Deck 3: Biological Processes

Question 1

The key function of sensory neurons is to:

A)convey information from one internal processing site to another
B)carry messages and commands out from the brain and spinal cord
C)produce hyperpolarization in glial cells
D)carry information inward toward the spinal cord and brain

Answer 1

carry information inward toward the spinal cord and brain

Question 2

When Dick heard a car backfire, the message was carried from his ears to his central nervous system along:

A)motor neurons
B)interneurons
C)sensory neurons
D)glial cells

Answer 2

sensory neurons

Question 3

The language used by the nervous system to communicate is:

A)electrochemical
B)behavioral
C)hormonal
D)structural

Answer 3

electrochemical

Question 4

When Janice touched a hot candle flame with her finger, the message traveled through her spinal cord along:

A)sensory neurons
B)motor neurons
C)interneurons
D)glial cells

Question 5

The cells in the nervous system that send and receive information are called:

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

Question 6

Interneurons are neurons that:

A)make the initial contact with the environment
B)carry messages to muscles and glands that produce behavioral responses
C)remove waste products and speed neural transmission
D)have no direct contact with the world

Question 7

The key function of motor neurons is to:

A)carry information inward toward the spinal cord and brain
B)convey information from one internal processing site to another
C)produce hyperpolarization in glial cells
D)carry messages and commands out from the brain and spinal cord

Question 8

The neurons that carry messages to muscles and glands that produce behavioral responses are:

A)motor neurons
B)sensory neurons
C)interneurons
D)glial cells

Question 9

Motor neurons are neurons that:

A)make the initial contact with the environment
B)have no direct contact with the world
C)remove waste products and speed neural transmission
D)carry messages to muscles and glands that produce behavioral responses

Question 10

When Walter touched a hot candle flame with his finger, the message to move his finger was carried from his spinal cord to his hand along:

A)sensory neurons
B)motor neurons
C)interneurons
D)glial cells

Question 11

When Chandra smelled some sour milk, the message to wrinkle her nose and grimace was carried from her central nervous system to her face along:

A)sensory neurons
B)interneurons
C)motor neurons
D)glial cells

Question 12

Which of the following is true of sensory neurons?

A)they have no direct contact with the outside world
B)they carry messages from the brain to muscles to produce behaviors
C)they remove wastes from the central nervous system
D)they carry information toward the spinal cord and brain

Question 13

The main components of the nervous system are:

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

Question 14

The key function of interneurons is to:

A)convey information from one internal processing site to another
B)carry information inward toward the spinal cord and brain
C)carry messages and commands out from the brain and spinal cord
D)produce hyperpolarization in glial cells

Question 15

The neurons that convey information from one internal processing site to another are:

A)sensory neurons
B)motor neurons
C)interneurons
D)glial cells

Question 16

When Ricardo heard a car backfire, the message to turn his head was carried from his central nervous system to his neck along:

A)sensory neurons
B)motor neurons
C)interneurons
D)glial cells

Question 17

When Ralph touched a hot candle flame with his finger, the message was carried from his hand to his spinal cord along:

A)sensory neurons
B)motor neurons
C)interneurons
D)glial cells

Question 18

When Pamela smelled some sour milk, the message was carried from her nose to her central nervous system along:

A)motor neurons
B)sensory neurons
C)interneurons
D)glial cells

Question 19

Sensory neurons are neurons which:

A)have no direct contact with the world
B)make the initial contact with the environment
C)carry messages to muscles and glands that produce behavioral responses
D)remove waste products and speed neural transmission

Question 20

The most plentiful neurons are the:

A)interneurons
B)sensory neurons
C)motor neurons
D)glial neurons

Question 21

Roland dropped the hot container he had taken off the stove before he actually sensed any pain because the withdrawal reflex:

A)does not involve the central nervous system
B)is activated by the autonomic nervous system
C)is controlled by interneurons in his spinal cord
D)is initiated in the sensory cortex, which has no pain receptors

Question 22

Which of the following is true of the terminal buttons?

A)they are the long tail-like part of a neuron that acts as a transmitter
B)they form the cell body of the neuron and process information
C)they extend outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons
D)they contain chemicals important in neural transmission

Question 23

The part of the neuron that transmits information from one neuron to other neurons and cells is the:

A)axon
B)dendrites
C)soma
D)myelin sheath

Question 24

The myelin sheath:

A)protects glands and stores hormones
B)protects the neuron and speeds neural transmission
C)stores the neurotransmitters that act on muscles and glands
D)stores the neurotransmitters that allow communication between adjacent neurons

Question 25

The part of the neuron that receives information and carries information into the cell body is the:

A)soma
B)dendrites
C)axon
D)terminal buttons

Question 26

The terminal buttons are:

A)the cell body of the neuron
B)fibers that extend outward from a neuron
C)tiny swellings at the end of the axon
D)small gaps between neurons

Question 27

Which of the following is true of the axon?

A)it is the long tail-like part of a neuron that acts as a transmitter
B)it is the cell body of the neuron and processes information
C)it extends outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons
D)it is a small gap between neurons

Question 28

Which of the following is true of the soma?

A)it is the long tail-like part of a neuron that acts as a transmitter
B)it is the cell body of the neuron and processes information
C)it extends outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons
D)it is a small gap between neurons

Question 29

Chemicals that pass messages between neurons are released by the:

A)terminal buttons
B)dendrites
C)somas
D)myelin sheath

Question 30

Which of the following is true of interneurons?

A)they have no direct contact with the outside world
B)they carry messages from the brain to muscles to produce behaviors
C)they remove wastes from the central nervous system
D)they carry information from the outside world toward the spinal cord and brain

Question 31

The path that information follows in a simple reflex pathway is:

A)motor neuron, interneuron, sensory neuron
B)sensory neuron, brain, motor neuron
C)motor neuron, brain, sensory neuron
D)sensory neuron, interneuron, motor neuron

Question 32

Which of the following is true of motor neurons?

A)they have no direct contact with the outside world
B)they carry messages from the brain to muscles to produce behaviors
C)they remove wastes from the central nervous system
D)they carry information toward the spinal cord and brain

Question 33

Which of the following is true of glial cells?

A)they have direct contact with the outside world
B)they carry messages from the brain to muscles to produce behaviors
C)they remove wastes from the central nervous system
D)they carry information toward the spinal cord and brain

Question 34

The cells in the nervous system that remove waste and help neurons communicate more efficiently are:

A)interneurons
B)neurotransmitters
C)ion pumps
D)glial cells

Question 35

Which of the following is true of dendrites?

A)they are the long tail-like part of a neuron that acts as a transmitter
B)they form the cell body of the neuron and process information
C)they extend outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons
D)they contain chemicals important in neural transmission

Question 36

Blood flow to active regions of the brain is controlled by:

A)the myelin sheath
B)the reflex arc
C)glial cells
D)interneurons

Question 37

Which of the following is false of glial cells?

A)they fill up space in the nervous system
B)they help neurons communicate more efficiently
C)they wrap around portions of neurons acting as insulation
D)they carry information toward the spinal cord and brain

Question 38

Neurons are protected by the:

A)myelin sheath
B)cell body
C)synaptic gap
D)reflex arc

Question 39

The function of dendrites is to:

A)receive information and carry information into the cell body
B)store genetic material and act as the metabolic center of the neuron
C)transmit information from one neuron to other neurons and cells
D)store neurotransmitters

Question 40

The part of the neuron that is the metabolic center and stores genetic material is the:

A)dendrite
B)soma
C)axon
D)terminal button

Question 41

The small gap that exists between adjacent neurons is called the:

A)synapse
B)soma
C)axon hillock
D)sodium/potassium pump

Question 42

When sodium ions flow into the neuron:

A)hyperpolarization occurs
B)a resting potential is established
C)the refractory period ends
D)depolarization occurs

Question 43

Messages travel from one point to another within a neuron:

A)chemically
B)cognitively
C)electrically
D)behaviorally

Question 44

Depolarization of a neuron causes:

A)the likelihood of an action potential to decrease
B)the likelihood of an action potential to increase
C)the axon hillock to become inactivated
D)a change in the intensity of the action potential

Question 45

The tiny electrical charge that exists when a neuron is neither receiving nor sending information is called:

A)an action potential
B)a synaptic gap
C)a resting potential
D)a neurotransmitter

Question 46

Sodium ions flow into a neuron's cell body through sodium channels in response to:

A)an inhibitory message
B)hyperpolarization
C)an action potential
D)an excitatory message

Question 47

An excitatory message causes:

A)channels to open in the neuron's membrane that allow chloride ions to flow out
B)channels to open in the neuron's membrane that allow sodium ions to flow in
C)channels to open in the neuron's membrane that allow potassium ions to flow in
D)the neuron's sodium/potassium pump to be inactivated

Question 48

The flow of information within a neuron is from:

A)terminal buttons to axon to soma to dendrites
B)dendrites to soma to axon to terminal buttons
C)dendrites to axon to terminal buttons to soma
D)axon to soma to dendrites to terminal buttons

Question 49

The process associated with an increase in the likelihood of an action potential is called:

A)hyperpolarization
B)reuptake of neurotransmitters
C)overproduction of acetylcholine
D)depolarization

Question 50

A neuron's electrical potential becomes less negative in response to:

A)an excitatory message
B)an inhibitory message
C)hyperpolarization
D)the firing of the axon

Question 51

The synapse is:

A)the point in the neuron where the action potential is started
B)a small gap between adjacent neurons
C)the structure that pumps ions in and out of the neuron's main cell body
D)the part of the neuron that stores neurotransmitters

Question 52

Both chloride ions and protein molecules:

A)carry a negative charge
B)carry a positive charge
C)are concentrated outside the neuron's cell body
D)are concentrated inside the neuron's cell body

Question 53

The unequal concentrations of potassium, sodium and chloride in the nervous system are partially maintained by:

A)chloride/protein pumps within individual neurons
B)sodium/potassium pumps within individual neurons
C)the neurotransmitters within the nervous system
D)synaptic depolarization

Question 54

A resting potential is:

A)an electrical signal that travels along the axon of a neuron
B)the small gap that exists between adjacent neurons
C)an electrical signal that travels along the dendrites of a neuron
D)the tiny electrical charge that exists when a neuron is neither receiving nor sending information

Question 55

Both protein molecules and potassium ions:

A)carry a positive charge
B)carry a negative charge
C)are concentrated inside the neuron's cell body
D)are concentrated outside the neuron's cell body

Question 56

Both sodium and potassium ions:

A)carry a negative charge
B)carry a positive charge
C)are concentrated outside the neuron's cell body
D)are concentrated inside the neuron's cell body

Question 57

Both sodium and chloride ions:

A)carry a positive charge
B)are concentrated outside the neuron's cell body
C)carry a negative charge
D)are concentrated inside the neuron's cell body

Question 58

An excitatory message causes the cell's electrical potential to become:

A)more positive
B)more negative
C)less negative
D)less positive

Question 59

The resting potential of a neuron is maintained because:

A)the positively charged potassium ions are too small to pass through the cell's membrane
B)the negatively charged sodium ions are too small to pass through the cell's membrane
C)the negatively charged protein molecules are too large to pass through the cell's membrane
D)the positively charged chloride ions are too large to pass through the cell's membrane

Question 60

Messages travel between neurons:

A)chemically
B)cognitively
C)electrically
D)behaviorally

Question 61

The axon hillock is the point where:

A)the neuron's neurotransmitters are stored
B)all the excitatory and inhibitory potentials are combined
C)glial cells are formed
D)the dendrites synapse with the axon's terminal buttons

Question 62

An inhibitory message causes the cell's electrical potential to become:

A)less negative
B)more positive
C)less positive
D)more negative

Question 63

Depolarization occurs when a neuron's electrical potential becomes:

A)more positive
B)more negative
C)less negative
D)less positive

Question 64

A neuron's electrical potential becomes more negative in response to:

A)an inhibitory message
B)an excitatory message
C)depolarization
D)the firing of the dendrites

Question 65

When sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to flow into a neuron it causes:

A)the likelihood of an action potential to decrease
B)the axon hillock to become inactivated
C)the likelihood of an action potential to increase
D)the neuron to return to its resting potential

Question 66

Gaps in the myelin sheath that allow the neural signals to travel at a greater speed are called:

A)axon hillocks
B)salutatory conductors
C)nodes of Ranvier
D)nodules of Descartes

Question 67

The process associated with a decrease in the likelihood of an action potential is called:

A)depolarization
B)hyperpolarization
C)reuptake of neurotransmitters
D)underproduction of acetylcholine

Question 68

Hyperpolarization occurs when a neuron's electrical potential becomes:

A)less negative
B)more negative
C)more positive
D)less positive

Question 69

The process which occurs whenever a neuron's electrical potential becomes less negative is called:

A)hyperpolarization
B)synaptic transmission
C)ionic stabilization
D)depolarization

Question 70

Janet touches a stove that is warm; Pierce touches a stove that is hot.Based on what is known about action potentials you could predict that, for these two individuals, the action potentials:

A)in Pierce's nervous system will travel more quickly because the incoming signal is more intense
B)in Janet's nervous system will be weaker because the incoming signal is less intense
C)will be the same due to the all-or-none principal
D)in Pierce's nervous system will travel a shorter distance because the incoming signal is more intense

Question 71

The process that occurs whenever a neuron's electrical potential becomes even more negative is called:

A)hyperpolarization
B)depolarization
C)synaptic transmission
D)ionic stabilization

Question 72

Depolarization is associated with:

A)inhibition
B)refractory period
C)resting potential
D)action potential

Question 73

The nodes of Ranvier are:

A)a network of fibers within the medulla associated with attention and alertness
B)tiny areas on the surface of the soma that are sensitive to neurotransmitters
C)small sacs found in the axon terminal that store neurotransmitters
D)gaps in the myelin sheath that allow the neural signal to travel at a greater speed

Question 74

The likelihood of an action potential will increase whenever:

A)sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to flow into a neuron
B)either potassium ions flow out of the cell body or chloride ions flow into the cell body
C)either chloride ions flow out of the cell body or potassium ions flow into the cell body
D)the neuron's sodium/potassium pump is inactivated

Question 75

Hyperpolarization of a neuron causes:

A)the likelihood of an action potential to increase
B)the axon hillock to become inactivated
C)a change in the intensity of the action potential
D)the likelihood of an action potential to decrease

Question 76

An action potential is:

A)the tiny electrical charge that exists when a neuron is neither receiving nor sending information
B)an electrical signal that travels along the axon of a neuron
C)the small gap that exists between adjacent neurons
D)an electrical signal that travels along the dendrites of a neuron

Question 77

The electrical signal that travels along the axon of a neuron is called:

A)a resting potential
B)a synaptic gap
C)an action potential
D)a neurotransmitter

Question 78

Action potentials:

A)are stronger when the incoming stimulation is more intense
B)are seldom strong enough to reach the terminal buttons
C)travel more slowly if the incoming stimulation is less intense
D)are generated in an all-or-none fashion

Question 79

Franklin is listening to music with the volume fairly low; Cecilia is listening to music with the volume turned to the maximum.Based on what is known about action potentials, you could predict that for these two individuals, the action potentials:

A)will be the same due to the all-or-none principal
B)in Cecilia's nervous system will travel more quickly because the incoming signal is more intense
C)in Franklin's nervous system will be weaker because the incoming signal is less intense
D)in Franklin's nervous system will travel a shorter distance because the incoming signal is less intense

Question 80

The typical speed of an action potential is:

A)dependent on the intensity of the excitatory signals
B)between 2 and 200 miles per hour
C)approximately the speed of light (186,000 miles/second)
D)approximately the speed of sound (740 miles/hour)