Deck 2: Neuroscience and Biological Foundations

Question 1

The basic microscopic cells that comprise your nervous system are the ________.

A) neurons
B) neurotransmitters
C) synapses
D) myelin

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is the part of the neuron that performs cleanup tasks, supply oxygen and nutrients, and insulates one neuron from another so that neural messages do not get "scrambled"?

A) soma
B) dendrites
C) axons
D) glial cells

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The three basic parts of the neuron can be likened to an arm, where the fingers represent the ________; the palm of the hand represents the ________; and the forearm represents the ________.

A) dendrites; myelin; axon terminal
B) somas; cell body; dendrite
C) receivers; generator; transmitter
D) dendrites; cell body; axon

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The part of the neuron that receives information from other neurons is called ________, and the part of the neuron that carries the information away toward other neurons is called the ________.

A) soma; axon
B) dendrite; axon
C) axon; dendrite
D) dendrite; soma

Question 5

Which of the following is the part of the neuron that contain tiny vesicles from which chemicals called neurotransmitters are released?

A) terminal buttons
B) dendrites
C) somas
D) glial cells

Question 6

If a person has multiple sclerosis, that individual's myelin sheaths will ________.

A) deteriorate
B) extend past the axon and cover the cell bodies
C) experience a greater threshold of excitation
D) become receptive to more types of neurotransmitters

Question 7

The fatty insulation surrounding the axon of some neurons that increases the rate at which impulses travel down the axon is called ________.

A) a myelin sheath
B) a dendrite
C) an axon termination
D) an oligodendrocyte

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true of the cell body?

A) It receives information from axons.
B) It is also known as the soma.
C) It contains sensory receptors.
D) It releases neurotransmitters.

Question 9

What happens when a neurotransmitter attempts to bind into a receptor site for which it has the wrong shape?

A) The receptor will be activated negatively, inhibiting its functions.
B) The receptor will be activated positively, activating its functions.
C) Nothing. The receptor will not "accept" that neurotransmitter.
D) The receptor will be activated but will not create a complete action potential.

Question 10

A synapse is the ________.

A) gap between the brain and the skull that contains cerebrospinal fluid and is frequently impinged upon when a concussion occurs
B) tiny opening between the axon tip of one neuron and the dendrite or soma of the receiving neuron
C) vesicle that contains neurotransmitters and hormones, and can release one or both depending on the cell
D) place where neurotransmitters exchange ionic molecules in both an active and passive process

Question 11

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

A) They are chemicals that cross the synaptic gap between neurons.
B) They are surrounded by a myelin sheath that protects them.
C) They can only deliver excitatory messages to other neurons.
D) They can only deliver inhibitory messages to other neurons.

Question 12

What does a neuron do if it receives both inhibitory and excitatory impulses from neighboring neurons at the same time?

A) It fires as a result of the excitatory impulses.
B) It does not fire as a result of the inhibitory impulses.
C) It fires if there are more excitatory than inhibitory impulses.
D) It does not fire if the excitatory outnumber the inhibitory impulses.

Question 13

When there is leftover neurotransmitter in the synaptic gap, which of the following is one of the processes that can occur?

A) The leftover neurotransmitter will decay and become toxic.
B) The process of reuptake occurs.
C) The receiving neuron fires for a longer period of time.
D) The sending neuron fires for a long period of time.

Question 14

An ________ mimics the effects of a neurotransmitter, whereas a(n) ________ blocks the action of a neurotransmitter.

A) agonist; antagonist
B) antagonist; agonist
C) agonist; toxin
D) antagonist; toxin

Question 15

A substance that binds to receptors and mimics or enhances the effect of neurotransmitters is called an ________.

A) agonist
B) antagonist
C) excitatory modulator
D) inhibitory modulator

Question 16

In the lock-and-key analogy for neurotransmitters, the lock refers to the ________, whereas the key refers to the ________.

A) dendrite receptors; shape of the neurotransmitter
B) shape of the neurotransmitter; dendrite receptors
C) axon receptors; shape of the neurotransmitter
D) vesicles inside the axon; dendrite receptors

Question 17

________ is associated with Parkinson's disease, whereas ________ is associated with certain forms of schizophrenia.

A) Too much serotonin; too much dopamine
B) Too little dopamine; too much serotonin
C) Too little dopamine; too much dopamine
D) Too much dopamine; too little dopamine

Question 18

Which of the following is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in dreaming, attention, arousal, and learning?

A) morphine
B) endorphins
C) norepinephrine
D) GABA

Question 19

Which neurotransmitter is involved in the metabolism of glucose necessary for energy release?

A) epinephrine
B) acetylcholine
C) GABA
D) serotonin

Question 20

Which of the following might Jeff be experiencing if he has abnormally high levels of norepinephrine?

A) depression
B) agitated, manic states
C) Alzheimer's disease
D) decreased anxiety

Question 21

Which neurotransmitter is involved in addiction and reward?

A) epinephrine
B) dopamine
C) GABA
D) serotonin

Question 22

Which of these is a component of the endocrine system?

A) the amygdala
B) the corpus callosum
C) the adrenal gland
D) the optic chiasm

Question 23

Which of the following is associated with the endocrine system?

A) the hypothalamus
B) the olfactory bulb
C) the thalamus
D) the cerebellum

Question 24

Which of the following might be happening to Violet if she is under stress because her uncle and her nephew both died the same week?

A) Her adrenal glands are secreting cortisol in response to the stress.
B) Her brain is making more serotonin.
C) Her dopamine levels may increase and make her susceptible to addiction.
D) The level of GABA will increase and cause her to feel anxious.

Question 25

Which of the following is identified as a function of the endocrine system?

A) help with regulation of emotional development
B) maintain cognitive functioning
C) control of the body's response to emergencies
D) control of memory functions

Question 26

The thyroid gland is most closely associated with ________.

A) control of the stress response
B) regulation of metabolism
C) triggering sexual maturation
D) regulating the sleep-wake cycle

Question 27

Which of these is considered to be a major stress hormone?

A) estrogen
B) testosterone
C) cortisol
D) melatonin

Question 28

The two major branches of the nervous system are the ________.

A) anterior and posterior nervous systems
B) central and peripheral nervous systems
C) chemical and mechanical nervous systems
D) brain and spinal cord

Question 29

The central nervous system consists of the ________.

A) brain and spinal cord
B) adrenal and pineal glands
C) automatic and controlled nervous systems
D) peripheral and autonomic nervous system.

Question 30

The difference between neurons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) is that ________.

A) damage to the PNS neurons is more often fatal
B) neurons in the PNS can regenerate
C) damage to PNS neurons is usually irreversible
D) neurons in the CNS are less likely to regenerate

Question 31

The brain's ability to reorganize and change its structure and function throughout the life span is known as ________.

A) neurogenesis
B) neuroplasticity
C) neurokinesis
D) neuroevolution

Question 32

Which of these has been found to restore function in an affected limb even years after a stroke?

A) use of agonist medications
B) use of long-acting curare
C) immobilizing the unaffected limb and exercising the affected limb
D) giving weekly hyperbolic oxygen

Question 33

Which of these are the rare, immature cells that can grow and develop into any other kind of cell?

A) stem cells
B) dendrites
C) axons
D) neurogenic cells

Question 34

What determines the kind of cells into which stem cells eventually develop?

A) the kind of chemical signals they receive
B) their location in the body
C) which part of the nervous system they comprise
D) the electrical activity in the neurons that surround them

Question 35

Stem cells have been used to replenish devastated cells and have helped individuals with ________.

A) autism
B) intellectual disability
C) Parkinson's
D) schizophrenia

Question 36

Research suggests that people with which disorder might experience some benefit from stem cell injections?

A) eye diseases that have not responded to treatment
B) recurrent episodes of depression
C) seizures that cannot be controlled
D) areas of hair loss

Question 37

The spinal cord is found inside the spinal column and is involved in ________.

A) initiating voluntary behavior
B) the release of hormones
C) higher order cognitive functioning
D) reflexes

Question 38

Of these options, which reflex does NOT persist into adulthood?

A) blinking in response to a puff of air in our eyes
B) turning the head and sucking in response to contact with the cheek
C) gagging when something touches the back of our throat
D) urinating in response to pressure in the bladder

Question 39

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for ________.

A) connecting the CNS with the skeletal muscles
B) the somatic and parasomatic nervous system
C) regulation of smooth muscles, cardiac muscles, and glands.
D) linking the body with the sense organs

Question 40

What part of the nervous system would be immediately activated if you were attacked by a mugger late at night walking along a dark street?

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

Question 41

The sympathetic nervous system ________.

A) helps mobilize necessary resources to deal with a dangerous situation
B) is responsible for returning the body to its normal state
C) is sympathetic dominant for sexual activity
D) increases eliminative processes

Question 42

Both early and modern-day brain researchers have used which method to study the brain?

A) dissection of the brains of humans and animals
B) pseudopsychology
C) brain-imaging scans
D) noninvasive techniques

Question 43

Destroying the amygdala in a research rat in order to observe changes in its behavior is best characterized as ________.

A) a lesioning technique
B) unethical research
C) a corporeal study
D) neural stimulation

Question 44

Damaging the cerebellum in a rat causes the rat to lose its balance and posture. This is an example of ________.

A) a lesioning technique
B) correlational research
C) unethical research
D) a noninvasive method

Question 45

Which method uses electrodes to record the brain's electrical activity?

A) CT
B) EEG
C) EKG
D) fMRI

Question 46

EEGs can be used to identify which of the following?

A) mental disorders
B) brain tumor sizes
C) abnormal brain waves
D) brain structures

Question 47

Which imaging technique involves injecting a person with a radioactive form glucose and observing brain activity?

A) EKG
B) PET scan
C) MI scan
D) CT scan

Question 48

Which of these is an X-ray procedure that reveals cross-sectional views of internal structural damage or problems in the brain?

A) positron emission tomography (PET)
B) computed tomography scan (CT)
C) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
D) electroencephalogram (EEG)

Question 49

Which of the following provides a 3-D picture of the brain?

A) positron emission tomography (PET)
B) intrabrain electrical recordings
C) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
D) transcranial magnetic stimulation

Question 50

Which brain imaging technique is the latest to be developed?

A) electroencephalography
B) computed tomography
C) positron emission tomography
D) diffusion magnetic resonance imaging

Question 51

Which part of the brain would be most likely to lead to death if severely injured?

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

Question 52

What part of the brain receives information from the eyes and relays the information to the visual cortex?

A) medulla
B) cerebral cortex
C) reticular formation
D) thalamus

Question 53

Which of these is an interconnected group of lower-level brain structures that are responsible for the arousal and regulation of emotion, motivation, memory, and other mental processes?

A) brainstem
B) limbic system
C) reticular formation
D) cerebral cortex

Question 54

Which of the following is a characteristic of the cerebral cortex?

A) It is part of the least prominent brain structure.
B) It controls both autonomic and voluntary behavior.
C) It regulates reflexive behavior.
D) It is responsible for higher mental processes.

Question 55

The frontal lobes are responsible for ________.

A) motor control
B) vision
C) hearing
D) touch

Question 56

Schizophrenia is associated with abnormalities in which lobes?

A) parietal
B) temporal
C) occipital
D) frontal

Question 57

Which area is found in the left temporal lobe and is involved with language comprehension?

A) Broca's
B) the association
C) Gage's
D) Wernicke's

Question 58

What part of a person's brain might be affected if the person could speak quickly and easily, but could not understand what was read or heard?

A) Broca's area
B) Wernicke's area
C) occipital lobe
D) parietal lobe

Question 59

What part of the brain is likely to not be working correctly if an individual is blind, but their eyes that are not damaged in any way?

A) frontal lobes
B) parietal lobes
C) temporal lobes
D) occipital lobes

Question 60

Which lobes are involved in the interpretation of bodily sensations?

A) posterior
B) anterior
C) parietal
D) temporal

Question 61

Which of the following is true about the association areas in the brain?

A) They control motor movement.
B) They are involved in interpreting information.
C) They respond to visual information.
D) They respond to auditory information.

Question 62

Jason is blindfolded and cannot verbally identify objects placed in his left hand. This is consistent with ________.

A) a dyslexic episode
B) a split-brain operation
C) an epileptic seizure
D) a lateralization of his brain hemispheres

Question 63

Neurons are held in place by ________ cells, which make up about 90% of the brain's total cells.

Question 64

The ________ glands release cortisol in response to messages from the hypothalamus and pituitary glands.

Question 65

The area of the brain that includes the pons, medulla, and cerebellum is called the ________.

Question 66

The "bridge" that connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres is called the ________.

Question 67

The ________ lobes of the cerebral cortex house the auditory centers of the brain.

Question 68

Diagram a neuron with its major parts, and describe the functions of each part. Note: Artistic ability will not be graded; accuracy will be.

Question 69

Describe the electrochemical process that changes a resting potential into an action potential, including a statement about how neurotransmitters act to excite or inhibit action potentials.

Question 70

Describe how communication between neurons occurs. Provide a diagram of this process. What determines whether or not this communication happens?

Question 71

What are the different types of neurotransmitters, and how do they affect our behavior? What consequences do neurotransmitter imbalances have for behavior?

Question 72

How do hormones work? How are they different from neurotransmitters? Provide some examples of hormones, and discuss how they affect behavior.

Question 73

Describe recent research regarding neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, and the role of stem cells in the treatment of physical and neurological dysfunctions.

Question 74

Discuss how a reflex arc works, and whether it is or is not advantageous that it does not include the brain.

Question 75

Discuss the difference between neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, and the regeneration of neurons.

Question 76

Name the two branches of the autonomic nervous system, describe the function of each branch, and state the changes that occur in various target organs during the "fight-or-flight" response.

Question 77

Contrast the three types of brain scans-CT, PET, and MRI (or fMRI)-providing an example of when each scan might be used.

Question 78

Describe the main functions and location of the cerebellum, pons, medulla, and reticular formation.

Question 79

Describe the location and main functions of the subcortical areas of the brain: the thalamus, hypothalamus, and limbic system.