Problem
I. Some people believe that the National Hockey League (NHL) should ban blows to the head and should follow the lead of other organizations, such as Hockey Canada, by creating a zero-tolerance approach to head shots. Neurosurgeons and concussion specialists are strongly in favour of these ideas. Do you think headshots should be banned from hockey at all levels? Explain your reasoning.
II. Differentiate between somatic and autonomic nerves, sensory and motor pathways and sympathetic and parasympathetic responses.
III. Draw and label a typical nerve cell.
IV. Discuss important components that are embedded within neuron membranes.
V. What are Schwann cells, what do they provide the neuron?
VI. What is resting potential and how is it established?
VII. Draw and label an action potential diagram, and indicate what happens in the neuron to allow each part.
VIII. Explain how the action potential propagates along a neuron. Why is the movement unidirectional?
IX. How does myelination (saltatory transmission) affect impulse propagation?
X. What is a neurotransmitter? Explain the concept of summation.
XI. Draw and label the events that result in successful neurotransmission.
XII. What types of actions can pharmaceuticals have on neurotransmission?
XIII. What is a reflex arc? What important type of neuron is involved?
XIV. Briefly explain the structural components of the spinal cord
XV. Label the lobes of the forebrain, the midbrain and hindbrain and indicate main roles for each.
XVI. In multiple sclerosis, myelin is progressively lost from axons and replaced by hardened scar tissue. Explain how degradation of myelin might affect the transmission of nerve impulses.
XVII. One of the most effective methods for scanning the brain is MEG, or magnetoencephalography. Research the advantages and disadvantages of MEG and why it is used in neuroscience.
XVIII. In 1996, a team of researchers from the Institut Pasteur in Paris discovered opiorphin, an endogenous chemical compound, first isolated in saliva, that modulates the half-life of enkephalins. Its discovery opened a new window for the development of natural painkillers. Research opiorphin the write a brief paragraph explaining its potential use as a natural painkiller.
XIX. A mnemonic often used to remember the cranial nerves in the following: On Old Olympus's Towering Tops A French And German Viewed Some Hops. The first letter of each word corresponds to a cranial nerve. Research the names of the 12 cranial nerves and create your own mnemonic to help you remember them.