Deck 1: Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses

Question 1

The two basic kinds of cells in the nervous system are _____.​

A)neurons and glia
B)​dendrites and axons
C)​ribosomes and lysosomes
D)neurons and axons

Answer 1

neurons and glia

Question 2

Santiago Ramon y Cajal demonstrated that ____.​

A)at rest, the neuron has a negative charge inside its membrane
B)​neurons are separate from one another
C)​neurons communicate at specialized junctions called synapses
D)action potentials follow the all-or-none law

Answer 2

​neurons are separate from one another

Question 3

The greater the surface area of a dendrite,the more information it can receive from other neurons.​

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Neurons differ most strongly from other body cells in their ____.​

A)temperature
B)​shape
C)​osmotic pressure
D)mitochondria

Question 5

An efferent axon carries information away from a structure.​

Question 6

Both dendrites and cell bodies are capable of producing action potentials.​

Question 7

Dendrites contain the nuclei,ribosomes,mitochondria,and other structures found in most cells.

Question 8

​The difference in voltage in a resting neuron is called the resting potential.

Question 9

A prolonged increase in the permeability of the membrane to sodium ions would interfere with a neuron's ability to have an action potential.​

Question 10

Which scientific work did Cajal apply to his study of infant brains?​

A)Charles Sherrington's study of reflexes
B)​Camillo Golgi's cell staining method
C)​Perves & Hadley's dye injection method
D)Galileo's invention of the telescope

Question 11

Glial cells transmit information across long distances.​

Question 12

The cell membrane is composed of two layers of _____.​

A)protein
B)​fat
C)​carbohydrate
D)plasma

Question 13

Glial cells serve many functions.​

Question 14

An afferent axon brings information into a structure.

Question 15

At the resting potential,the potassium channels are completely closed and the sodium channels are almost closed.​

Question 16

Neurons are distinguished from other cells by their shape.​

Question 17

Neurons receive information and transmit it to other cells.

Question 18

​The blood-brain barrier is made up of closely packed glial cells.

Question 19

Increasing the electrical gradient for potassium will reduce the tendency for potassium ions to exit the neuron.​

Question 20

Schwann cells build the myelin sheaths in the periphery of the body.​

Question 21

As compared to dendrites,axons usually ____.​

A)form the information-receiving pole of the neuron
B)​are shorter in length
C)​are covered with myelin
D)taper in diameter toward their periphery

Question 22

Dendrites ____.​

A)contain the nucleus, ribosomes, and other structures found in most cells
B)​are branching fibers that get narrower near their ends
C)​are thin fibers of constant diameter
D)are an insulating material that cover an axon

Question 23

The insulating material that covers many vertebrate axons is called the ____.​

A)dendrite
B)​myelin sheath
C)​cell body or soma
D)presynaptic terminal

Question 24

Chemicals are released by axons ____.​

A)into the presynaptic terminal
B)​into the junction between neurons
C)​through the efferent terminals
D)to the mitochondria

Question 25

Gaps in the insulating material that surrounds axons are known as ____.​

A)interpeduncular nuclei
B)​nodes of Ranvier
C)​myelin synapses
D)presynaptic terminals

Question 26

Many dendrites contain short outgrowths called spines that _____.​

A)increase the surface area available for synapses
B)​increase the speed of transmission
C)​eliminate cell waste products
D)increase the symmetry of the cel.

Question 27

The structure that contains a cell's chromosomes is called the ____.​

A)endoplasmic reticulum
B)​nucleus
C)​mitochondrion
D)ribosome

Question 28

Protein channels allow ____ molecules to cross the cell membrane.​

A)large charged
B)​small charged
C)​large uncharged
D)small uncharged

Question 29

What structure is composed of two layers of fat molecules that are free to flow around one another?​

A)the endoplasmic reticulum
B)​a ribosome
C)​a mitochondrion
D)the membrane

Question 30

An axon has many branches,each of which swells at its tip.These are known as ____.​

A)presynaptic terminals
B)​efferent axons
C)​afferent axons
D)intrinsic neurons

Question 31

What do neurons have that other cells do not?​

A)a plasma membrane
B)​large, branching extensions
C)​protein channels
D)an endoplasmic reticulum

Question 32

The tree-like branches of a neuron that receive information from other neurons are called _____.​

A)axons
B)​dendrites
C)​soma
D)myelin

Question 33

A presynaptic terminal is also known as ____.​

A)an end bulb
B)​a node of Ranvier
C)​myelin
D)a spine

Question 34

Nodes of Ranvier are ____.​

A)gaps in the myelin of axons
B)​also known as myelin sheath
C)​spiny outgrowths on dendrites
D)responsible for cell metabolism

Question 35

Water,oxygen,and ____ most freely flow across a cell membrane.​

A)calcium
B)​positively charged ions
C)​magnesium
D)carbon dioxide

Question 36

The surface of a dendrite is lined with specialized junctions through which the dendrite receives information from other neurons.What are these junctions called?​

A)synaptic receptors
B)​axons
C)​synaptic hillocks
D)glia

Question 37

Ribosomes are the part of a cell that ____.​

A)performs metabolic activities
B)​breaks down harmful chemicals
C)​transports proteins
D)synthesizes new proteins

Question 38

The branching fibers that form the information-receiving pole of the nerve cells are called _____.​

A)motor neurons
B)​dendrites
C)​sensory neurons
D)axons

Question 39

Small,charged molecules can cross the cell membrane through ____.​

A)diffusion
B)​ribosomes
C)​mitochondria
D)protein channels

Question 40

The endoplasmic reticulum is a ____.​

A)network of thin tubes that transport newly synthesized proteins
B)​site where the cell synthesizes new protein molecules
C)​structure that separates the inside of the cell from the outside
D)structure that contains the chromosomes

Question 41

Radial glia ____.​

A)guide the migration of neurons during embryonic development
B)​synchronize the activity of axons
C)​wrap around the presynaptic terminals of several axons
D)build the myelin sheaths that surround and insulate certain axons

Question 42

Which type of glia release chemicals that modify the activity of neighboring neurons?​

A)astrocytes
B)​Schwann cells
C)​oligodendrocytes
D)radial glia

Question 43

As a general rule,axons convey information ____.​

A)toward dendrites of their own cell
B)​toward their own cell body
C)​away from their own cell body
D)to surrounding glia

Question 44

Neurons typically have one ____,but many ____.​

A)dendrite; axons
B)​axon; dendrites
C)​cell body; axons
D)dendrite; cell bodies

Question 45

____ in the brain and spinal cord and ____ in the periphery are specialized types of glia that build the myelin sheaths that surround neurons.​

A)Oligodendrocytes; Schwann cells
B)​Schwann cells; oligodendrocytes
C)​Microglia; oligodendrocytes
D)Radial glia; Schwann cells

Question 46

If you were to accidentally touch a hot stove with your hand,you would quickly pull your hand away.The information carried to the muscles in your arm to make them contract was carried by ____.​

A)efferent neurons
B)​afferent neurons
C)​intrinsic neurons
D)sensory neurons

Question 47

If all of a neuron's dendrites or axons were contained within the spinal cord,it would be considered a(n)____ neuron.​

A)efferent
B)​afferent
C)​intrinsic
D)Purkinje

Question 48

The major disadvantage of a blood-brain barrier is that ____.​

A)many chemicals can easily diffuse into the brain
B)​so much glucose is required to maintain it
C)​certain required chemicals must be actively transported
D)viruses cannot escape

Question 49

What type of glia helps to synchronize the activity of axons?​

A)oligodendrocytes
B)​astrocytes
C)​radial glia
D)Schwann cells

Question 50

Glial cells whose function most closely resembles that of the immune system are called ____.​

A)oligodendrocytes
B)​Schwann cells
C)​microglia
D)radial glia

Question 51

Glucose enters the brain via which type of transport?​

A)indirect transport
B)​direct transport
C)​passive transport
D)active transport

Question 52

Molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier are usually ____.​

A)large, uncharged molecules, such as lactose
B)​large, charged molecules
C)​neurotransmitters, such as dopamine
D)molecules that can dissolve in the fats of the capillary walls

Question 53

What happens to a virus that manages to cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain?​

A)It is quickly destroyed by natural killer cells.
B)​It gets trapped in a neuron, and then both are destroyed by natural killer cells.
C)​It gets trapped in a glial cell, and then both are destroyed by natural killer cells.
D)It remains there and may cause negative effects several years later.

Question 54

Glial cells ____.​

A)are less numerous than neurons in the human brain.
B)​transmit information over long distances within the central nervous system.
C)​occupy about ten times more space in the brain than do neurons.
D)are smaller but more numerous than neurons in the human brain.

Question 55

What type of glial cells myelinate axons in the brain and spinal cord?​

A)oligodendrocytes
B)​Schwann cells
C)​radial glia
D)astrocytes

Question 56

Which type of glia builds myelin sheaths around axons in the periphery of the body?​

A)astrocytes
B)​Schwann cells
C)​oligodendrocytes
D)radial glia

Question 57

What type of neuron in the pons receives information only from other cells in the pons and sends information only to other cells in the pons?​

A)afferent
B)​efferent
C)​intrinsic
D)inter-synaptic

Question 58

What mechanism prevents or slows some chemicals from entering the brain,while allowing others to enter?​

A)a threshold
B)​a blood-brain barrier
C)​an endoplasmic wall
D)a differential-drug inhibitor

Question 59

What is the main source of nutrition for vertebrate neurons?​

A)fats
B)​glucose
C)​sodium
D)complex carbohydrates

Question 60

Which type of glia remove waste material in the nervous system?​

A)astrocytes
B)​Schwann cells
C)​oligodendrocytes
D)radial glia

Question 61

Under which conditions would the sodium-potassium pump likely be far less effective in creating a concentration gradient?​

A)if dendrites were generally longer than axons
B)​if the glia-to-neuron ratio were higher
C)​if selective permeability of the membrane did not exist
D)if it were an active transport system that required energy

Question 62

Which of the following describes selective permeability?​

A)Ions can only travel in certain directions across the membrane.
B)​Only certain molecules are allowed to cross the membrane freely.
C)​Only certain types of stimulation will result in an action potential.
D)All molecules must pass through designated channels.

Question 63

When a neuron's membrane is at rest,the concentration gradient tends to move sodium ____ the cell and the electrical gradient tends to move it ____ the cell.​

A)into; into
B)​into; out of
C)​out of; into
D)out of; out of

Question 64

Why does the brain need thiamine?​

A)to enable glucose to cross the blood-brain barrier
B)​as a source of fuel in case there is not enough glucose
C)​as a building block for making proteins
D)to enable it to metabolize glucose

Question 65

Electrical gradients lead to the ____.​

A)general movement of ions into the neuron
B)​general movement of ions out of the neuron
C)​movement of ions to areas having the same electrical charges
D)movement of ions to areas having opposite electrical charges

Question 66

The concentration gradient refers to the ____.​

A)fact that the concentration of ions is greater on the inside of a neuron
B)​fact that the concentration of ions is greater on the outside of a neuron
C)​difference in distribution for various ions between the inside and outside of the membrane
D)negatively charged proteins inside the cell

Question 67

The net effect of each cycle of the sodium-potassium pump is to ____.​

A)decrease the number of positively charged ions within the cell
B)​increase the number of positively charged ions within the cell
C)​decrease the number of positively charged ions outside the cell
D)increase the number of negatively charged ions within the cell

Question 68

Korsakoff's syndrome ____.​

A)is marked by severe memory impairments
B)​results from too much thiamine
C)​results from lack of oxygen to the brain
D)is due to a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier

Question 69

The resting potential of a neuron refers to the ____.​

A)net positive charge on the inside of the neuron
B)​ions which rest in one place in the cell
C)​movement of ions to the outside of the neuron
D)net negative charge on the inside of the neuron

Question 70

What leads to Korsakoff's syndrome?​

A)thiamine deficiency due to chronic alcoholism
B)​glucose deficiency due to chronic alcoholism
C)​viruses that manage to cross the blood-brain barrier
D)glial cells that over-reproduce and increase pressure in the brain

Question 71

The membrane of a neuron is composed of ____ with ____ embedded in them.​

A)carbohydrates; purines
B)​fat molecules; proteins
C)​proteins; neurotransmitters
D)benzene molecules; carbohydrates

Question 72

The resting potential is mainly the result of ____.​

A)negatively charged proteins inside the cell
B)​positively charged proteins inside the cell
C)​negatively charged proteins outside the cell
D)positively charged proteins outside the cell

Question 73

When a neuron's membrane is at rest,the concentration gradient tends to move potassium ____ the cell and the electrical gradient tends to move it ____ the cell.​

A)into; into
B)​into; out of
C)​out of; into
D)out of; out of

Question 74

Why do neurons rely so heavily on glucose as their source of nutrition?​

A)Neurons lack the enzymes necessary to metabolize other fuels.
B)​Glucose is the only fuel that can be used even in the absence of vitamins.
C)​Glucose is not used extensively by other parts of the body.
D)Other fuels do not readily cross the blood-brain barrier.

Question 75

The idea that a neuron's membrane is polarized refers to a difference in electrical potential between ____.​

A)the axons and the dendrites
B)​the axon hillock and the cell body
C)​sodium ions and potassium ions
D)the inside and the outside of the membrane

Question 76

What is one major cause for the resting potential of a neuron's membrane?​

A)a difference in size between axons and dendrites
B)​a high permeability of the membrane to water molecules
C)​the refractory period of the membrane
D)the sodium-potassium pump

Question 77

When the neuronal membrane is at rest,the potassium channels ____.​

A)permit potassium ions to pass quickly and easily
B)​permit potassium ions to pass slowly
C)​prohibit any movement of potassium ions
D)help to open up the sodium channels

Question 78

When the neuronal membrane is at rest,the sodium channels ____.​

A)permit sodium ions to pass quickly and easily
B)​are at equilibrium with potassium channels
C)​are closed, so there is almost no flow of sodium
D)allow sodium to leak out as a steady, continuous drip

Question 79

What term describes the difference in voltage that typically exists between the inside and the outside of a neuron?​

A)concentration gradient
B)​generator potential
C)​resting potential
D)shock gradient

Question 80

What is the approximate resting potential of the inside of a neuron's membrane,relative to the outside?​

A)-70 millivolts
B)​+10 millivolts
C)​0 millivolts
D)+90 millivolts