Neuro 3: Neurotransmitters, Receptors, and Synapses

1.

1 point

Which of the following drugs would block the passage of ions through a GABA-a receptor?

Picrotoxin

Steroids

Barbiturates

Ethanol

Benzodiazepine

2.

1 point

Which of the following NTs act on both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors?

ACh

Dopamine

Norepinephrine

All of these

Glutamate

3.

1 point

Which step of the NT cycle is the most common target for CNS drugs and neurotoxins?

Release

Receptor binding

Storage

Inactivation

Synthesis

4.

1 point

Which of the following drugs would enhance the effects of GABA?

Barbiturates

All of these enhance GABA

Anesthetics

Benzodiazepines

Alcohol

5.

1 point

True or False: Synaptic clefts are limited to chemical synapses.

True

False

6.

1 point

Where would you expect to find relatively abundant smooth ER in the neuron?

Presynaptic terminal

Synaptic cleft

Axonal body

Neuronal cell body

Dendritic spines

7.

1 point

Which of the following receptors requires depolarization to remove a Mg++ blockade of the channel?

GABA-a

AMPA

Kainate

NMDA

nACh

8.

1 point

Ion channels are opened by which type of receptor?

Ionotropic receptors

Both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors

Metabotropic receptors

Neither

9.

1 point

Clostridium tetani and clostridium botulinum are two microorganisms which produce toxins that target which component of the nervous signal generation/transmission process?

Neurotransmitter synthesis

Generation of AP

Axonal transport

Post-synaptic receptors

Vesicular release

10.

1 point

Which of the following is NOT true of nACh receptors?

Permeability of Ca++ varies between nACHRs

Requires two ligands

Neuronal nACHRs are structurally diverse

Neuronal nACHRs are slow to desensitize

Neuronal nACHRs activate almost instantaneously

11.

1 point

Which of the following NTs has not been proven to be re-uptaken by the presynaptic terminal?

Dopamine

5-HT

Norepinephrine

Histamine

All of these are re-uptaken by the presynaptic terminal?

12.

1 point

When a post synaptic process is repeatedly stimulated over time by a certain NT, how would you expect the post-synaptic receptor volume to change for that NT?

Decrease

Increase

Stay the same

Varies

13.

1 point

Which of the following NTs would be most likely to mediate communication between neurons?

Opioid peptides

CRF

ACh

Glu

Dopa

14.

1 point

In which nucleus would you be most likely to find NE neurons with signifiant projections?

Locus ceruleus

Medial septal nucleus

Raphe nuclei

Nucleus basalis

Substantia nigra

15.

1 point

SNARE proteins sense which molecule?

Ca++

K+

Cl-

Na+

Mg++

16.

1 point

Which of the following diseases is associated with reduced large-scale synchronization and functional connectivity in the brain?

Fragile X

Epilepsy

Schizophrenia

Huntington's

Alzheimer's

17.

1 point

The three major classes of NTs are amino acids, biogenic amines, and neuropeptides. Which of the following is NOT a biogenic amine?

Epinephrine

Histamine

GABA

Dopamine

5-HT

18.

1 point

Which of the following dendritic spine shapes is responsible for guiding axonal partners to the dendrites?

Thin

Filopodium

Stubby

Mushroom

Cup shaped

19.

1 point

To identify only catecholaminergic neurons, which enzyme would you radio-label?

Phentolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT)

Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH)

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)

Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)

Dopa decarboxylase

20.

1 point

True or False: High levels of alpha-ketoglutarate tend to favor degradation of GABA.

True

False

21.

1 point

Connexin proteins are most common in which type of synapse?

Electrical

Axodendritic

None of these

Axoaxonic

Axosomatic

22.

1 point

Which metabotropic receptor subtype would increase levels of cAMP in the brain?

M2

Alpha-2

D2

mGluR1

Beta-1

23.

1 point

Where do the majority (90%+) of glutamatergic synapses occur?

Dendritic spines

Other pre-synaptic terminals

Dendritic bodies

Cell bodies

Axons

24.

1 point

Axosomatic synapses contain primarily which type of NT receptors?

GABAergic

Histaminergic

Glycinergic

Muscarinic

Glutamatergic

25.

1 point

An increase in the density of dendritic spines is associated with which disease?

Alzheimer's

Fragile X

Epilepsy

Down's syndrome

HIV

26.

1 point

Cocaine and amphetamines interfere with which step of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin action?

Storage

Re-uptake

Receptors

Metabolism

Synthesis

27.

1 point

Which of the following NTs has an intimate connection with glial cells in moderating its action?

Glycine

Acetylcholine

Dopamine

Glutamate

Serotonin

28.

1 point

Which of the following ionotropic receptors is the primary receptor responsible for hyperpolarization in the CNS?

Glycine

NMDA

nACh

GABA-a

none of these

29.

1 point

Place the following steps of the NT cycle in order, starting from production: (e.g. I, II, III, IV)
I: Storage
II: Synthesis
III: Diffusion
IV: Release
V: Reception

II, I, IV, V, III

II, IV, V, I, III

II, V, I, IV, III

II, III, I, IV, V

II, IV, V, II, I

30.

1 point

Sarin gas targets the breakdown of which neurotransmitter?

Epi

ACh

Norepi

Serotonin

Dopa

31.

1 point

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by degeneration in which type of neurons?

Dopaminergic

Adrenergic

Glutamatergic

Cholinergic

GABAergic

32.

1 point

Which of the following clinical conditions is NOT associated with altered serotonin function?

PMS

Migraines

All of these are associated with serotonin

Anorexia

Schizophrenia

33.

1 point

Which of the following ionotropic receptors is most likely to to be phosphorylated intracellularly?

Glycine

GABA-a

nACh

5HT3

AMPA

34.

1 point

In which type of receptor does a component protein span the membrane more times?

Neither protein spans the membrane: they act through 2nd messenger systems

Both span the membrane the same number of times

Metabotropic

Ionotropic

35.

1 point

What is the rate-limiting step in the synthesis of epinephrine?

dopa decarboxylase

tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)

dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH)

phentolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT)

production of SAM cofactor

36.

1 point

Which of the following transmitters are considered inhibitory?

GABA

Glutamate

Histamine

Glycine

Catecholamines

Serotonin

37.

1 point

Choose all of the following which are true of NMDA receptors:

Ca++

Inhibitory

Excitatory

Glycine

Glutamate

Cl-

Na+

38.

1 point

When a single neuron receives the combined influences of many synapses at the same time in order to generate an AP, this is termed...

None of these

Locational summation

Synaptic summation

Temporal summation

Spatial summation

39.

1 point

Which of the following is NOT a criteria that a molecule must fulfill to be a neurotransmitter?

Exogenous injection mimics action

Post-synaptic receptors exist

Ca++ independent release

Mechanisms for termination of its action

Synthesized in the neuron

All of these are criteria

40.

1 point

Where would you expect mitochondria to be noticeably absent in neurons?

Neuronal cell body

Postsynaptic terminal

Presynaptic terminal

Mitochondria are prominent in all of these areas

Axon

41.

1 point

Degeneration of the nigrostriatal system in Parkinson's disease is associated with which NT?

serotonin

norepinephrine

dopamine

GABA

acetylcholine

42.

1 point

Which type of synapse would you expect to be primarily excitatory and have one large connection zone?

Axosynaptic

Axoaxonic

Axospinal

Axosomatic

Axodendritic