Axonal Pathfinding and the Formation and Organization of Cranial and Spinal Nerves
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Work in progress, expect frequent changes. Help and feedback is welcome. See discussion page. |
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Contents
- 1 Preknowledge, Objectives and Competencies
- 2 Preknowledge
- 3 Competencies
- 4 Activities and Reading Material
- 5 Reading
- 6 Assignments
- 7 Assignment
- 8 Question
- 9 Question
- 10 Question
- 11 Question
- 12 Question
- 13 Question
- 14 Question
- 15 Additional study material
- 16 Media
- 17 Web Resources
- 18 Related Content
Preknowledge, Objectives and Competencies
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In this unit we will examine how neurons make connections with each other and what are the molecular mechanisms that guide their axons so that they make appropriate connections. We will compare and contrast the organization of cranial and spinal nerves and revisit the concept of segmentation of the nervous system. |
At the end of this unit you should be able to:
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Activities and Reading Material
| During class, we will use the diagrams and table provided to examine the role of different molecules in the guidance of axons during development. We will identify general principles that operate to guide axonal pathfinding, and explore the different requirements of different sets of neurons. We will use the tables provided in the lecture notes to summarise the origin and roles of different molecules during the processes examined in lecture. We will use these summaries to predict the possible effects that mutations or disturbances of these molecular pathways may have on the development of the nervous system.
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- Purves et al Chapter 23
Assignments
| After class, you are expected to review your notes and use the assigned reading material to complete a descriptive table of the different molecules involved in axonal pathfinding. You are expected to contribute to the questions and definitions sections below. Please use the discussion page if you want to discuss any particular topic on the material. You are also welcome to add links to videos or audio files in the Media box or links to online resources in the Web Resources box below. |
Questions
| How would you be able to differentiate experimentally whether a guidance signal has a permissive or instructive function? |
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| What are the main difference in the organization of cranial and spinal nerves |
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| What signals would you expect branchiomotor neurons (as opposed to somatic motoneurons) in the hindbrain to respond to when the axons are growing towards their exit points? |
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| What is the difference between the targets of branchiomotor and somatic motor neurons? |
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Definitions
You should be able to provide structural and functional definitions for the structures/terms associated with this topic:
(growth cone, attractive signals, repulsive signals, trophic factors, tropic factors, axonal sorting, axonal pathfinding).
| Growth Cone: |
Enter your definition here
| Attractive Signals: |
Enter your definition here
| Repulsive Signals: |
Enter your definition here
| Trophic Factors: |
Enter your definition here
| Tropic Factors: |
Enter your definition here
| Axonal Sorting: |
Enter your definition here
| Axonal Pathfinding: |
Enter your definition here
| Genes and molecules: Fill in the table. |
Please visit the tables in Unit 3 and Unit 4 and fill in the new roles of genes/molecules discussed in this Unit.
| Molecule/Gene | Produced by/in | Acts on | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netrin | |||
| Slit | |||
| Lim | |||
| Robo | |||
| Semaphorin |
Additional study material
Add Links to media resources here
Add Links to Web Resources here
Related Content
Go back to the introductory page or return to Unit 8: Neuronal Migration.
