AP Biology : Understanding Neural Cells
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Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following characteristics represent true features of dendrites?
They connect to the soma
All of these
They are branched projections
They receive electrical signals from other cells
All of these
Dendrites are branched projections of the neuron that receive electrical signals from other cells. The dendrites are connected to the soma—cell body.
Example Question #21 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following are considered to be major neurotransmitters?
Norepinephrine
Dopamine
Epinephrine
All of these
All of these
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals from one neuron to another across the synapse. This transport is conducted through exocytosis and endocytosis of neurotransmitters in vesicles. Common neurotransmitters are norepinephrine, dopamine, epinephrine, and histamine.
Example Question #93 : Types Of Cells And Tissues
Which of the following best describes the synapse?
The junction between two nerve cells
It is a term used to describe the neuron in its entirety
The area of the neuron where the nucleus is located
Myelinated portions of the axon
The junction between two nerve cells
The synapse is the junction between two nerve cells through which neurotransmitters conduct an electrical signal.
Example Question #21 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following can be found in the soma of a neuron?
Nodes of Ranvier
Nucleus and axon hillock
Axon hillock
Nucleus
Nucleus and axon hillock
The soma is the cell body of a neuron. The nucleus and many organelles are located within the soma. The soma has a specialized region called the axon hillock, which is where the soma transitions into the axon.
Example Question #21 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following best represents the specific type of information that afferent neurons transmit?
Information that produces movement
Sensory information
Enable communications between different parts of the nervous system
All of these
Sensory information
Afferent neurons—sensory neurons—transmit sensory information. Sensory information includes stimuli received from sight, sound, and feeling.
Example Question #21 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following describes where motor neuron signals originate and end?
They originate in the brain and end in the spinal cord
They originate in the muscles and end in the spinal cord
They originate in the spinal cord and end in the muscles
They originate in the spinal cord and end in the brain
They originate in the spinal cord and end in the muscles
Motor neurons—efferent neurons—transmit information that produces movement. This signal originates in the spinal cord and terminates in muscles, resulting in movement.
Example Question #22 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following is true regarding interneurons?
They create neural circuits
All of these
They are a part of the central nervous system
There are two types of interneurons: local and relay
All of these
Interneurons are a class of neuron that create neural circuits between sensory neurons, motor neurons, or the central nervous system. Interneurons are components of the central nervous system and can be further categorized into local and relay interneurons.
Example Question #23 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following is not true regarding Schwann cells?
Schwann cells allow for saltatory conduction in the neuron
Nodes of Ranvier are a type of specialized Schwann cell
They are a type of glial cell
Schwann cells form the myelin sheath
Nodes of Ranvier are a type of specialized Schwann cell
Schwann cells are a type of glial cell that wrap around the axon to form the myelin sheath. This insulation allows for saltatory conduction, which increases the speed of signal transmission through the neuron. Gaps between Schwann cell myelination on the axon are called nodes of Ranvier.
Example Question #24 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following distinguishes grey matter from white matter in the central nervous system?
Only white matter is located in the brain
Grey matter is chiefly located in the spinal cord
White matter contains most of the cell bodies in the central nervous system
Grey matter has fewer myelinated axons
Grey matter has fewer myelinated axons
Grey matter is a part of the central nervous system that contains most of the cell bodies in the system and few myelinated axons. Grey matter is located in both the brain and spinal cord. Among other things, it is involved in muscle control, sensory perception, emotions, and self-control.
Example Question #25 : Understanding Neural Cells
Which of the following represents the primary features of white matter in the central nervous system?
All of these
White matter is located in the deep parts of the brain and superficial spinal cord
It contains myelinated axons
The white color comes from the fatty myelin around the axons
All of these
White matter is a component of the central nervous system that contains myelinated axons and is located in the deep parts of the brain and superficial spinal cord. The term “white” matter comes from the white color of the area due to the fatty myelin that surrounds the axons. White matter is involved in communication between the gray matter and other parts of the central nervous system.
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