Problem 1: Explain how the following factors influence whether a cell will become a neuron or a glia
A) Delta-Notch signaling
B) Bone Morphogenetic Protein
Problem 2:
A) What are the three stages for the maturation of the synapse?
B) What is a possible advantage of the postsynaptic response being short-lived rather than longer-lasting?
Problem 3: Why can severed axons in the periphery regenerate and reinnervate muscle, but severed axons in the brain or spinal cord rarely or never innervate their appropriate target? Why might humans have not evolved a way to regenerate CNS connections?
A) Briefly describe what a growth cone is, including a brief description of the structures on a growth cone that allows it to 'move
B) What is the difference between anterograde and retrograde axonal transport, and in what way is each responsible for how a growth cone responds to its environment?
Problem 4: What is the sequence of events in the specification of the eight photoreceptors in fruit flies?
Problem 5:
A) In growth cone guidance, what is the difference between contact guidance and chemotropism?
B) List the five families of receptors that underly contact guidance of growth cones, and the three families of receptors that provide chemotactic cues for growth cones