A patient suffers from a disease that slows fatty acid synthesis. What is a likely impact of this disease on nervous system function?

Question

A.  improved functioning due to a healthier weight
B.  insufficient myelination and slow axon conduction rate
C.  improved functioning due to better blood flow
D.  weaker action potentials with smaller depolarization


Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content/Choose Answer
· What do you already know about fatty acids? What other information is related to the question?

Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
 


Answer 1

B.  insufficient myelination and slow axon conduction rate

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o Importance of fatty acids on the nervous system.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o This is an analyze question because you have to extend your knowledge of the importance of fatty acids to a potential nervous system disease.

Gather Content/Choose Answer
· What do you already know about fatty acids? What other information is related to the question?
        o To solve this problem, you’ll need to understand why fatty acids are important to the nervous system. Recall that myelin, which is wrapped around axons to improve action potential conduction, is lipid rich. Thus, a disease that slows fatty acid synthesis may also slow myelination, which would presumably slow axon conduction rate.

Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o If you figured out the correct answer, good job! If not, where did you go wrong? Answering this question correctly depended on extending your knowledge of the role of fatty acid synthesis in the nervous system. If you got an incorrect answer, did you remember that action potentials do not get weaker or stronger, but either decrease or increase in frequency? This would have eliminated answer (D). Lipids, in excess and depending upon what type, can promote plaques in blood vessels which can block their flow, not improve their flow, so answer (C) is not correct. That leaves answers A and B. While losing weight can benefit one’s health and even the functioning of the brain, there is no definitive information given stating that the patient actually lost weight, which leaves answer (B).