Deck 3: A: The Biological Bases of Behaviour

Question 1

What is the primary role of glial cells

A) They form the primary components of the spinal cord. 
B) They provide support for neurons. 
C) They release neurotransmitters. 
D) They release neuromodulators.

Answer 1

 They provide support for neurons. 

Question 2

Emma has a disorder that includes degeneration of myelin sheaths in her nervous system.Which disorders does Emma most likely have

A) Alzheimer's disease 
B) multiple sclerosis 
C) schizophrenia 
D) Parkinson's disease

Answer 2

 multiple sclerosis 

Question 3

When you are printing something from your computer,your cable must be securely connected to the printer or else the signal won't get through.If you compared a computer and printer to two neurons,what is the neuronal equivalent of the connection between the cable and the printer

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

Answer 3

 synapse 

Question 4

Which of the following is associated with the fastest neural impulses

A) unmyelinated dendrites 
B) myelinated axons 
C) shorter axons 
D) multiple dendrites

Question 5

Which statement best describes the structure and function of all neurons in your central nervous system

A) All neurons contain a cell body and an axon and may have other structures. 
B) All neurons receive information via one or more dendrites and send information via one or more axons. 
C) All neurons synapse onto another neuron to transmit an electrical signal. 
D) All neurons receive and send information.

Question 6

What is a characteristic of both sodium and potassium ions

A) They carry a negative charge. 
B) They are concentrated inside the neuron's cell body when it is at rest. 
C) They carry a positive charge. 
D) They are capable of changing their potentials.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT one way that glial cells protect the brain

A) cerebral spinal fluid 
B) blood-brain barrier 
C) the endocrine system 
D) the immune system

Question 8

What would happen if you were to lose all your glial cells

A) There would be no change in functioning, because neurons are the cells that are important for transmission of information within the nervous system. 
B) One hemisphere could not send information to the other hemisphere. 
C) Your neurons would no longer have a normal chemical environment, and there would be problems with efficient neurotransmission. 
D) You would no longer be able to send neurotransmitters from one cell to another.

Question 9

When you want to print something from a computer,a cable carries this signal from the computer to the printer.In comparing a computer and printer to two neurons,what is the neuronal equivalent to the cable

A) synapse 
B) Soma 
C) terminal button 
D) Axon

Question 10

Which cells in the nervous system do most of the work of receiving,integrating,and transmitting information

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

Question 11

What are three basic components of most neurons

A) vesicles, terminal buttons, synapses 
B) myelin, nodes, axon terminals 
C) cell body, axon, dendrites 
D) hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain

Question 12

Which neuronal structures are analogous to branches on a tree

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

Question 13

In computers,the keyboard is the component of the computer that receives information.What would the keyboard be equivalent to,in comparing a computer to a neuron

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

Question 14

Which part of the neuron secretes neurotransmitters

A) neuromodulators 
B) dendrites 
C) myelin sheaths 
D) terminal buttons

Question 15

If you hit your head during a football game,your brain fortunately provides some protection in the form of a fluid that creates a cushioning effect upon impact.Which fluid,produced by the glial cells,provides this cushioning effect

A) blood-brain barrier 
B) endorphins 
C) cerebral spinal fluid 
D) neurotransmitters

Question 16

What is the correct sequence of structures through which information flows in a neuron

A) dendrites to axon to soma 
B) axon to glia to dendrites 
C) glia to dendrites to axon 
D) dendrites to soma to axon

Question 17

On a typical neuron,which structure receives neurochemical information,and which structure sends neurochemical information to other neurons

A) dendrites receive; axons send 
B) axons send; synapses receive 
C) dendrites receive; synapses send 
D) axons receive; dendrites send

Question 18

What is NOT one of the main functions of neurons

A) integrating information 
B) generating information 
C) transmitting information 
D) receiving information

Question 19

What do we call the tiny electrical charge that exists when a neuron is neither receiving nor sending information

A) resting potential 
B) action potential 
C) post-synaptic potential 
D) inhibitory potential

Question 20

What are the cells that provide structural support and insulation for neurons

A) synapses 
B) sheaths 
C) glia 
D) soma

Question 21

What happens when a neurotransmitter is released from a presynaptic neuron,but it does not fit into a suitable receptor channel on the postsynaptic neuron

A) The firing potential of the postsynaptic neuron will not be affected. 
B) An inhibitory postsynaptic potential will be generated. 
C) A graded potential will be generated. 
D) The presynaptic neuron will be inhibited.

Question 22

Sara is holding Scott's hand during a scary movie.Suddenly she squeezes his hand very hard.When she does this,what will the nerves in Scott's hand do

A) release more GABA 
B) send larger action potentials to his central nervous system 
C) enter an absolute refractory period 
D) start to fire at a faster rate

Question 23

The voltage at a receptor site has just changed from -70 millivolts to -75 millivolts.What caused the change

A) excitatory postsynaptic potential 
B) influx of potassium ions 
C) influx of sodium ions 
D) inhibitory postsynaptic potential

Question 24

What is the typical speed of an action potential

A) at least 600 kilometres/hour 
B) up to 1000 times per second 
C) approximately the speed of light (300,000 kilometres/second) 
D) approximately the speed of sound (1236 kilometres/hour)

Question 25

What is an action potential

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

Question 26

What is the correct sequence of steps through which neurotransmitters progress during synaptic transmission

A) binding, synthesis, release, reuptake 
B) synthesis, release, binding, reuptake 
C) synthesis, binding, release, reuptake 
D) release, synthesis, binding, reuptake

Question 27

What do we call the space between a terminal button and a dendrite

A) the transmission gap 
B) the midsynaptic potential range 
C) the synaptic cleft 
D) the neuromodulator

Question 28

Bradley is deeply relaxed and many of his muscles are not moving at all.What does this suggest about many of Bradley's motor neurons

A) They have a voltage of +70 millivolts. 
B) They have a voltage of -70 millivolts. 
C) They are in a relative refractory period. 
D) They are in an absolute refractory period.

Question 29

When a neuron is neither receiving nor sending,what is the approximate voltage of the electrical charge that exists between the inside and the outside of a neuron

A) -700 millivolts 
B) -70 millivolts 
C) +70 millivolts 
D) +700 millivolts

Question 30

A neuron just sent a neural impulse.It will be one to two milliseconds before another neural impulse can be generated.What do we call this brief time increment,when another neural impulse cannot occur

A) resting potential 
B) absolute refractory period 
C) postsynaptic discharge 
D) all-or-none period

Question 31

What is the term for the minimum length of time between action potentials

A) relative threshold period 
B) transduction interval 
C) absolute refractory period 
D) synaptic interval

Question 32

What do synaptic vesicles do

A) They fuse with the postsynaptic cell. 
B) They store neurotransmitters. 
C) They block receptors. 
D) They manufacture myelin.

Question 33

What do we call the process of absorption of neurotransmitters into the presynaptic neuron

A) reuptake 
B) neurotransmission 
C) graded potential 
D) inhibition

Question 34

What type of electric potential increases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will fire

A) all-or-none potential 
B) excitatory postsynaptic potential 
C) inhibitory postsynaptic potential 
D) a resting potential

Question 35

The voltage at a receptor site has just changed from -70 millivolts to -67 millivolts.What will this lead to

A) an absolute refractory period 
B) increased likelihood of an action potential 
C) decreased likelihood of an action potential 
D) a relative refractory period

Question 36

Tracey became dehydrated during a recent illness,and the levels of sodium in her body were significantly reduced.What would we expect to occur if enough sodium was lost

A) Her nervous system would become highly activated, and action potentials would be generated continuously. 
B) More neurotransmitters would be produced in her terminal buttons. 
C) Fewer action potentials would occur in her nervous system. 
D) Glial cells would start to degenerate and die.

Question 37

Fiona puts her hands into a bucket of lukewarm water; Luke puts his hands into a bucket of ice-cold water.What should we predict about each of their action potentials

A) Only Fiona will experience enough stimulation to trigger an action potential. 
B) Luke will have inhibitory action potentials. 
C) Their action potentials will differ in rate, due to differences in the intensity of the stimuli. 
D) Their action potentials will differ in size, due to differences in the intensity of the stimuli.

Question 38

Where are neurotransmitters stored

A) in the dendrites 
B) in the mitochondria 
C) in the axon 
D) in the synaptic vesicles

Question 39

What is a good analogy for the way in which a neurotransmitter binds to receptor sites

A) the lowering of a drawbridge 
B) a key fitting in a lock 
C) the pulling of a gun trigger 
D) the opening and closing of a window

Question 40

What is known about action potentials

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

Question 41

When your text states that nicotine functions as an acetylcholine agonist,what does that mean

A) It interacts with acetylcholine to produce a novel effect. 
B) It occupies acetylcholine receptor sites, thus blocking the action of the neurotransmitter. 
C) It stimulates some acetylcholine synapses. 
D) It inhibits some acetylcholine release.

Question 42

Dr.Ferracane has just discovered a new drug named GL8 that produces side effects such as paralysis and memory loss.Based on this information,how might this drug act on the nervous system

A) as an agonist for GABA 
B) as an antagonist for GABA 
C) as an antagonist for acetylcholine 
D) as an agonist for acetylcholine

Question 43

Which term refers to long-lasting increases in neural excitability in synapses along a specific neural pathway

A) reuptake potential 
B) long-term potentiation 
C) graded potential 
D) mapping potential

Question 44

At what age do humans tend to have the largest number of synapses

A) at birth 
B) at 1 year 
C) at puberty 
D) after physical growth has ended in early adulthood

Question 45

If a brain has several synapses that are not particularly active,those synapses may be eliminated.What is this process called

A) synaptic pruning 
B) inhibition 
C) natural selection 
D) long-term potentiation

Question 46

Which neurotransmitter is primarily involved in the activation of motor neurons controlling skeletal muscles

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

Question 47

According to the Hebbian learning rule,if an axon of Cell A is near enough to repeatedly stimulate Cell B (causing it to fire often),then what will happen to Cell B

A) Cell B will eventually stop responding to Cell A. 
B) Cell B will merge with Cell A. 
C) Cell B will be pruned because it is redundant with Cell A. 
D) Cell B will become more likely to fire in response to signals from Cell A.

Question 48

Caitlin has taken a drug that has reduced the levels of GABA in her nervous system.What side effect is Caitlin likely to experience

A) temporary paralysis 
B) increased levels of anxiety 
C) depression 
D) hallucinations

Question 49

Stuart abuses a drug that is a dopamine agonist.What is Stuart most likely to experience when he is extremely high

A) deep relaxation 
B) hallucinations 
C) temporary paralysis 
D) depression

Question 50

Garrett has a chronic disease that is slowly destroying the cells that produce serotonin in his brain.What will likely happen to Garrett as his disease progresses

A) His memory will gradually worsen. 
B) He will start to show signs of Parkinson's disease. 
C) His sleep and mood will be disrupted. 
D) He will begin to experience symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 51

Jeremy is sitting quietly when the voluntary muscles in his left leg begin to twitch.Which neurotransmitter is likely being released

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

Question 52

Curare blocks the action of acetylcholine by occupying its receptor sites.In this context,what is curare

A) a neurotransmitter 
B) an agonist 
C) a neuromodulator 
D) an antagonist

Question 53

Old synapses are eliminated and new ones created.What best characterizes this process

A) abnormal development 
B) normal development 
C) development which proceeds from illness 
D) this is impossible

Question 54

What is a common property of a neurotransmitter

A) They are synthesized in the pituitary gland 
B) They are stored in the synaptic terminals. 
C) They are released when the neuron is at rest 
D) They may be excitatory but not inhibitory

Question 55

Which neurotransmitter always has inhibitory effects

A) GABA 
B) glutamate 
C) acetylcholine 
D) norepinephrine

Question 56

What does an agonist do

A) It extends the absolute refractory period of neural transmission. 
B) It blocks the action of neurotransmitters. 
C) It mimics the action of a neurotransmitter. 
D) It prevents reuptake of neurotransmitters.

Question 57

Opiate drugs bind onto the same receptor sites as the body's own endorphins.What effect,then,do opiate drugs have

A) They increase anxiety and agitation. 
B) They inhibit visual sensations. 
C) They produce insomnia. 
D) They relieve pain.

Question 58

Dr.Jacoby has just discovered a new drug named Z2W that is an antagonist to acetylcholine.What are some likely side effects of this new drug

A) hallucinations and disrupted sleep patterns 
B) general stimulation within the body and an increase in heart rate 
C) sleepiness and loss of interest in activities 
D) motor and memory problems

Question 59

Dr.Athorp has just discovered a new drug named P3X that is an agonist for GABA.What effects will this drug likely have

A) hallucinations and disrupted sleep patterns 
B) general stimulation within the body and an increase in heart rate 
C) a reduction in pain and a sense of euphoria 
D) anxiety reduction and general relaxation

Question 60

What seems to be a primary cause of Parkinson's disease

A) degeneration of neurons that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter 
B) degeneration of myelin sheaths 
C) antagonistic effects on acetylcholine receptors 
D) damage to glial cells

Question 61

Zayed was walking down a dark street when he heard a car backfire.His heart started to race,and he began to perspire in response to this sudden,startling noise.Which division of the nervous system is responsible for his reactions

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

Question 62

During what type of situations is the sympathetic nervous system in primary control

A) stress 
B) sexual 
C) calm 
D) fatigue

Question 63

Which part of the nervous system controls digestion and the flow of blood

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

Question 64

Through which type of nerves does the brain send messages to the skeletal muscles in the legs when you are walking

A) central 
B) afferent 
C) efferent 
D) sensory

Question 65

What is the distinction between afferent and efferent nerves

A) Afferent nerves take information to the central nervous system, while efferent nerves take information out from the central nervous system. 
B) Afferent nerves are motor neurons, while efferent nerves are sensory neurons. 
C) Afferent nerves are in the peripheral nervous system, while efferent nerves are in the central nervous system. 
D) Afferent nerves take information to the muscles, while efferent nerves take information to the central nervous system.

Question 66

In which part of the nervous system are the nerves in your hands and feet found

A) peripheral 
B) vascular 
C) parasympathetic 
D) skeletal

Question 67

What system allows you both to notice a buzzing near your ear and to swat the mosquito away

A) autonomic nervous system 
B) somatic nervous system 
C) limbic system 
D) endocrine system

Question 68

Which major division of the nervous system is comprised of the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system

A) skeletal 
B) central 
C) afferent 
D) peripheral

Question 69

Which division of your nervous system handles conservation of body resources,including blood pressure reduction and the promotion of digestion

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

Question 70

Which division of the nervous system is necessary if you need to intentionally stand up or scratch your nose

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

Question 71

Brenda was startled when a large shadow unexpectedly passed across her living room window.When she realized that it was just a cloud passing in front of the full moon,her racing heart began to slow,and her blood pressure started to return to normal.What division of the nervous system controlled the reactions as Brenda began to relax

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

Question 72

What are the two most basic divisions of the nervous system

A) somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system 
B) brain and spinal cord 
C) sympathetic division and parasympathetic division 
D) central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

Question 73

What does the central nervous system consist of

A) the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems 
B) the somatic and autonomic nervous systems 
C) the body's sensory and motor neurons 
D) the brain and the spinal cord

Question 74

Which part of the nervous system diverts energy and resources in your body so that you can deal with emergency situations

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

Question 75

Which neurotransmitter is most like the drug heroin

A) acetylcholine 
B) dopamine 
C) endorphins 
D) serotonin

Question 76

Karlette took some new medication for her hay fever.The medication made her heart race,and she became agitated and jittery.Which division of the nervous system has been activated by the medication

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

Question 77

If you were making a new drug to treat pain,which type of neurotransmitter would you attempt to mimic

A) dopamine 
B) monoamines 
C) acetylcholine 
D) endorphins

Question 78

Johann took some medication for his flu symptoms.Later,Johann began to feel a little faint because the medication caused his heart to beat more slowly and his blood pressure to fall.What system was likely activated by the medication

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

Question 79

Robyn has just eaten a full meal and is now relaxing.Which specific division of her nervous system is in primary control at this time

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

Question 80

Which division of the nervous system is most likely to be in control of bodily processes during periods of rest and recovery for the body

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