Darkthorn’s Blog

- Tetrodoxin blocks Na+ channels, nifedipine blocks Ca2+ channels – voltage gated channel family – membrane spanning protein with 4 subunits with 6 membrane spanning domains each. – S4 senses membrane voltage, S2 forms conducting pore – opening/closing regulated by membrane potential – other ion channels – cation – cellular activity, ion channel properties, spontaneous [...]

[Read more →]

- dimensions of color – visual system deals with variations in brightness, hue and saturation, independent of the levels of ambient light – what you see about an object depends on the context in which it is placed – reflects the same amount of light, but differs in perceived darkness – illusory contours – the [...]

[Read more →]

- The hypothalamus generates homeostatic and behavioural responses to ‘interoreceptive’ stimuli – humeral, secretion of hormones – visceromotor, changes in the nervous system – somatic motor, behavioral responses – long term control of energy balance – dual center model for regulation of feeding – Frohlich’s syndrome – injury to the pituitary gland (WRONG!) – role [...]

[Read more →]

- language is a creative process using sounds, symbols and rules to create meanings – language is innate, and has a specific development period (<6-7 years) – animal sounds are steriotyped and not unique – monkeys do not use cortical regions for communication, use brain stem – critical period is bird song development, otherwise the [...]

[Read more →]

stimulus receptor/ action Accessory Structures à Receptor Surface à output neurons à energy generator potentials potential Translation à transduction à transmission à Receptors Type 1: specialized endings of sensory nerve fibers transmit to somatosensory; proprioceptive and olfactory systems Type 2: specialized receptor cells that connect via synapses to afferent nerve fibers auditory, vestibular and gustatory [...]

[Read more →]

Temporal Summation – in order to produce a reaction, the first stimulus provides a hump for the second to leap off and reach threshold. Spatial Summation – when there are two connections though a dendrite and the cell body (first provides hump) Simultaneous Stimulation – two connections though the cell body make it easy to [...]

[Read more →]

Muscle Structure and Contractile Properties – Muscle fibre – cellular element, multinucleate, each innervated, sarcomere as a functional division – Sarcolemma – cell membrane – Sarcoplamic reticulum – source of Ca2+ that surrounds each myofibril – Myofibril – bundles of actin and myosin – T-tubules – ramifying tubular system that carried the depolarization of the [...]

[Read more →]

- chemical senses – oldest and most common form of sensory system – pheromones released for chemosensory information/communication – reproductive behavior, identification, aggression – chemoreceptors – generate neural signals on binding with particular chemicals – provide quality control for injestion Taste – tongue, mouth, palate, pharynx, epiglottis – taste and smell are intertwined to detect [...]

[Read more →]

- skeletal muscle – highly efficient and adaptable – energy and metabolism, heater, pump, movement and posture – muscle fibres grouped into bundles – somatic motor system – skeletal muscles and the part of the motor system that control them – lower motor neurons – project from spinal cord – alpha motor neurons – muscle [...]

[Read more →]

Christianity – Logbook Exercise 5.3 In what ways is fundamentalism a response to modernity? Is it accurate to say the fundamentalism is only a defensive and negative response to modernity? If not, in what ways does fundamentalism respond to modernity? It is clear that fundamentalism is a way in which conservative and evangelical groups are [...]

[Read more →]