Latest Nervous system MCQ Objective Questions
Nervous system Question 1:
When will nerve fibers NOT be stimulated?
- During the absoluterefractory period
- During therefractory period
- During theresting period
- None of the above
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 1 : During the absoluterefractory period
Nervous system Question 1 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- An action potential is the mechanism by which a neuron sends an electrical signal across its length.
- It is essentially a brief, transient reversal in the neuron's membrane potential, and it involves several phases – including depolarization, repolarization, and hyperpolarization.
- Within the process of an action potential, there are two refractory periods: the absolute refractory period and the relative refractory period.
- The absolute refractory period is a time period during which a second action potential absolutely cannot be initiated, no matter how large a stimulus is applied.
- This is due to the inactivation of the sodium channels, which had opened for the initial action potential.
- Typically this lasts for about 1-2 milliseconds following the start of the action potential.
- The absolute refractory period plays acrucial role in preventing the backward propagation of action potentials and ensures that action potentials are discrete units that maintain a directional flow from the neuron's body to the axon terminal.
- After the absolute refractory period, there is the relative refractory period during which a neuron can only respond to a stronger-than-normal stimulus. This is because the neuron is re-establishing its resting membrane potential (repolarizing).
Explanation
- During the absolute refractory period, a nerve fiber cannot be stimulated to generate another action potential, regardless of the strength of the stimulus.
- This period happens immediately following the generation of an action potential and is crucial for ensuring the unidirectional propagation of action potentials along nerve fibers. It also allows for the segregation of individual signals in rapidly firing neurons.
Hence the correct answer is option 1
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Nervous system Question 2:
The conduction velocity of action potential in a myelinated nerve fiber will be:
- much slower than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
- much greater than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
- much greater than that of an myelinated fiber of the different diameter
- much slower than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2 : much greater than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
Nervous system Question 2 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- An action potential is an electrical impulse that travels down the neuron, moving from the cell body toward the axonal termini.
- This action potential allows neurons to communicate with each other, essentially transmitting information across the nervous system.
- The speed at which this action potential travels, or its "conduction velocity", can be influenced by various factors.
- Two major factors are whether the neuron is myelinated or unmyelinated and the diameter of the neuron.
- Myelin is a fatty substance that wraps around the axon of some neurons.
- It serves as an insulator and increases the speed of the action potential.
- In myelinated neurons, action potentials don't propagate continuously along the nerve fiber but jump from one node of Ranvier (small exposed sections of the nerve fiber where there is no myelin) to the next.
- This phenomenon is known as "saltatory conduction".
- The presence of myelin allows for faster conduction speeds as compared to unmyelinated fibers.
- On the other hand, unmyelinated nerve fibers conduct the action potential along the entire length of the axon membrane, causing the impulse to move significantly slower.
- Thus, a myelinated nerve fiber has a conduction velocity of an action potential that is much greater than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter.
Explanation
- A myelinated nerve fiber conducts action potentials much faster than an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter.
- This is due to the presence of the myelin sheath, which acts as an insulator to prevent ion leakage during the action potential and allows for saltatory conduction, in which the action potential 'jumps' from one node of Ranvier (gaps in the myelin sheath) to the next, speeding up overall nerve impulse transmission.
Hence the correct answer is option 2
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Nervous system Question 3:
Cardiac muscles cannot undergo tetany because of
- Resistance to tetanus toxin
- Auto-rhythmicity
- Lack of need for calcium ions
- Highly evolved muscles
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2 : Auto-rhythmicity
Nervous system Question 3 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- Tetany refers to a condition where muscles contract continuously and uncontrollably.
- It often occurs in response to rapid, repeated stimulation of the muscle fibers that do not allow for sufficient relaxation time between contractions.
- This constant muscle stimulation and lack of relaxation period leads to a state of sustained contraction.
- Cardiac muscle, which forms the walls of the heart and is responsible for heart contractions (and therefore the pumping of blood), is very different.
- Cardiac muscles have a property known as "auto-rhythmicity," which means they have the ability to contract spontaneously and rhythmically without any external stimulation.
- One key consequence of this auto-rhythmicity is that cardiac muscles have a built-in rest period or refractory period.
- This is a time following an action potential during which the muscle cannot be re-stimulated to contract.
- This refractory period is longer in cardiac muscle than it is in skeletal muscle, causing cardiac muscle cells to fully relax after each contraction and before the next one starts.
- This prevents the muscle from being in a constant state of contraction, a condition known as "tetany."
- In essence, because of the unique property of auto-rhythmicity and the extended refractory period, cardiac muscles are not subject to tetany, ensuring the smooth and continuous pumping action of the heart.
Explanation
- Cardiac muscles cannot undergo tetany because of their auto-rhythmicity, a unique feature that allows them to spontaneously contract without the need for external stimulation.
- In tetany, sustained muscle contraction occurs, which is often due to rapid, repeated stimulation of the muscle fiber that impedes the relaxation phase between contractions.
- Cardiac muscle, however, has a longer 'refractory period' compared to skeletal muscle.
- The refractory period is the time during which a second action potential cannot be initiated.
- The longer refractory period in cardiac muscle prevents re-stimulation while the muscle is still contracting, and thereby preventing the state of continuous contraction i.e., tetany.
Hence the correct answer is option 2
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Nervous system Question 4:
When a skeletal muscle with an intact nerve supply isstretched, the muscle:
- contracts and the tone decreases.
- relaxes and the tone increases.
- contracts and the tone increases.
- relaxes and the tone decreases
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 3 : contracts and the tone increases.
Nervous system Question 4 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- The stretch reflex is an automatic response mechanism in the body where a muscle contraction occurs in response to its stretch.
- The process is orchestrated by the muscle spindle, a sensory receptor located within the muscle fiber, which senses changes in muscle length.
- When a muscle is stretched, the muscle spindle is activated and sends a signal via afferent neurons to the central nervous system (CNS), specifically to the spinal cord, informing it about the change in length.
- The CNS, in turn, responds by sending an impulse via efferent neurons to the muscle that has been stretched, triggering a muscle contraction that resists the stretch.
- This contraction will lead to increased muscle tone, which is the constant, slight tension present in the muscle at rest to maintain posture and response readiness.
Explanation
- This response is part of a reflex mechanism known as the "stretch reflex" or "myotatic reflex" facilitated by muscle spindles, specialized sensory receptors within the muscle.
- Muscle spindles detect changes in muscle length and rate of change in length.
- When a muscle is stretched, the muscle spindle is activated, and it sends an afferent signal to the spinal cord.
- This in turn triggers an efferent signal causing the muscle to contract and resist the stretch, thereby increasing the muscle tone.
- This reflex helps maintain the muscle at a suitable length and contributes to postural control.
Hence the correct answer is option 3
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Nervous system Question 5:
Which of the following are important for guiding synaptic transmission and Ca+ binding, essential for the activation of neurotransmitter release from the pre-synaptic terminal?
- Optic vesicle
- SNARE complexes
- Melanocytes
- K+ channel
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2 : SNARE complexes
Nervous system Question 5 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- Synaptic transmission is the process through which neurons communicate with each other.
- It involves transmitting an electrical signal (the action potential) from one neuron (the presynaptic neuron) to another (the postsynaptic neuron) via a synaptic cleft.
- At a chemical synapse, the electric signal of the presynaptic neuron is switched to a chemical signal and vice versa at the postsynaptic neuron.
- This chemical signal consists of neurotransmitters, which are released from vesicles in the presynaptic neuron into the synaptic cleft, where they can then act on the postsynaptic neuron by binding receptor proteins.
- SNARE complexes are a set of proteins that are critical for this process.
- Specifically, they enable the fusion of the neurotransmitter-filled vesicles with the cell membrane of the presynaptic neuron, allowing the release of the neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
- Calcium ions play a crucial role in this process.
- When an action potential reaches the presynaptic terminal, voltage-gated calcium channels open, allowing calcium ions to flow into the neuron.
- The influx of these calcium ions triggers the fusion of the vesicles with the neurotransmitter to the cell membrane via interactions with the SNARE proteins.
- Thus, the activation of voltage-gated calcium channels and the subsequent influx of calcium ions into the neuron are key factors that initiate the release of neurotransmitters from the presynaptic terminal into the synaptic cleft, facilitating neuronal communication.
Explanation
- SNARE complexes are essential for guiding synaptic transmission.
- They play a crucial role in the process of neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic terminal.
- SNARE proteins facilitate the fusion of the vesicle membrane that contains the neurotransmitter with the cell membrane, allowing the release of the neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.
- When an action potential reaches the presynaptic terminal, voltage-gated calcium channels open, and Ca+ ions flow into the cell.
- The influx of calcium triggers the SNARE-mediated fusion of the neurotransmitter-filled vesicles with the cell membrane, causing the neurotransmitters to be released.
Hence the correct answer is option 2
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Top Nervous system MCQ Objective Questions
Nervous system Question 6:
A myasthenia gravis patient develops muscle paralysis because
- the nerve terminal at the neuromuscular junction fails to release acetylcholine.
- although enough acetylcholine is released at the neuromuscular junction, it is destroyed by acetylcholinesterase.
- the patient develops immunity against his own acetylcholine receptor
- the patient develops antibody against his own acetylcholine.
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 3 : the patient develops immunity against his own acetylcholine receptor
Nervous system Question 6 Detailed Solution
Myasthenia gravis, a condition in which there is extreme muscular weakness is associated with antibodies to the actylcholine receptors present on the surface of muscle membrane. It was noticed that immunization of experimental animals with purified acetylcholine receptors produced a condition of muscular weakness. This suggested a role for antibody to the acetylcholine receptor in the human disease. The antibodies reduce the availability of acetylcholine at motor end plates.
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Nervous system Question 7:
The time taken by synaptic vesicles to travel from the soma of a motor neuron in the spinal cord to its neuromuscular junction in a person’s foot by fast axon transport is about‐
- 5‐10 seconds
- 10‐15 minutes
- 5‐6 hours
- 2‐3 days
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 4 : 2‐3 days
Nervous system Question 7 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- Peripheral nervesfrom the spinal cordextend their axons outwards and connectto different parts of the body like muscles.
- In adult humans, peripheral nerves can be of 1 meter long and upto 10,000 times in length to that of the cell body of the neuron.
- Axonal transport is the mechanism by which nerve cells transport substances between the cell body and the axon tip, this transportis along the axon hence, the name axonal transport.
- Axonal transport is of two types:
- Anterograde transport (forward transport) - when the cargo is transported away from the cell body and towards the axon tip, it is called anterograde axonal transport.
- Retrograde transport (backward transport) - when the cargo is transported towards the cell body then it is called retrograde transport.
- Axonal transport occurs in bothdirections, motor proteins and microtubules are involved in the transport where the motor proteins connectthe cargoto the microtubules and use energy to move the cargo\substances across the axon.
Explanation:
- Slow axonal transport is the mechanism that delivers the cytoskeletal components at the rate of less than 8mm per day.
- Slow axonal transport mechanismis also called "stop and Go model" because during this transport myosintakes frequent stop which results in the slow transport of the substances.
- Fast axonal transport is the mechanism which transport the membrane-associated receptors,mitochondria, etc. at the rate of 200-400mm per day.
- The crucial distinction between fast and slow axonal transportis that quick excursions in either the anterograde or retrograde direction are separated by protracted pauses for slow-moving cargo, such as neurofilaments.
- The numerous direction changes and the prolonged pauses both contribute to a net slow outward movement of slow axonal transport mechanism.
- So, it takes 2 to 3 days for the cargo to reachthe neuromuscular junction at theperson's foot.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.
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Nervous system Question 8:
Unidirectional propagation of electrical signal in nervous system is
- proportional to the length of axon.
- due to chemical synapse.
- due to electrical synapse.
- proportional to myelination.
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2 : due to chemical synapse.
Nervous system Question 8 Detailed Solution
A vast majority of synapses are chemical synapses. These involve the release of a chemical neurotransmitter by the presynaptic neuron, which packages into synaptic vesicle in neuron's synaptic terminal. When action potential reaches a synaptic terminal it depolarises the terminal membrane, opening voltage gated Ca2+ channals. The released neurotransmitter binds to specific receptors present on the post synaptic membrane.
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Nervous system Question 9:
The release of which neurotransmitter from the rods of retina is reduced when light strikes its outer segment?
- Glutamate
- Acetylcholine
- GABA
- Glycine
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 1 : Glutamate
Nervous system Question 9 Detailed Solution
Concept:
- Eye is a photosensor that can even detect a single photon and transmit that signal to the brain.
- Cells of retina are the visual photoreceptors of the eyes.
- The visual cell contains two main parts: outer segment and inner segment
- Outer segment - it consists of the light absorbing visual pigment.
- Inner segment - it consists of nucleus, mitochondrial and other organelles that supportthe functions of the outer segment.
- Cilium or ciliary process connects the inner and outer segments of the retina.
- Terminals present in the inner segment have synapses with the horizontal cells and bipolar cells which in turn have synapses with the ganglion and amacrine cells.
- Visualcells are of two types- rod cells and cone cells.
- Rod cells - it consists of an elongated outer segment. It containsrhodopsin pigment which is responsible for dim-light vision also calledscotopic vision.
- Cone cells - it consists of adome-shaped outer segment. It has photoreceptors for day-light vision also called photopic vision.
Important Points
- When the light strikes the retina, the photon is captured and 11-cis-retinal is converted to the all-trans-retinal.
- Rhodopsin activatesphotoreceptor-specific G-proteintransducin called GT.
- Rhodopsin triggers the exchange of GDP to GTP on its α-subunit (GαT), which further activates the cGMP phosphodiesterase enzyme.
- Activated cGMP phosphodiesterase decreases the concentration of cGMP which in turn leads to the closure of the cGMP-gated cation channels on the plasma membrane of thephotoreceptors.
- Closure of channels leads to hyperpolarization of the membrane which in turn decreases the releaseof neurotransmitter glutamate at the synaptic termini.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
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Nervous system Question 10:
When will nerve fibers NOT be stimulated?
- During the absoluterefractory period
- During therefractory period
- During theresting period
- None of the above
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 1 : During the absoluterefractory period
Nervous system Question 10 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- An action potential is the mechanism by which a neuron sends an electrical signal across its length.
- It is essentially a brief, transient reversal in the neuron's membrane potential, and it involves several phases – including depolarization, repolarization, and hyperpolarization.
- Within the process of an action potential, there are two refractory periods: the absolute refractory period and the relative refractory period.
- The absolute refractory period is a time period during which a second action potential absolutely cannot be initiated, no matter how large a stimulus is applied.
- This is due to the inactivation of the sodium channels, which had opened for the initial action potential.
- Typically this lasts for about 1-2 milliseconds following the start of the action potential.
- The absolute refractory period plays acrucial role in preventing the backward propagation of action potentials and ensures that action potentials are discrete units that maintain a directional flow from the neuron's body to the axon terminal.
- After the absolute refractory period, there is the relative refractory period during which a neuron can only respond to a stronger-than-normal stimulus. This is because the neuron is re-establishing its resting membrane potential (repolarizing).
Explanation
- During the absolute refractory period, a nerve fiber cannot be stimulated to generate another action potential, regardless of the strength of the stimulus.
- This period happens immediately following the generation of an action potential and is crucial for ensuring the unidirectional propagation of action potentials along nerve fibers. It also allows for the segregation of individual signals in rapidly firing neurons.
Hence the correct answer is option 1
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Nervous system Question 11:
The conduction velocity of action potential in a myelinated nerve fiber will be:
- much slower than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
- much greater than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
- much greater than that of an myelinated fiber of the different diameter
- much slower than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2 : much greater than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter
Nervous system Question 11 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- An action potential is an electrical impulse that travels down the neuron, moving from the cell body toward the axonal termini.
- This action potential allows neurons to communicate with each other, essentially transmitting information across the nervous system.
- The speed at which this action potential travels, or its "conduction velocity", can be influenced by various factors.
- Two major factors are whether the neuron is myelinated or unmyelinated and the diameter of the neuron.
- Myelin is a fatty substance that wraps around the axon of some neurons.
- It serves as an insulator and increases the speed of the action potential.
- In myelinated neurons, action potentials don't propagate continuously along the nerve fiber but jump from one node of Ranvier (small exposed sections of the nerve fiber where there is no myelin) to the next.
- This phenomenon is known as "saltatory conduction".
- The presence of myelin allows for faster conduction speeds as compared to unmyelinated fibers.
- On the other hand, unmyelinated nerve fibers conduct the action potential along the entire length of the axon membrane, causing the impulse to move significantly slower.
- Thus, a myelinated nerve fiber has a conduction velocity of an action potential that is much greater than that of an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter.
Explanation
- A myelinated nerve fiber conducts action potentials much faster than an unmyelinated fiber of the same diameter.
- This is due to the presence of the myelin sheath, which acts as an insulator to prevent ion leakage during the action potential and allows for saltatory conduction, in which the action potential 'jumps' from one node of Ranvier (gaps in the myelin sheath) to the next, speeding up overall nerve impulse transmission.
Hence the correct answer is option 2
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Nervous system Question 12:
Cardiac muscles cannot undergo tetany because of
- Resistance to tetanus toxin
- Auto-rhythmicity
- Lack of need for calcium ions
- Highly evolved muscles
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2 : Auto-rhythmicity
Nervous system Question 12 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- Tetany refers to a condition where muscles contract continuously and uncontrollably.
- It often occurs in response to rapid, repeated stimulation of the muscle fibers that do not allow for sufficient relaxation time between contractions.
- This constant muscle stimulation and lack of relaxation period leads to a state of sustained contraction.
- Cardiac muscle, which forms the walls of the heart and is responsible for heart contractions (and therefore the pumping of blood), is very different.
- Cardiac muscles have a property known as "auto-rhythmicity," which means they have the ability to contract spontaneously and rhythmically without any external stimulation.
- One key consequence of this auto-rhythmicity is that cardiac muscles have a built-in rest period or refractory period.
- This is a time following an action potential during which the muscle cannot be re-stimulated to contract.
- This refractory period is longer in cardiac muscle than it is in skeletal muscle, causing cardiac muscle cells to fully relax after each contraction and before the next one starts.
- This prevents the muscle from being in a constant state of contraction, a condition known as "tetany."
- In essence, because of the unique property of auto-rhythmicity and the extended refractory period, cardiac muscles are not subject to tetany, ensuring the smooth and continuous pumping action of the heart.
Explanation
- Cardiac muscles cannot undergo tetany because of their auto-rhythmicity, a unique feature that allows them to spontaneously contract without the need for external stimulation.
- In tetany, sustained muscle contraction occurs, which is often due to rapid, repeated stimulation of the muscle fiber that impedes the relaxation phase between contractions.
- Cardiac muscle, however, has a longer 'refractory period' compared to skeletal muscle.
- The refractory period is the time during which a second action potential cannot be initiated.
- The longer refractory period in cardiac muscle prevents re-stimulation while the muscle is still contracting, and thereby preventing the state of continuous contraction i.e., tetany.
Hence the correct answer is option 2
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Nervous system Question 13:
When a skeletal muscle with an intact nerve supply isstretched, the muscle:
- contracts and the tone decreases.
- relaxes and the tone increases.
- contracts and the tone increases.
- relaxes and the tone decreases
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 3 : contracts and the tone increases.
Nervous system Question 13 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- The stretch reflex is an automatic response mechanism in the body where a muscle contraction occurs in response to its stretch.
- The process is orchestrated by the muscle spindle, a sensory receptor located within the muscle fiber, which senses changes in muscle length.
- When a muscle is stretched, the muscle spindle is activated and sends a signal via afferent neurons to the central nervous system (CNS), specifically to the spinal cord, informing it about the change in length.
- The CNS, in turn, responds by sending an impulse via efferent neurons to the muscle that has been stretched, triggering a muscle contraction that resists the stretch.
- This contraction will lead to increased muscle tone, which is the constant, slight tension present in the muscle at rest to maintain posture and response readiness.
Explanation
- This response is part of a reflex mechanism known as the "stretch reflex" or "myotatic reflex" facilitated by muscle spindles, specialized sensory receptors within the muscle.
- Muscle spindles detect changes in muscle length and rate of change in length.
- When a muscle is stretched, the muscle spindle is activated, and it sends an afferent signal to the spinal cord.
- This in turn triggers an efferent signal causing the muscle to contract and resist the stretch, thereby increasing the muscle tone.
- This reflex helps maintain the muscle at a suitable length and contributes to postural control.
Hence the correct answer is option 3
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Nervous system Question 14:
Which of the following are important for guiding synaptic transmission and Ca+ binding, essential for the activation of neurotransmitter release from the pre-synaptic terminal?
- Optic vesicle
- SNARE complexes
- Melanocytes
- K+ channel
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 2 : SNARE complexes
Nervous system Question 14 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- Synaptic transmission is the process through which neurons communicate with each other.
- It involves transmitting an electrical signal (the action potential) from one neuron (the presynaptic neuron) to another (the postsynaptic neuron) via a synaptic cleft.
- At a chemical synapse, the electric signal of the presynaptic neuron is switched to a chemical signal and vice versa at the postsynaptic neuron.
- This chemical signal consists of neurotransmitters, which are released from vesicles in the presynaptic neuron into the synaptic cleft, where they can then act on the postsynaptic neuron by binding receptor proteins.
- SNARE complexes are a set of proteins that are critical for this process.
- Specifically, they enable the fusion of the neurotransmitter-filled vesicles with the cell membrane of the presynaptic neuron, allowing the release of the neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
- Calcium ions play a crucial role in this process.
- When an action potential reaches the presynaptic terminal, voltage-gated calcium channels open, allowing calcium ions to flow into the neuron.
- The influx of these calcium ions triggers the fusion of the vesicles with the neurotransmitter to the cell membrane via interactions with the SNARE proteins.
- Thus, the activation of voltage-gated calcium channels and the subsequent influx of calcium ions into the neuron are key factors that initiate the release of neurotransmitters from the presynaptic terminal into the synaptic cleft, facilitating neuronal communication.
Explanation
- SNARE complexes are essential for guiding synaptic transmission.
- They play a crucial role in the process of neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic terminal.
- SNARE proteins facilitate the fusion of the vesicle membrane that contains the neurotransmitter with the cell membrane, allowing the release of the neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.
- When an action potential reaches the presynaptic terminal, voltage-gated calcium channels open, and Ca+ ions flow into the cell.
- The influx of calcium triggers the SNARE-mediated fusion of the neurotransmitter-filled vesicles with the cell membrane, causing the neurotransmitters to be released.
Hence the correct answer is option 2
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Nervous system Question 15:
Which of the following statement is correct?
- During prolonged illumination, rhodopsin is not desensitized which leads to the termination of visual response
- In the dark, rods show a large inward "dark" current which is activated by a flash of light.
- The stereocilia of auditory hair cells are arranged in rows but the height of stereocilia is not the same in all the rows.
- When the stereocilia of shorter rows are mechanically pushed toward the taller rows, the hair cells are not depolarized but a push on opposite direction hyperpolarize them.
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)
Option 3 : The stereocilia of auditory hair cells are arranged in rows but the height of stereocilia is not the same in all the rows.
Nervous system Question 15 Detailed Solution
Key Points
- Rhodopsin is a light-sensitive receptor protein involved in visual phototransduction, found in the rod cells of the retina.
- When it absorbs light, rhodopsin undergoes a conformational change, which initiates a series of events leading to an electrical response in the photoreceptors.
- However, during prolonged illumination, rhodopsin becomes desensitized, or "bleached," meaning that it can no longer react to light.
- This desensitization leads to the termination of the visual response, thus preventing overstimulation of the photoreceptor cells.
- Rod cells, located in the retina, are photoreceptor cells that are incredibly sensitive to light and allow for vision in low-light conditions.
- When in the dark, these cells show a large inward current known as the "dark current" because sodium channels are kept open by a signaling molecule called cGMP.
- In the presence of light, the photoreceptive molecule rhodopsin triggers a cascade that lowers the concentration of cGMP, causing these channels to close.
- This results in an inhibition of the inward current and leads to a change in the electrical state of the cell, signaling that light has been detected.
- The inner ear contains specialized sensory cells, called hair cells, that play a crucial role in hearing.
- Each hair cell has a bundle of protrusions known as stereocilia, which are arranged in a graded manner from shortest to tallest.
- When sound waves cause fluid within the inner ear to move, these stereocilia "rock" back and forth.
- The difference in the height of these stereocilia rows aids in the detection of different frequencies of sound, as they differentially respond to fluid motion.
- When the stereocilia of shorter rows are mechanically pushed towards the taller rows, the hair cells are depolarized.
- On the contrary, a push in the opposite direction causes hyperpolarization.
- The orientation of stereocilia plays a crucial role in the functioning of hair cells.
- When a sound wave moves the fluid in the ear, this fluid motion causes a mechanical displacement of the stereocilia.
- If the mechanical displacement is from the short stereocilia towards the taller ones, mechanically gated ion channels at the tips of the stereocilia open.
- This triggers an influx of positive ions, causing depolarization of the hair cell, and initiates a nerve impulse.
- However, if the stereocilia are pushed in the opposite direction - i.e., the taller stereocilia towards the shorter ones - this leads to the closure of the ion channels and hence hyperpolarization.
Explanation
- Statement A.During prolonged illumination, rhodopsin is actually desensitized, which contributes to the termination of visual response. So, this statement seems incorrect.
- Statement B.In the dark, rods do indeed show a large inward "dark" current. However, this current is not activated but is rather inhibited by a flash of light, causing the cell to hyperpolarize and signal that light has been detected. Therefore, this statement is incorrect.
- Statement C.The stereocilia of auditory hair cells are arranged in rows and the height of the stereocilia does differ across the rows. This statement is correct.
- Statement D.When the stereocilia of the shorter rows are mechanically pushed towards the taller rows, the hair cells are depolarized, not the other way around. A push in the opposite direction does cause hyperpolarization. Therefore, the statement is incorrect.
Hence the correct answer is option 3
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