Deck 3: The Biology of Behavior

Question 1

A coiled, double-stranded nucleotide that contains an organism's entire genetic code is known as __________.

A) DNA
B) an allele
C) a gamete
D) a chromosome

Answer 1

DNA

Question 2

Which of the following do not contain deoxyribonucleic acid?

A) fat cells
B) white blood cells
C) red blood cells
D) helper T cells

Answer 2

red blood cells

Question 3

Inside cell nuclei, DNA is packaged together to form structures known as __________.

A) genes
B) chromosomes
C) genomes
D) heritability

Answer 3

chromosomes

Question 4

By directing protein production, ___________________ influence the development of such processes as brain growth, hair color, and height.

A) chromosomes
B) synapses
C) hormones
D) genes

Question 5

Since blond hair is a recessive trait, a child will have this hair color only if __________.

A) the father has blond hair and the mother has brown hair
B) both parents carry recessive genes for blond hair
C) only one parent carries the recessive gene for blond hair
D) either parent carries a dominant gene for brown hair

Question 6

Behavioral geneticists study which of the following?

A) The extent to which behaviors run in families
B) Common behaviors shared by identical twins
C) Segments of DNA associated with particular behaviors
D) all of these

Question 7

According to contemporary research, for which of the following conditions does having a specific gene guarantee an outcome?

A) Huntington's disease
B) anxiety
C) major depressive disorder
D) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Question 8

In which of the following scenarios would the individual's environment interact with his or her genes to create the given developmental outcome?

A) Greg's mother consumed a lot of alcohol when she was pregnant with him, and now he has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
B) Mortimer attends a reputable grammar school, and his grades are the highest in his class.
C) Sally sustained a traumatic brain injury, and now she has major language impairments.
D) all of these.

Question 9

Fragile X syndrome is a single-gene cause of mental retardation and is therefore passed on from a parent to an offspring in a process called __________.

A) accommodation
B) polymorphism
C) monogenic transmission
D) polygenic transmission

Question 10

Characteristics such as skin color, risk taking, and metabolism are caused by the interaction of many genes and are said to be products of __________.

A) monogenic transmission
B) polygenic transmission
C) white matter
D) action potential

Question 11

The extent to which observed differences in a trait are due to underlying genetic differences is known as __________.

A) latent content
B) kinesthesis
C) heritability
D) temperament

Question 12

Manny and Fanny, who are fraternal twins, were thus formed when __________.

A) two different sperm fertilized two different eggs
B) two different sperm fertilized one egg
C) one egg was fertilized by two sperm on separate occasions
D) one fertilized egg split into two independent cells

Question 13

Diane is female, Dexter is male, and they are twins. Which of the following must be true?

A) They are 75 percent genetically similar.
B) They were formed from a single zygote that split.
C) They are identical twins.
D) They are fraternal twins.

Question 14

Monozygotic twins form from a single, fertilized call and are also known as _____________ twins.

A) fraternal
B) identical
C) independent
D) maternal

Question 15

Identical twins share ________ genetic material, and fraternal twins share, on average, ___________ genetic material.

A) 100 percent; 75 percent
B) 50 percent; 75 percent
C) 100 percent; 50 percent
D) 75 percent; 50 percent

Question 16

Why would studying identical twins be helpful at elucidating the cause of a behavior?

A) Any behavioral differences between co-twins must be due to genes only.
B) Any behavioral differences between co-twins must be due to the environment only.
C) Any behavioral differences between co-twins must be due to parental reinforcement.
D) There cannot be any behavioral differences between identical co-twins.

Question 17

The heritability of a behavior may be studied by examining similarities and differences between __________.

A) adopted children and adoptive parents
B) biological children and their parents
C) twins and their co-twins
D) all of these

Question 18

Researchers focus on the connections between genetic markers, environmental experiences, and individual expression of a behavior in __________________ studies.

A) gene-by-environment
B) identical twin
C) genome mapping
D) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Question 19

In genetics, polymorphism means __________.

A) having an equal chance of inheriting a copy of a gene from the mother or father
B) a gene that comes in different forms
C) having a long DNA sequence at a particular chromosomal site
D) DNA predisposes an individual to possess a certain behavioral characteristic

Question 20

Research has shown which of the following with respect to people who have a shorter form of a DNA sequence linked to depression?

A) They rarely exhibit depression.
B) They almost always develop major depressive disorder, and it is linked to genetic transmission from the mother.
C) They are more likely to become depressed after experiencing many stressors than are people with the long form of the DNA sequence.
D) Besides depression, they are almost certain to develop substance abuse problems.

Question 21

The principle of ________________ is illustrated by experiments with rats wherein mothers who carry a specific gene for obesity, if fed a specific diet, will have normal-weight offspring.

A) sensory neurons
B) recessive genes
C) polymorphism
D) epigenesis

Question 22

Research by Rutter (2006) and others has shown that half or more of the genes in the human genome code for __________.

A) height
B) proteins
C) mating behavior
D) illnesses

Question 23

The central nervous system is composed of the __________.

A) heart and brain
B) hypothalamus and pituitary gland
C) brain and spinal cord
D) adrenal glands and hypothalamus

Question 24

Kelly came home to a dark apartment and had to feel around the wall for the light switch. She knew when her hand found the light switch because the __________________ relayed this information to her brain.

A) spinal cord
B) somatic nervous system
C) parasympathetic nervous system
D) enteric nervous system

Question 25

The autonomic nervous system regulates __________.

A) the cardiac muscle
B) kidney function
C) adrenal glands
D) all of these

Question 26

Melinda sees a bear in the woods and becomes extremely scared. She decides to run away as fast as she can. When she gets home, she calms down, because the bear did not follow her. In this situation, the ____________________ prepared Melinda's body to deal with this emergency, and the ______________________ relaxed her body after the crisis.

A) sympathetic nervous system; parasympathetic nervous system
B) central nervous system; sympathetic nervous system
C) parasympathetic nervous system; central nervous system
D) parasympathetic nervous system; sympathetic nervous system

Question 27

The role of the parasympathetic nervous system is to __________.

A) prepare the body for fight or flight
B) calm the body after it experiences a fight or flight feeling
C) organize information transport between the brain and the spinal cord
D) transport information about arm and leg movements to the brain

Question 28

__________________ provide structural support and remove cellular waste products from the central nervous system.

A) Soma
B) Neurons
C) Glial cells
D) all of these

Question 29

The function of neurons in the brain is to ___________ messages.

A) generate
B) receive
C) integrate
D) all of these

Question 30

Researchers estimate that there are ______________________ neurons in the human brain.

A) 10 thousand
B) 10 million
C) 10 billion
D) 10 trillion

Question 31

_______________________ transmit information from a neuron's soma to other neurons.

A) Axons
B) Dendrites
C) Nuclei
D) Glial cells

Question 32

A neuron's spiny projections that receive messages from other neurons are called __________.

A) synapses
B) axons
C) dendrites
D) ions

Question 33

Axons that become ________________ are insulated and can transmit information faster.

A) dorsal
B) deafferent
C) ionized
D) myelinated

Question 34

The tiny gap in between adjacent neurons is called the __________.

A) afferent axon
B) synapse
C) column
D) extensor

Question 35

An axon ends in __________________ that contain synaptic vesicles.

A) polymorphisms
B) resting potentials
C) terminal buttons
D) putamen

Question 36

_____________________ communicate only with other neurons.

A) Glial cells
B) Sensory neurons
C) Interneurons
D) Motor neurons

Question 37

The most common type of neuron in the brain is the __________.

A) interneuron
B) sensory neuron
C) motor neuron
D) none of these

Question 38

Action potential refers to which of the following?

A) When no neural impulse is being conducted
B) A high-voltage neuronal charge
C) A neuron nearly firing
D) A neuron firing

Question 39

When a neuron is in its resting state, which of the following is true?

A) Impulses are bring transmitted.
B) The fluid outside the axon has a positive charge.
C) The fluid inside the axon has a positive charge.
D) all of these.

Question 40

What happens when an incoming impulse increases the positive charge inside a neuron to a certain level?

A) The neuron becomes depolarized.
B) The neuron fires.
C) Sodium channels at the top of the axon are opened.
D) all of these.

Question 41

The all-or-none principle states that __________.

A) if a neuron is not used for a certain period of time, it will disintegrate
B) only specific neurotransmitters will exert effects on some brain regions
C) a neuron either reaches action potential or it does not
D) an individual has a dense concentration of mirror neurons or none at all

Question 42

Chemical messengers that carry information from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron are called __________.

A) radial glia
B) chromosomes
C) central sulci
D) neurotransmitters

Question 43

In the process of __________________, enzymes bind to a specific neurotransmitter to destroy excess.

A) reuptake
B) enzymatic degradation
C) neurogenesis
D) encoding

Question 44

During the process of reuptake, excess neurotransmitter is __________.

A) returned to the presynaptic neuron
B) forced into the postsynaptic neuron
C) destroyed
D) transported to the myelin sheath

Question 45

The most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain is __________.

A) dopamine
B) glutamate
C) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
D) serotonin

Question 46

Madeline is an older adult who takes medicine to treat memory loss that accompanies her Alzheimer's disease. Madeline's medication likely enhances the effects of the neurotransmitter __________.

A) epinephrine
B) serotonin
C) acetylcholine
D) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Question 47

Cocaine blocks reuptake of the neurotransmitter ________________, thereby increasing its availability in the synaptic cleft and stimulating feelings of euphoria.

A) norepinephrine
B) epinephrine
C) glutamate
D) dopamine

Question 48

Frank, who has Parkinson's disease, is most likely being treated with a medication that does which of the following?

A) blocks the action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
B) blocks the action of acetylcholine
C) mimics the effects of dopamine
D) mimics the effects of serotonin

Question 49

Which of the following neurotransmitters is involved in being alert and also in increasing heart rate and blood pressure?

A) serotonin
B) norepinephrine
C) nitric oxide
D) histamine

Question 50

Research by Barr and colleagues (2002) showed that people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to have low levels of _________.

A) dopamine
B) epinephrine
C) norepinephrine
D) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Question 51

__________________ is a street drug that makes people feel affectionate and euphoric by causing heightened availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.

A) Caffeine
B) Ecstasy (MDMA)
C) Alcohol
D) Nicotine

Question 52

Without the neurotransmitter _______________, the nervous system would literally be out of control, never ceasing activity.

A) serotonin
B) acetylcholine
C) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
D) dopamine

Question 53

Pepe is being treated for schizophrenia with a new medication that concentrates on restoring ______________ function, thereby allowing him to decipher relevant from irrelevant information in his environment.

A) glutamate
B) epinephrine
C) substance P
D) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Question 54

An example of ___________________ would be that throughout evolution, giraffes with longer necks survived and reproduced at a greater rate than did giraffes with shorter necks, and therefore giraffes today have long necks.

A) dominant-recessive gene principles
B) X-linked traits
C) quantitative physics
D) natural selection

Question 55

The first primate lived about ______________ years ago.

A) 200,000
B) 11 million
C) 55 million
D) 16 billion

Question 56

According to evidence that anthropologists have uncovered, which of the following is true of Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis)?

A) Their brains were slightly larger than modern humans' brains.
B) They did not produce very complex tools.
C) They did not produce symbolic pieces of art.
D) all of these.

Question 57

The ______________ is the part of the brain that regulates breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and reflexes.

A) medulla
B) pons
C) cerebellum
D) thalamus

Question 58

The ______________ relays information from the lower to the higher brain regions.

A) cerebrum
B) amygdala
C) hypothalamus
D) pons

Question 59

The _____________, which is implicated in learning, also controls balance, coordination, and fine motor skills.

A) midbrain
B) cerebellum
C) cingulate gyrus
D) cerebrum

Question 60

The midbrain, medulla, and pons are sometimes collectively known as the _________.

A) reticular formation
B) spinal cord
C) brain stem
D) cerebrum

Question 61

When researchers lesioned (severed from other brain structures) the _______________ of a cat, the cat went into a deep coma and never regained an alert state.

A) amygdala
B) pons
C) hippocampus
D) reticular formation

Question 62

The ________________ serves as the brain's sensory relay station.

A) thalamus
B) cerebrum
C) cerebellum
D) hypothalamus

Question 63

The ____________ is a series of neural structures that are important in emotion and motivation.

A) brain stem
B) limbic system
C) reticular formation
D) sagittal plane

Question 64

The __________________ is the master regulator of major drives, including fight-or-flight, hunger, and mating.

A) hippocampus
B) pons
C) hypothalamus
D) basal ganglia

Question 65

Maguire and colleagues (2006) discovered that taxi drivers, who are required to learn and navigate large areas of cities, had a specific region of the ____________________ that was larger than that of non-taxi drivers.

A) hippocampus
B) medulla
C) reticular formations
D) brains

Question 66

If researchers lesion (cut or destroy) the amygdala of a laboratory animal, what would be the likely result?

A) It will show an increased fear response.
B) It will show an increased aversion to humans.
C) It will become extremely aggressive.
D) It will show no fear.

Question 67

The outer, convoluted layer of the brain is known as the __________.

A) corpus callosum
B) cerebral cortex
C) medulla
D) cerebellum

Question 68

An important area of the frontal lobes that is implicated in bodily movements is the ________________ cortex.

A) somatosensory
B) auditory
C) primary motor
D) prefrontal

Question 69

In modern humans, which lobes of the brain are the last to mature?

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

Question 70

Teenagers may drive recklessly and engage in other risky behaviors because their ____________________ are not yet fully developed, and these brain structures are responsible for recognizing consequences.

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

Question 71

What happened when Phineas Gage sustained an injury to his frontal lobes when he was shot through the head with an iron bar in a railroad accident?

A) He lost all motor functions on the right side of his body.
B) He lost his vision and sense of touch.
C) His personality changed.
D) He could identify objects in his left visual field but not in his right visual field.

Question 72

We "hear" because of the functions of the __________.

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

Question 73

We "see" and "imagine" because of the functions of the __________.

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

Question 74

The _______________ is a part of the brain that is implicated in such experiences as addiction, empathy, and the perception of bodily sensations.

A) medulla
B) anterior cingulate gyrus
C) ventromedial tract
D) insula

Question 75

The corpus callosum is __________.

A) a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and the right cerebral hemispheres
B) severed in extreme cases of patients who experience uncontrollable seizures
C) a structure that allows neural information to be communicated across brain hemispheres
D) all of these

Question 76

The physiologist who first studied the area of the left temporal lobe responsible for speech comprehension was __________.

A) Chomsky
B) Broca
C) Wernicke
D) Sperry

Question 77

Neuroplasticity is the __________.

A) process of developing new neurons
B) ability to transplant successfully a working brain into a living organism
C) brain's ability to reorganize itself and make new neural connections
D) length of time it takes for a neural impulse to travel to its target neuron

Question 78

The findings of neuroscientist Helen Neville show that __________.

A) blind people are more sensitive to sounds than are sighted people
B) deaf people have more acute vision than do hearing people
C) blind and deaf people are more keenly aware of peripheral sensory experiences than are sighted and hearing people
D) all of these

Question 79

Discoveries in the 1980s that showed neurogenesis in adult avian brains challenged long-held scientific convictions that __________.

A) correlation does not mean causation
B) adult brains do not experience the growth of new neurons
C) parsimonious explanations for phenomena are better than convoluted explanations
D) all of these

Question 80

Breakthrough research in the 1990s provided evidence for new neural growth in one region of the ____________________ in humans.

A) pons
B) medulla
C) cerebrum
D) hippocampus