Deck 2: Biological Aspects of Psychology

Question 1

Doctor Simo is building a super-genius monster. He wants to make sure that his monster's neurons can generate and use energy, so he makes sure to give the neurons plenty of

A)dendrites.
B)mitochondria.
C)nuclei.
D)axons.

Answer 1

mitochondria.

Question 2

Chitra, a neuron, has been sending offensive messages to neighboring neurons. The neighbors decide to "perform surgery" to eliminate Chitra's transmissions. This could be achieved most effectively by

A)locking the gates on Chitra's axon.
B)reducing the strength of Chitra's action potentials.
C)decreasing Chitra's refractory period.
D)placing a myelin sheath on Chitra's axon.

Answer 2

locking the gates on Chitra's axon.

Question 3

The fact that a neuron fires in an all or nothing manner means that

A)either all neurons in a particular brain area generate action potentials or none of them do.
B)a neuron either fires a full action potential or fires none at all.
C)neurons release all of their neurotransmitters with every firing, or they release none.
D)all dendritic receptor sites are bounded by neurotransmitters, or none of them are.

Answer 3

a neuron either fires a full action potential or fires none at all.

Question 4

Dr. Wozniak is examining a cell from the nervous system of an animal. He notices that at one end of the cell body is a long, fibrous strand of tissue that appears to be coated in a sheath-like cover. He immediately recognizes this as an axon that is responsible for

A)carrying signals away from the cell body.
B)receiving signals from other cells and carrying them toward the cell body.
C)determining the speed at which an action potential will travel.
D)determining whether the cell inhibits or excites neighboring neurons.

Question 5

Biological psychology is the study of the __________ changes that cause, or occur in response to, behavior and mental processes.

A)physical and chemical
B)naturalistic
C)social and physical
D)cognitive

Question 6

Marni wants to know how neurons communicate with other neurons. She studies the neuron to find that there is a long extension called ________ that is responsible for this transmission.

A)an outer membrane
B)an axon
C)a dendrite
D)a sulcus

Question 7

Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system mistakenly destroys some of the myelin wrapped around nerve cell fibers. Which nerve cell fibers are being attacked by this process?

A)Synapses
B)Axons
C)Dendrites
D)Mitochondria

Question 8

The nervous system is directly responsible for all of the following activities except

A)receiving information from sensory systems.
B)secreting hormones into the bloodstream.
C)integrating new information with past experiences.
D)directing the movement of muscles.

Question 9

Eycine operated the telephone switchboard at a large company, answering calls and directing them to the appropriate extensions. Remembering her introductory psychology class, she decided that her situation was much like the __________ of neurons because numerous people could call her at one time, but she could send out only one call at a time.

A)sodium and potassium
B)dendrites and axons
C)myelin and mitochondria
D)synapses and neurotransmitters

Question 10

Ivan has discovered how to tame neurons and keep them as pets. When he's bored, he sometimes starts an action potential going down the axon of each of his four pet neurons, just to see which one will "win" by releasing neurotransmitters first. All of his neurons have axons of the exact same length. Ivan's game got old fast, though, because one neuron always wins. The winner is always

A)Sue, the neuron with the most dendrites.
B)Harry, the neuron with the fattest axon.
C)Elspeth, the neuron with the largest axon hillock.
D)Johann, the neuron with the most potassium channels.

Question 11

The most basic unit of communication in the human nervous system is the ________, which begins with dendrites and ends at axon terminals.

A)neuron
B)myelin sheath
C)oligodendrocyte
D)glial cell

Question 12

Neurons have some similarities with other cells in the human body. Which of the following characteristics is seen in neurons, but not in most other cells?

A)An outer membrane
B)A body with a nucleus
C)The ability to transmit signals to other cells
D)Mitochondria

Question 13

Arthur is a young child with an old-fashioned rubber horn on his bicycle. He squeezes the horn to make a funny but annoying sound, and then has to wait for the rubber bladder to fill with air before he can "honk" again. The time he must wait is similar to a neuron's ________ period.

A)propagating
B)refractory
C)residual
D)terminal

Question 14

Barbara suffers from a medical condition that causes her neurons to fire message at a reduced speed as a result of the destruction of myelin cells. As a result, she does not have full sensation of her fingers or her toes. What is the best diagnosis for Barbara?

A)Multiple sclerosis
B)Muscular dystrophy
C)Cystic fibrosis
D)CTE

Question 15

You are looking at a neuron under a microscope. You find many structures coming off the cell body. Some of these are relatively thick and branch many times. One of the structures, however, is very thin and very long. This latter structure is most likely the neuron's __________, which carries the __________.

A)dendrite; efferent signal
B)dendrite; afferent signal
C)axon; action potential
D)axon; receptors

Question 16

Nathan neuron just fired his axon, causing a release of chemicals into the synapse. "More! More!" shout the neurons that received Nathan's chemicals. Nathan replies, "I can't right now, I have to take a break known as a(n)

A)refractory period."
B)postsynaptic potential."
C)action potential."
D)self-propagation."

Question 17

An action potential has just sped down one of your motor neurons to jerk your hand off the hot stove. Before an action potential will speed through this neuron again, the membrane of the neuron must become repolarized. The time between the action potentials is called the __________ period.

A)refractory
B)polarization
C)self-propagating
D)repolarization

Question 18

Ophelia suffers from epilepsy. She studies the condition and learns that neurons that fire electrical signals across ________ to other neurons may be responsible for her condition.

A)synaptic gaps
B)nodes of Ranvier
C)synaptic vesicles
D)gap junctions

Question 19

Kiko plays in a sport in which he knows that there is an increased risk of developing CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. In which of these sports is Kiko most likely to participate?

A)Golf
B)Marathon running
C)Softball
D)Football

Question 20

If the myelin sheathing on neurons is absent or removed in a given individual, he or she will exhibit difficulties in speaking, vision, and balance because without myelin the

A)quantity of neurotransmitters released into synapses will be reduced.
B)quantity of neurotransmitters released into synapses will be increased.
C)speed of neural conduction along critical paths will be too fast.
D)speed of neural conduction along critical paths will be too slow.

Question 21

When you are running to catch a bus, the __________ nervous system is directly responsible for making the muscles in your legs move.

A)somatic
B)sympathetic
C)central
D)parasympathetic

Question 22

When you search a term on an Internet search engine, it activates different nodes on the Internet that return specific types of results. Each website is linked to other, similar websites. In the same way, the cells of your nervous system are organized into

A)fiber tracts.
B)cytokines.
C)glial cell systems.
D)neural networks.

Question 23

The main divisions of the peripheral nervous system are the __________ and the __________.

A)somatic; autonomic
B)sympathetic; parasympathetic
C)afferent; efferent
D)reticular; limbic

Question 24

When a stranger began walking behind Timothy on the dark and deserted street, his heart rate increased and the muscles in his legs began moving faster so he could gain some distance from the stranger. These mobilization and motor activities were most directly orchestrated by his __________ nervous system.

A)central
B)endocrine
C)peripheral
D)parasympathetic

Question 25

"Hey! It's too crowded in here! Stop shoving! Boy, I can't wait 'til I'm free! I'm going to flow across that synapse and find the perfect receptor for me and you guys won't fit." "Oh yeah! You'd better hope you connect soon or else you'll be sucked back into this crowded room again!" This conversation is taking place among

A)postsynaptic potentials.
B)dendrites connected to a neuron.
C)sodium ions in an axon.
D)neurotransmitter molecules in a vesicle.

Question 26

Mikel has to keep his apartment cool in the summer because he has a nervous system disorder that makes him unable to sweat. The problem is most likely in Mikel's

A)somatic nervous system.
B)spinal cord.
C)mitochondria.
D)autonomic nervous system.

Question 27

After the physician taps your knee with a small hammer, your lower leg "jumps" in a reflexive response. The muscles of your leg then send messages back to the spinal cord to let it know that the leg has been extended. This two-way form of communication is called a(n)________.

A)reaction arc
B)feedback system
C)somatic hierarchy
D)autonomic connection

Question 28

A neuron evokes the action potential of another neuron by releasing the __________ into the synapse before they fit into the __________ of the other neuron.

A)neural receptors; neurotransmitters
B)neurotransmitters; receptors
C)dendrites; axon
D)axons; dendrites

Question 29

Selwyn is developing a neuromuscular problem because of a shortage of certain neurotransmitters in his cells. This shortage means that

A)information can't get transmitted across his synapses.
B)his cells have too many vesicles.
C)there are only inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in his cells.
D)the depolarization of his dendrites is too strong.

Question 30

A neurotransmitter is released into a synapse, but it has no effect on a neighboring neuron. Which of the following best accounts for the unresponsiveness of the neighboring neuron?

A)The neighboring neuron does not contain any neurotransmitters of its own.
B)The neighboring neuron's vesicles are defective.
C)The neighboring neuron has an outer membrane.
D)The neighboring neuron's receptors do not accept this type of neurotransmitter.

Question 31

The digestion of last night's dinner is most directly controlled by the __________ nervous system.

A)autonomic
B)central
C)somatic
D)sympathetic

Question 32

Which nervous system is involved in allowing you to shoot a basketball, smell freshly baked bread, and push the keys on a piano?

A)Sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system
B)Parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system
C)Both branches of the autonomic nervous system
D)Somatic nervous system

Question 33

Tisha has a disorder that affects the functioning of her somatic nervous system. Of the following, Tisha probably experiences the most trouble while

A)digesting food.
B)thinking.
C)moving her limbs.
D)breathing.

Question 34

As he is riding his bicycle, Miguel notices that there is a large branch in the street several meters in front of him. He pushes back on the brake pedal to slow down so he doesn't crash into the obstruction. The impulses to engage in this voluntary behavior would travel through the _______ nervous system from the spinal cord to the muscles that control the movement in Miguel's legs.

A)somatic
B)autonomic
C)sympathetic
D)parasympathetic

Question 35

The two major divisions of the nervous system are the

A)brain and spinal cord.
B)central and somatic nervous systems.
C)sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
D)peripheral and central nervous systems.

Question 36

Connections in Chiara's autonomic nervous system have been harmed by a mysterious infection. From which of the following areas is Chiara most unlikely to receive the usual communication?

A)Eyes
B)Muscles
C)Lungs
D)Legs

Question 37

Carlos was in a car accident and sustained a head injury that resulted in a decreased ability to produce speech. Carlos has more than likely damaged his __________ nervous system.

A)sympathetic
B)peripheral
C)central
D)sensory

Question 38

If a scientist wanted to know more about how neurons are organized, how they communicate in varying combinations, and how they are involved in producing different patterns of behavior, she would most likely focus her research on

A)feedback systems.
B)neurotransmitters.
C)postsynaptic potentials.
D)neural networks.

Question 39

Neurotransmitters are __________ that travel across the __________ to another cell.

A)electrical signals; neural receptors
B)electrical signals; synapse
C)chemicals; neural receptors
D)chemicals; synapse

Question 40

Neurons communicate across the synapse by means of neurotransmitters, which bind to special proteins on the postsynaptic membrane, like a key fitting into a lock. In this analogy, the neurotransmitter is the key and the __________ is the lock.

A)receptor
B)axon
C)postsynaptic potential
D)dendrite

Question 41

All of the following statements about reflexes are true except that

A)they are controlled by the spinal cord.
B)they occur without instructions from the brain.
C)they are not voluntary.
D)they do not send signals to the brain.

Question 42

Yao is participating in a study investigating sleep patterns. As part of the study, researchers paste electrodes to Yao's scalp. The electrodes are then hooked up to an electroencephalograph (EEG), which will provide information about the

A)specific areas of the brain involved with sleep.
B)general electrical activity of the brain during sleep.
C)changes in blood flow that occur within the brain during sleep.
D)physical shape of the brain structures involved with sleep.

Question 43

If a person had a diseased autonomic nervous system, the kinds of functions most directly affected would be things such as __________ and __________.

A)decision making; problem solving
B)getting dressed; driving a car
C)reflexive movements; receiving sensory input
D)digestion; breathing

Question 44

Casey got up one morning after only a few hours of sleep and plugged in the iron to press his shirt. When he heard a ringing sound, he grabbed the iron by the hot part, and before he could say "hello," he dropped it with a crash. The parts of Casey's nervous system that caused him to drop the hot iron were his

A)substantia nigra and sensory neurons.
B)spinal cord, sensory neurons, and motor neurons.
C)cerebral cortex and motor neurons.
D)amygdala and sensory neurons.

Question 45

When a man grabbed Opal's purse, she ran after him, tackled him, and retrieved her purse. Then, she realized that her heart was racing, her breathing was irregular, and she was trembling. Opal's __________ nervous system was responsible for this reaction.

A)sympathetic
B)central
C)parasympathetic
D)somatic

Question 46

Athea was a subject in a study in which the glucose in her brain was marked with a radioactive substance. Then radiation detectors identified where these markers become highly concentrated. Athea participated in a study that employed

A)electroencephalograms (EEGs).
B)magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
C)psychophysical radiograms (PPRs).
D)positron emission tomography (PET).

Question 47

Alfred the brain was in a car accident, and the doctor suspects that Alfred may have suffered structural damage. Which of the following tests would be the most appropriate to find out whether there is structural damage?

A)Electrical stimulation
B)Electroencephalogram (EEG)
C)Positron emission tomography (PET)
D)Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Question 48

During a job interview, Samira realizes that she is sweating a little bit and she feels her heart pounding against her chest. Her stomach is also a little bit upset and she hasn't felt like eating all day. From this information, it appears that the __________ division of Samira's __________ nervous system is very active.

A)parasympathetic; autonomic
B)autonomic; parasympathetic
C)sympathetic; autonomic
D)autonomic; sympathetic

Question 49

Rashaun saw something terrifying. His muscles tensed, he began breathing more rapidly, and he began to sweat. Having taken introductory psychology course, Rashaun knew that the __________ division of his __________ nervous system had been activated.

A)sympathetic; limbic
B)parasympathetic; somatic
C)peripheral; central
D)sympathetic; autonomic

Question 50

Claudia has just come home from a long, difficult day of writing questions for this test. As she sits down on the sofa, her heart rate and breathing slow down, her muscles relax, and her digestive system starts getting ready for food. It appears as though Claudia's __________ has been activated.

A)thalamus
B)parasympathetic nervous system
C)sympathetic system
D)somatic nervous system

Question 51

In the fiber tracts of the central nervous system, you are most likely to find ________ of neurons.

A)axons
B)nuclei
C)dendrites
D)cell bodies

Question 52

Mitch tripped and fell near the campfire. When he reflexively drew back his hand, which had touched a hot coal, the signal sent throughout his nervous system went from his hand to his

A)spinal cord, then to his brain, and then back to his hand.
B)brain, then to his spinal cord, and then back to his hand.
C)spinal cord, then back to his hand, and then to his brain.
D)brain, and then simultaneously to his hand and spinal cord.

Question 53

Francis has had a crush on Justin for some time but has been scared to ask for a date. He has decided that he is definitely asking Justin out today, but as the moment approaches, his hands are sweaty, his heart is racing, and his stomach is turning in knots. This results from activity of the __________ nervous system.

A)somatic
B)sympathetic
C)ancillary
D)parasympathetic

Question 54

Dr. Zomboss plans to overtake all of humankind by shutting down the fiber tracts of their brains. To do this, Dr. Zomboss will set his brain zappers to target

A)sections of the limbic system involved in emotion.
B)collections of cell bodies.
C)collections of axons that travel together in bundles.
D)afferent neurons that line the reflex pathways.

Question 55

If your central nervous system were a city, then the nuclei would be the __________, and the fiber tracts would be the __________.

A)highways; neighborhoods
B)cars; passengers
C)neighborhoods; highways
D)passengers; cars

Question 56

While Bonnie is getting ready for her first date with Juan, her heart is racing and her blood pressure is high because she is excited and nervous. While dining, Bonnie becomes calm and relaxed. While getting ready, Bonnie's __________ nervous system was activated. While dining, Bonnie's __________ nervous system was activated.

A)peripheral; autonomic
B)autonomic; peripheral
C)parasympathetic; sympathetic
D)sympathetic; parasympathetic

Question 57

You have been up all night studying for an important midterm examination and are a little tired. As you reach for your hot chocolate, you accidentally touch the hot burner on the stove. You quickly pull your hand away from the burner. Which of the following statements about your action is true?

A)The medulla oblongata and cerebellum played major parts in your response.
B)The reflexive command came from the spinal cord.
C)Glial cells did most of the work necessary to move your hand.
D)Your brain sent instructions, via the spinal cord, to pull away from the burner.

Question 58

Chirag's spinal cord was completely severed at the neck in an auto accident. He would still be able to

A)wiggle his toes.
B)exhibit the "knee-jerk" reflex in response to a tap on the knee.
C)feel the pain of a pin prick on his foot.
D)snap his fingers.

Question 59

Nilam accidentally touches the hot burner on the stove. Sensory information about the pain and heat will be carried to her brain by the __________ nervous system, her heart rate will increase as a result of activation by the __________ nervous system, and when she calms down, the __________ nervous system will slow her heart rate down.

A)peripheral; central; autonomic
B)somatic; autonomic; central
C)central; sympathetic; parasympathetic
D)somatic; sympathetic; parasympathetic

Question 60

After Les touches a hot iron, he pulls his hand away almost instantaneously. The command that instructed Les's muscles to pull his arm away so quickly most likely came from his

A)brain.
B)spinal cord.
C)sensory neurons.
D)motor neurons.

Question 61

Blesdo keeps falling asleep at odd times. He is having trouble with arousal and attention. His doctors have ruled out sleep disorders and are now concentrating on certain brain structures. The one that is most likely malfunctioning is the

A)thalamus.
B)reticular formation.
C)substantia nigra.
D)hippocampus.

Question 62

Trisha is gradually developing an impairment in her ability to perform finely coordinated movements, such as cutting a clove of garlic into very small pieces. Doctors will probably discover a problem in her

A)medulla oblongata.
B)hypothalamus.
C)cerebellum.
D)amygdala.

Question 63

Doctor Emarih wants to know what conclusions he can draw from fMRI research. He has been reviewing criticisms of this technology and found one of them to be incorrect. According to your textbook, which criticism is false?

A)An fMRI scan does not necessarily reveal how the mind works.
B)An fMRI shows only where brain activity occurs, not what is causing it.
C)Researchers may be accepting the value of fMRI too readily.
D)This technology shows us how the brain produces thoughts and feelings, but it is not precise enough yet to draw accurate conclusions.

Question 64

Based on the "Thinking Critically" section in the textbook, we know that fMRI technology

A)directly measures brain activity.
B)can reveal the brain areas that are active when a person experiences an emotion.
C)can detect any neuronal activity, even if increases and decreases of activity in the same region cancel each other out.
D)is not very susceptible to experimenter bias because the images are difficult to misinterpret.

Question 65

Travis's hypothalamus was injured in an accident. Travis will have trouble regulating all of the following except his

A)sex drive.
B)weight.
C)breathing.
D)hydration.

Question 66

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the hindbrain?

A)It is a continuation of the spinal cord.
B)It is broken into two halves, called hemispheres.
C)It is divided into four main areas, called lobes.
D)It controls most of our higher, human-like functions.

Question 67

During a recent study session, your friend asks you to explain what the locus coeruleus does. You explain the locus coeruleus is part of the hindbrain responsible for

A)emotional response.
B)sexual arousal.
C)balance.
D)directing attention.

Question 68

After an accident, Stella was left with brain damage. Now Stella has trouble judging the emotions of others, even when she can see their facial expressions. Stella has most likely damaged her

A)cerebellum.
B)amygdala.
C)hypothalamus.
D)thalamus.

Question 69

While waiting to begin his college entrance exam, John becomes nervous. As a result, his medulla oblongata begins to function differently. This will cause a change in his

A)emotional experience.
B)balance and coordination.
C)heart rate and breathing.
D)memory.

Question 70

Herman suffers a stroke that destroys the connections between the reticular formation and the rest of his brain. Herman will most likely

A)be in a permanent coma.
B)have increased activity in the locus coeruleus.
C)lose automatic control of his heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.
D)lose all reflexes.

Question 71

Andre was in a terrible car accident and had a serious head injury. As a result, he is now in a permanent coma. Andre most likely has damage to his

A)cerebellum.
B)hypothalamus.
C)corpus callosum.
D)reticular formation.

Question 72

The largest level of brain tissue in the human being is the ________, which includes such structures as the thalamus and hypothalamus, amygdala, and cerebral cortex.

A)anterobrain
B)midbrain
C)hindbrain
D)forebrain

Question 73

With the advent of fMRI, researchers have been able to explore mirror neuron mechanisms in the human brain. Based on this research, psychologists have discovered all of the following except

A)mirror systems have been found in humans that correspond to the F5 region in monkeys.
B)Broca's area may be important in many skills that involve imitation.
C)language development and empathy seem to operate independently from mirror neuron mechanisms.
D)certain parts of the brain are activated similarly when a person witnesses an emotion as when he or she directly experiences that emotion.

Question 74

To understand how to better treat depression, Dr. Kloss and his team plan to use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). By using this technology, the research team will be able to

A)detect changes in blood flow within the brain.
B)measure general electrical activity in the brain.
C)disrupt the activity of neurons in a particular brain region.
D)trace the activity of axon pathways.

Question 75

To study brain activity, Dr. Nu Rho uses a new scanning technique that traces the activity of axon pathways. Dr. Rho's brain imaging procedure is known as

A)diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
B)electroencephalograph (EEG).
C)positron emission tomography (PET).
D)transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Question 76

Damage to the locus coeruleus has been linked to all of the following except

A)posttraumatic stress disorder.
B)attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
C)memory loss.
D)sleep disorders.

Question 77

After consuming a few alcoholic beverages, Sejal finds it hard to tie her shoes. This is most likely because the alcohol has affected her

A)corpus callosum.
B)hypothalamus.
C)cerebellum.
D)hippocampus.

Question 78

Mathias was playing ice hockey with his friends, and in a very foolish moment decided to take off his helmet during the game. Just a few minutes later, he was knocked backward and slammed the back of his head into the ice. For several weeks after, Matthias has had difficulty with balance and coordinated movement. He has most likely damaged his

A)medulla oblongata.
B)reticular formation.
C)cerebellum.
D)locus coeruleus.

Question 79

Jerod was in an automobile accident and can no longer control his own heart rate or breathing. Jerod most likely has damage to his

A)cerebellum.
B)hippocampus.
C)amygdala.
D)medulla oblongata.

Question 80

When a balloon pops near Tyler's head, the circuits in his __________ cause him to reflexively turn his head toward the source of the startling noise.

A)hindbrain
B)midbrain
C)forebrain
D)lateral brain