Neuroscience Core Concepts-THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF NEUROSCIENCE
The Nervous System Controls and Responds to Body Functions and Directs Behavior
1-The brain is the body's most complex organ.
A There are a hundred billion neurons in the human brain, all of which are in use.
B Each neuron communicates with many other neurons to form circuits and share information.
C Proper nervous system function involves coordinated action of neurons in many brain regions.
D The nervous system influences and is influenced by all other body systems (e.g., cardiovascular, endocrine,
gastrointestinal and immune systems).
E Humans have a complex nervous system that evolved from a simpler one.
F This complex organ can malfunction in many ways, leading to disorders that have an enormous social and economic
impact.
2-Neurons communicate using both electrical and chemical signals.
A Sensory stimuli are converted to electrical signals.
B Action potentials are electrical signals carried along neurons.
C Synapses are chemical or electrical junctions that allow electrical signals to pass from neurons to other cells.
D Electrical signals in muscles cause contraction and movement.
E Changes in the amount of activity at a synapses can enhance or reduce its function.
F Communication between neurons is strengthened or weakened by an individual's activities, such as exercise, stress,
and drug use.
G All perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors result from combinations of signals among neurons.
The Nervous System Structure & Function are Determined by Both Genes & Environment
Throughout Life
3-Genetically determined circuits are the foundation of the nervous system.
A Neuronal circuits are formed by genetic programs during embryonic development and modified through interactions
with the internal and external environment.
B Sensory circuits (sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste) bring information to the nervous system, whereas motor circuits
send information to muscles and glands.
C The simplest circuit is a reflex, in which sensory stimulus directly triggers an immediate motor response.
D Complex responses occur when the brain integrates information from many brain circuits to generate a response.
E Simple and complex interactions among neurons take place on time scales ranging from milliseconds to months.
F The brain is organized to recognize sensations, initiate behaviors, and store and access memories that can last a
lifetime.
4-Life experiences change the nervous system.
A Differences in genes and environments make the brain of each animal unique.
B Most neurons are generated early in development and survive for life.
C Some injuries harm nerve cells, but the brain often recovers from stress, damage, or disease.
D Continuously challenging the brain with physical and mental activity helps maintain its structure and function - "use it
or lose it."
E Peripheral neurons have greater ability to regrow after injury than neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
F Neuronal death is a natural part of development and aging.
G Some neurons continue to be generated throughout life and their production is regulated by hormones and
experience.
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The Brain is the Foundation of the Mind
5-Intelligence arises as the brain reasons, plans, and solves problems.
A The brain makes sense of the world by using all available information, including senses, emotions, instincts, and
remembered experiences.
B Emotions are based on value judgments made by our brains and are manifested by feelings as basic as love and anger
and as complex as empathy and hate.
C The brain learns from experiences and makes predictions about best actions in response to present and future
challenges.
D Consciousness depends on normal activity of the brain.
6-The brain makes it possible to communicate knowledge through language.
A Languages are acquired early in development and facilitate information exchange and creative thought.
B Communication can create and solve many of the most pressing problems humankind faces.
Research Leads To Understanding that Is Essential for Development of Therapies for Nervous
System Disorders
7-The human brain endows us with a natural curiosity to understand how the world works.
A The nervous system can be studied at many levels, from complex behaviors such as speech or learning, to the
interactions among individual molecules.
B Research can ultimately inform us about mind, intelligence, imagination, and consciousness.
C Curiosity leads us to unexpected but surprising discoveries that can benefit humanity.
8-Fundamental discoveries promote healthy living and treatment of disease.
A Experiments on animals play a central role in providing insights about the human brain and in helping to make healthy
lifestyle choices, prevent disease, and find cures for disorders.
B Research on humans is an essential final step before new treatments are introduced to prevent or cure disorders.
C Neuroscience research has formed the basis for significant progress in treating a large number of disorders.
D Finding cures for disorders of the nervous system is a social imperative.
