation to attend a scientific meeting to set
the course of funding for basic research in neurobiology for the next
decade (that is, no human studies or applied research on diseases of
the nervous system). You are asked by the panel to present one specific
area in neurobiology that needs further investigation—indeed is critical
for development of the field. Your presentation should include: 1) a
brief background on what we currently know about the subject; 2) identification
of a key research topic where more needs to be known; and 3) a justification
of why additional knowledge in this area is critical for advancing neurobiology
(that is, why investigations in this area are especially important).
You are not being asked to provide the methods or experiments that might
be used to address the problem--only the concept. Hint: You can use
the information and examples presented in the movies to identify a central
need, but the concept that you develop has to be in the area of basic
research.
12. Short Answer. Schizophrenia is believed caused
elevated catecholamine levels (Norepinephrine and Dopamine) in certain
brain areas. You have recently discovered a new drug that depresses
catecholamine action in these brain areas. You now want to understand
the precise action of this drug, but there are a number of possibilities.
In your answer: 1) Provide 3 mechanisms operating at the presynaptic
cell which could lower catecholamine levels in the synapse and 2) provide
3 mechanisms operating at the level of the synapse or at the postsynaptic
membrane which could lower catecholamine action. Briefly explain each
mechanism and, when possible, give an example of a drug which acts in
this manner. The drug does not have to be specifically for catecholamines.
1. Calculate the Equilibrium Potential
(E) for Calcium ion across the plasma membrane at rest where the concentration
for Ca++ is [Ca++]0ut = 11.0 mM and [Ca++]In = 0.1 mM. 2. The resting membrane potential has a positive
charge on the outside of the membrane. The most important contributor
to this positive charge is the __________. 3. During the action potential the Na+ channels
are all closed at about ______ mV. 4. Which of the following is considered carrier-mediated
transport of solute? 5. Which of the following functions does not
use a "lock and key" association. 6. If you wanted to identify the presence of a
specific protein receptor in the post-synaptic membrane of a nerve cell,
which of the following techniques would yield the best results? 7. During the down swing of the action potential
(going from +30 mV down to -80 mV) __________ 8. All of the following are true for an action
potential (AP), except 10. Which of the following is not
important in saltatory conduction of the action potential along a motor
axon 11. The resting membrane potential has a negative
charge inside the membrane because 12. The limbic system is involved in which of the
following 13. The hypothalamus is involved in which of the
following 14. Which of the following solutes has the greatest
diffusion coefficient? 15. If the heritability for a behavior is 0.9,
you could argue that
Representative Essay and Short Answer Questions. 1. Short Answer. If you plug the left ear of a insectivorous bat which uses echolocation to find its prey, what specific changes might you notice in its ability to find and capture prey (e.g. changes in estimating distance to target, size of prey, etc.). Explain your reasoning. Note: There may be more than one effect. 2. Short Answer. Explain how the superior colliculus and inferior colliculus in the midbrain work together to integrate multisensory inputs as well as coordinate motor responses. 3. Essay. Answer the following
question. Use correct physiological terminology for full credit. Remember
that there is no set answer for this question, but be sure to include
the following guidelines.
4. Short Answer. Compare and contrast the anatomical and functional characteristics of the retinotopic map in the visual (=striate) cortex and the tonotopic map in the auditory cortex of mammals. Just hit the main points! 5. Short Answer. If all of the Ca++ stores within the muscle fiber are absorbed (=made unavailable to the muscle cell) by adding a chemical known as EDTA, what should happen to muscle contraction? Explain the molecular basis for why this outcome would be expected. Assume that an action potential has stimulated the muscle fiber. 6. Short Answer. Answer the following two questions: a. Give two different lines of experimental evidence that the ventral medial nucleus is involved in female sexual behavior. b. Give two different lines of experimental evidence that the medial preoptic area is involved in male sexual behavior. 7. Completion. Give one experimental
method that you might employ to address the following 3 statements.
Briefly defend your choice. 7. Completion. Acetylcholine secreted at the neuromuscular junction generates a(n) _______________ potential on the muscle cell. If an action potential occurs, it passes from the surface of the muscle cell to the interior of the cell via a special organelle called the ________________. The ultimate function of the action potential within the muscle cell is to release _______________ which is stored within a membranous organelle found only in the muscle cell. This membranous organelle is called the _______________. The actual contractile process in skeletal muscle involves the sliding of two proteins, called ________________ and ________________. To accomplish contraction, however, energy is needed. This energy comes from the breakdown of ________________. 8. Short Answer. Given your understanding of visual processing in the brain, is it likely that a single visual image, such as the face of your mother, resides in a single cell in the extrastriate cortex of the occipital lobe? Briefly explain your reasoning and defend your position.
Representative Multiple Choice Questions (No more than 33% of the points will be multiple choice).
1. Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) stimulates secretion of
2. All of the following are involved in male sexual differentiation
during early development, except
3. Which of the following is sensitive to the color wavelengths of
light
4. Which of the following is associated with sensing sound frequency
and loudness?
Use the following key to answer Questions 5 and 6: 5. Actions are involuntary (you have no control over them) and often regulate homeostatic processes. 6. Responsible for execution of most behaviors, such as filling in the answers to this exam or looking up to view the front screen.
7. Which of the following is the neurotransmitter at the
neuro-muscular junction (=end plate)
8. The _________ cells are responsible for lateral inhibition in
the retina
9. A tonotopic map for sound frequency exists in the __________ lobe of mammalian cerebrum
10. Retinal afferents first synapse at the __________.
11. If you blocked transducin (the G-protein complex) in the
rods of the retina which of the following phenomena would
persist?
12. Which of the following statements on cochlear function is
accurate?
13. All of the following statements on the auditory and
vestibular systems in the ear are true, except
14. All of the following statements about the vomeronasal organ are true, except
15. The function of the glomeruli in the olfactory epithelium is
16. Which of the following is not involved in successful homing of pigeons
17. The barn owl perceives loudness of a sound using
18. All of the following are true of Motor Pattern Generators (MPG's), except
--> Representative Essay and Short Answer Questions. 1. Short Answer. Briefly describe and evaluate the experimental evidence that the SCN is an important neural clock in mammals. In the second part of your answer propose what you think is the most important next step to understand SCN function as a neural pacemaker. Defend your choice and provide a brief experimental approach as to how you would address the problem. 2. Short Answer. Explain the essential elements of how the Drosophilia molecular clock works. Given your general knowledge of clock properties, what do you see as the next important question to address regarding this molecular model? Defend your position. In general terms, how would you experimentally address the question? 3. Short Answer. Discuss the properties of a circannual rhythm. Provide examples of how circannual rhythms are important in biological systems. Evaluate our current understanding of these rhythms as well as what we do not know about them. Finally, suggest a future area of research and defend your answer. 4. Short Answer. What is the experimental evidence that seasonal photoperiodism in mammals is circadian-based? 5. Short Answer. What is the experimental evidence that the pineal gland in birds functions as an endogeneous circadian clock? 6. Define and give the physiological
significance (how or why it is important) for 4 of the following 5 terms 7. Data Interpretation. In 1965, Reiter and Hoffman published the following study on pineal gland function. They pinealectomized (pinx) one group of adult Syrian hamsters (=a long day breeder that is photoperiod sensitive) and sham-operated another group. At the beginning of the study all hamsters had large testes. Each of these two treatments was then subdivided and placed under either a long day photoperiod (LD16:8) or short day photoperiod (LD1:23). After 6 weeks they weighed the testes and reported the following results:
8. Short Answer. What experimental evidence suggests that bird song is to some extent learned behavior? 9. Completion. Long term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus is a neuronal model for learning. LTP occurs in the pyramidal cell in the CA1 region. The neurotransmitter involved at this synapse is _______________. This neurotransmitter acts on the ______________ receptor to permit inward flow of Na+. This neurotransmitter also acts on the _____________ receptor to permit inward flow of Ca++. Ca++ then activates a number of positive feedback loops. One of these feedback loops stimulates the release of a gaseous neurotransmitter, called _______________, which then stimulates release of additional neurotransmitter from the presynaptic cell. The strengthening of a synapse following LTP occurs when additional ____________ (be specific here) are inserted into the membrane of the dendritic spines. 10. Completion. Provide a specific behavior for each answer. Note: Do not use a general descriptor, such “changes perception” when the answer is “can no longer perceive visual cues.” Be sure to identify whether the behavior is lost or gained as a result of the treatment. All of the following statements have more than one correct answer, but one answer is sufficient for full credit. a. Give one behavior that would be affected by
lesioning the entire Periaqueductal gray (PAG) in the midbrain: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. All of the following are true of long term depression (LTD), except
2. All of the following are involved with mammalian photoperiodism except the
3. The Aschoff Effect states that
4. A phase response curve (PRC) best describes
5. All of the following neuropeptides regulate food intake, except
6. The onset of a hibernation bout is similar to the onset of
7. Which of the following exhibits clock properties in birds?
8. In general, seasonal reproduction in various avian and mammalian species is usually regulated by one of the following factors, but not
9. Birds navigate using one of the following cues, except:
10. The critical feature of pineal gland function that causes short-day-induced gonadal regression in rodents is:
11. Orexin is a neuropeptide which
12. Which of the following comments about dominance hierarchies is
inaccurate?
13. The increase in synaptic strength following LTP is due to
14. The sensory phase of bird song learning occurs
15. The source of Leptin is __________.
16. Biological clocks are involved in all of the following events, except
Final Exam
Representative Essay and Short Answer Questions. 1. Essay. In Syrian hamsters the
female is more aggressive and territorial than the male. She uses flank
marking behavior to establish dominance and to mark territorial boundries.
You are studying this behavior in female hamsters and have already determined
that juvenile females and ovariectomized adults do not exhibit the flank
marking. Further, others have established that Vasopressin (=Antidiuretic
Hormone, ADH), a neuropeptide of the Paraventricular Nucleus, is necessary
for expression of flank marking. You decide to address how sex steroids
and Vasopressin together might regulate this behavior. What would you
do to address this question? In your answer provide 1) the rationale
behind the experiment, 2) briefly explain the design and methods you
would use with appropriate controls, and 3) the results you might expect.
2. Essay. The pioneer studies of Broca established for the first time that the brain is precisely organized. Recent studies on sensory systems have clearly confirmed this conclusion. Pick one sensory system and describe how sensory input is coded by the brain. Include all of the major brain structures involved.
b. Raphé nuclei c. Superior colliculus d. Periaqueductal gray (PAG) e. Prefrontal cortex f. Striatum (=Caudate nucleus and Putamen) g. Medial geniculate nucleus h. Hippocampus
You are interested in knowing which brain area controls lordosis behavior in female rats and if this area is Estrogen sensitive. First, you want to determine which general brain areas are active following an acute injection of estrogen. To identify these areas you would use a non-invasive technique called ___________________________. You then want to determine if this putative area is involved in lordosis by eliminating its function. You could use __________________________ to eliminate function. Another important question would be to determine if the neurons at this site have estrogen receptors. You could use ___________________________ to identify the receptor. Once the receptors are identified, you could determine how estrogen activates gene expression at this site by using _____________________________. Finally, you want to learn about the projections of these neurons to other brain areas. To identify these projections you would use _____________________________. 10. Completion. a. In mammals, a biological clock resides an area of the brain called the ___________________________. b. Almost all sensory input reaches the cerebral cortex by first passing through a brain area in the diencephalon called the _________________________. c. Regulation of an animal’s breathing rhythm, cardiovascular system, and sleep-wake cycle are all found the _________________________ (a major subdivision of the brain). d. Endogenous opiates associated with analgesia (=pain relief) are present in the __________________________ (a specific brain area). e. The ganglion cells of the retina project to the _______________________ (a specific structure) in the brain. f. List three types of learning (remember learning is different from memory).a. b. c. 
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