Important terms and exam questions to study for Neurosciences, Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam (AB_1200)
Study these well, and you will be guaranteed a good grade on your exam! Make sure to
study the anatomy well too, that’s not included in this document.
What is the falx cerebri? ---> Thickening of meninges between the hemispheres.
What is the tentorium cerebri? ---> Meningeal portion that separates encephalon
and cerebrum.
What is the function of the frontal lobe? ---> It's the action cortex; executive
functions (decision-making, organization of complex behaviors etc.).
What is the function of the parietal lobe? ---> Language processing, integration
sensory information, spatial awareness, somatosensory processing.
What is the function of the occipital lobe? ---> Visuo-spatial processing, motor
perception.
What is the function of the temporal lobe? ---> Visual memory, relevant input
processing, language comprehension and emotional association.
What is the meninges? ---> These are three connective tissue membranes
covering and protecting the CNS structures.
What are the three layers of the meninges? ---> dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia
mater.
What are the four brain lobes? ---> frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
What is the foramen magnum? ---> The hole in the base of the skull through which
the spinal cord passes.
What are the three categories of fibers in white matter? ---> Association fibers,
commissural fibers, projection fibers.
What is the function of association fibers? ---> Connects cortical regions of the
same hemisphere.
What is the function of commissural fibers? ---> Connects the two hemispheres
(corpus callosum)
, How are the two hemispheres connected? ---> By the corpus callosum.
What is the function of projection fibers? ---> Mainly projects to the spinal cord.
Diencephalon is made up of... ---> Thalamus and hypothalamus.
The brain stem is composed of three main parts, what are they? ---> Midbrain,
pons, medulla oblongata.
The central sulcus separates which lobes? ---> Frontal lobe from parietal lobe.
The lateral sulcus separates which lobes? ---> temporal from parietal and frontal
Different types of neurotransmitters will allow the influx of different ions through
______ channels. ---> Ligand-gated
Glutamate is an ______ neurotransmitter ---> excitatory
GABA is an ______ neurotransmitter ---> inhibitory
What is spatial summation? ---> Postsynaptic neuron is stimulated by a large
number of terminals at the same time.
What is temporal summation? ---> Several impulses from one neuron over time.
What determines the resting membrane potential? ---> The concentration
gradients of ions. The permeability of the membrane to ions.
In the PNS, myelin is produced by ______ ---> Schwann cells
In the CNS, myelin is produced by ______ ---> oligodendrocytes
What are voltage-gated channels responsible for? ---> They open or close in
response to changes in membrane potential.
What is the Nernst equation at room temperature? ---> Ex = (58 / z) * log ([X]out /
[X]in)
Where is an action potential generated? ---> Axon hillock
What is the difference between an electrical synapse and a chemical synapse? --->
In an electrical synapse, the plasma membrane of the axon terminal of the
presynaptic cell is in direct contact with the postsynaptic cell, allowing ions to pass
Universiteit Amsterdam (AB_1200)
Study these well, and you will be guaranteed a good grade on your exam! Make sure to
study the anatomy well too, that’s not included in this document.
What is the falx cerebri? ---> Thickening of meninges between the hemispheres.
What is the tentorium cerebri? ---> Meningeal portion that separates encephalon
and cerebrum.
What is the function of the frontal lobe? ---> It's the action cortex; executive
functions (decision-making, organization of complex behaviors etc.).
What is the function of the parietal lobe? ---> Language processing, integration
sensory information, spatial awareness, somatosensory processing.
What is the function of the occipital lobe? ---> Visuo-spatial processing, motor
perception.
What is the function of the temporal lobe? ---> Visual memory, relevant input
processing, language comprehension and emotional association.
What is the meninges? ---> These are three connective tissue membranes
covering and protecting the CNS structures.
What are the three layers of the meninges? ---> dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia
mater.
What are the four brain lobes? ---> frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
What is the foramen magnum? ---> The hole in the base of the skull through which
the spinal cord passes.
What are the three categories of fibers in white matter? ---> Association fibers,
commissural fibers, projection fibers.
What is the function of association fibers? ---> Connects cortical regions of the
same hemisphere.
What is the function of commissural fibers? ---> Connects the two hemispheres
(corpus callosum)
, How are the two hemispheres connected? ---> By the corpus callosum.
What is the function of projection fibers? ---> Mainly projects to the spinal cord.
Diencephalon is made up of... ---> Thalamus and hypothalamus.
The brain stem is composed of three main parts, what are they? ---> Midbrain,
pons, medulla oblongata.
The central sulcus separates which lobes? ---> Frontal lobe from parietal lobe.
The lateral sulcus separates which lobes? ---> temporal from parietal and frontal
Different types of neurotransmitters will allow the influx of different ions through
______ channels. ---> Ligand-gated
Glutamate is an ______ neurotransmitter ---> excitatory
GABA is an ______ neurotransmitter ---> inhibitory
What is spatial summation? ---> Postsynaptic neuron is stimulated by a large
number of terminals at the same time.
What is temporal summation? ---> Several impulses from one neuron over time.
What determines the resting membrane potential? ---> The concentration
gradients of ions. The permeability of the membrane to ions.
In the PNS, myelin is produced by ______ ---> Schwann cells
In the CNS, myelin is produced by ______ ---> oligodendrocytes
What are voltage-gated channels responsible for? ---> They open or close in
response to changes in membrane potential.
What is the Nernst equation at room temperature? ---> Ex = (58 / z) * log ([X]out /
[X]in)
Where is an action potential generated? ---> Axon hillock
What is the difference between an electrical synapse and a chemical synapse? --->
In an electrical synapse, the plasma membrane of the axon terminal of the
presynaptic cell is in direct contact with the postsynaptic cell, allowing ions to pass
