Deck 4: A: the Biological Bases of Behaviour

Question 1

Where are neurotransmitters stored?

A)In synaptic vesicles.
B)In the nodes of Ranvier.
C)In the dendrites.
D)In synaptic clefts.

Answer 1

In synaptic vesicles.

Question 2

Which statement about the neuron is accurate?

A)The soma contains the nucleus and cytoplasm that sustains its life.
B)The terminal button extends outward from the cell body and receives incoming signals
C)The dendrite conducts information along its length,at the end of which can be found terminal buttons
D)The axon is a bulblike structure through which stimulation of nearby glands,muscles,or other neurons is made possible

Answer 2

The soma contains the nucleus and cytoplasm that sustains its life.

Question 3

With respect to neuronal transmission,what does the image of a key fitting into a keyhole best illustrate?

A)How synaptic vesicles are activated by an action potential.
B)How the end of one neuron fits snugly into another.
C)How ion channels open and close.
D)How neurotransmitters bind to receptor molecules.

Answer 3

How neurotransmitters bind to receptor molecules.

Question 4

Which structure lies between the sensory neurons and the motor neurons?

A)axon
B)terminal button
C)interneuron
D)medial neuron

Question 5

Which swollen,bulblike structures at the end of the neuron make it possible for the neuron to stimulate nearby glands,muscles,or other neurons?

A)vesicles
B)axons
C)dendrites
D)terminal buttons

Question 6

The channels that allow sodium to flow into the neuron close and the channels that allow potassium to flow out open.Which statement about the state of the neuron is accurate?

A)It has reached its action potential threshold.
B)It is in the process of being depolarized and will soon fire.
C)It is in the process of returning to its original resting state.
D)It has an ion exchange malfunction.

Question 7

Where are the nodes of Ranvier located?

A)In myelinated neurons only.
B)In unmyelinated neurons only.
C)In the dendrites of the neuron.
D)In both myelinated and unmyelinated neurons.

Question 8

Children are lined up holding hands pretending to be a neuron.Marty is at one end receiving input from other 'neurons'.Marty is holding hands with Stacy,Alice,and finally James who is the last one to receive the input.Who in this line of children is the dendrite?

A)James
B)Alice
C)Stacy
D)Marty

Question 9

Which statement about the myelin sheath is accurate?

A)It has no known function.
B)It is composed of glial cells.
C)It decreases the speed of nerve signal conduction.
D)It is implicated in Parkinson's disease.

Question 10

The children in a classroom are playing the role of different parts of a neuron and arranging themselves in the order that information follows as it passes along the neuron.Which sequence is correct?

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

Question 11

When a finger is pricked by a thorn,what is the order in which information is communicated,from the time of the prick through to withdrawal of the hand and realization of pain?

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

Question 12

In loose terms,what does the neuron depend upon when making the "decision" to fire or not?

A)the excitatory inputs it receives.
B)the inhibitory inputs it receives.
C)the intensity of the action potential.
D)the excitatory and inhibitory inputs it receives.

Question 13

Which sequence most accurately reflects the events involved in synaptic transmission?

A)binding of neurotransmitters to receptor molecules; dispersal across the synaptic cleft; rupturing of synaptic vesicles; action potential
B)rupturing of synaptic vesicles; dispersal across the synaptic cleft; action potential; binding of neurotransmitters to receptor molecules
C)action potential; rupturing of synaptic vesicles; dispersal across the synaptic cleft; binding of neurotransmitters to receptor molecules
D)action potential; dispersal across the synaptic cleft; binding of neurotransmitters to receptor molecules; rupturing of synaptic vesicles

Question 14

What radical idea was proposed by Descartes in the seventeenth century?

A)all animals have spirits.
B)the human body is an "animal machine."
C)humans are no more intelligent than animals.
D)human action cannot be understood by using scientific means.

Question 15

What statement about the absolute refractory period is true?

A)neurons can fire intermittently.
B)no amount of further stimulation can induce another action potential to develop.
C)only the strongest stimulation will cause another action potential to be generated.
D)the neuron will be triggered by a stimulus that is slightly stronger than what is typically required.

Question 16

Which structures carry the sounds and smells of the environment from the sensory receptors to the brain?

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

Question 17

What happens to the sodium molecule at the initiation of an action potential?

A)It moves outside the cell.
B)It moves inside the cell.
C)It moves down the axon.
D)It moves toward the end of the terminal button.

Question 18

Which structures carry messages away from the central nervous system toward the muscles and glands?

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

Question 19

Which statement about the neuron at rest is accurate?

A)the neuron is depolarized.
B)there is more potassium inside the neuron than outside.
C)it does not have the capacity to respond to stimulation.
D)the inside of the neuron is more negative than the fluid outside the neuron.

Question 20

Where does the potassium ion move when the neuron is returning to its resting state?

A)Inside the cell.
B)Outside the cell.
C)Down the axon.
D)Toward the end of the terminal button.

Question 21

What does the application of rTMS typically include?

A)A series of words is rapidly delivered to the individual through earphones.
B)Reversible "lesions" inactivate areas of the brain.
C)The individual makes decisions within a group format.
D)The individual undergoes a physical stress test.

Question 22

Which behaviour is greatly affected by the catecholamines?

A)amnesia.
B)schizophrenia.
C)dementia.
D)pain.

Question 23

According to research,how does oxytocin affect human behaviour?

A)Individuals become aggressive.
B)Individuals place trust in others in high-risk situations.
C)Individuals detect deception in others more often than not.
D)Individuals show improvement in planning and reasoning skills.

Question 24

Which nervous system is comprised of all the neurons of the brain and spinal cord?

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

Question 25

What is the primary challenge of studying participants whose brains have been accidentally damaged?

A)researchers have no control over the location or extent of the damage.
B)individuals with damaged brains are less likely to consent to being studied by researchers.
C)Researchers have difficulty obtaining an adequate sample size.
D)Ethics committees prohibit research with people who have suffered damage to their brains.

Question 26

Which approach is the most invasive technique used to examine the functions of the brain?

A)lesioning.
B)magnetic resonance imaging.
C)positron emission tomography.
D)functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Question 27

Which assessment technique shows the location of brain activity and involves the injection of a radioactive substance?

A)MRI
B)fMRI
C)PET scan
D)electroencephalogram

Question 28

Which statement about the function of oxytocin is accurate?

A)It promotes the belief that future interactions will be rewarding.
B)It reduces feelings of depression.
C)It helps individuals to act on information that indicates that a trust has been broken.
D)It influences brain activity similar to that of a placebo.

Question 29

Which structure controls the hand when it reflexively withdraws from a painful stimulus?

A)The brain.
B)The spinal cord.
C)The frontal lobe.
D)The cerebellum.

Question 30

Which technique should be used to enable precise claims about both the structure and the function of the brain?

A)a PET scan
B)An electroencephalohram
C)functional MRI
D)electrical stimulation

Question 31

How did the case of Phineas P.Gage impact the study of psychology?

A)It provided evidence for the link between verbal and motor behaviour.
B)It indicated that the brain and complex psychological processes are closely related.
C)It illustrated the impact of near-death experiences on motivation.
D)It suggested that intelligence is primarily environmentally determined.

Question 32

Which neurotransmitter decreases anxiety?

A)acetylcholine.
B)GABA.
C)nitric oxide.
D)dopamine.

Question 33

In the 1950s,Walter Hess examined 4500 brain sites in nearly 500 cats using which technique?

A)brain lesions
B)functional MRI
C)electrical recording
D)electrical stimulation

Question 34

Which brain function is primarily associated with Broca's area?

A)memory.
B)emotion.
C)language.
D)physical movement.

Question 35

Which neuroptransmitter is linked to both botulism poisoning and curare?

A)acetylcholine.
B)GABA.
C)dopamine.
D)norepinephrine.

Question 36

A research participant is given a dose of naloxone and then his arm placed in a bucket of ice water.Typically this is a painful experience.How will the participant likely respond?

A)He will experience little or no pain.
B)He will experience a placebo effect.
C)He will undergo a painful experience.
D)His body will stop producing endorphins.

Question 37

Which technique uses special radio receivers to detect information from resonating atoms in order to assess brain activity?

A)MRI
B)EEG
C)PET scan
D)electrical stimulation

Question 38

Why are endorphins referred to as "the keys to paradise"?

A)Because they have the capacity to alter a person's mood state.
B)Because these substances can reduce the addictive properties of recreational drugs.
C)Because of their pleasure-pain controlling properties.
D)Because many prescription medications have endorphins as their primary component.

Question 39

What are the two major subdivisions of the nervous system?

A)somatic and autonomic
B)peripheral and somatic
C)central and peripheral
D)sympathetic and parasympathetic

Question 40

What is the most likely mechanism of action of hallucinogenic drugs?

A)suppression of the effect of serotonin.
B)enhancement of the production of serotonin.
C)enhancement of the effect of serotonin
D)depletion of serotonin from the brain.

Question 41

G.R.is a patient who has suffered damage to his brain.G.R.believes that it is still 1970,the time when his brain injury occurred,and that the last Olympic games were held in Mexico in 1968,even though it is now the 21st century.Which brain area has most likely been damaged?

A)thalamus.
B)hypothalamus.
C)hippocampus.
D)medulla.

Question 42

Which brain structure controls breathing,blood pressure,and heart rate?

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

Question 43

Which brain structure is often more develolped in ballet dancers and gymnasts?

A)thalamus
B)cerebellum
C)hippocampus
D)reticular formation

Question 44

Which brain structure is involved primarily in autonomic processes such as heart rate and breathing?

A)cerebrum
B)brain stem
C)limbic system
D)amygdala

Question 45

Which structure within the limbic system is implicated in the acquisition of memories?

A)hypothalamus.
B)reticular formation
C)hippocampus.
D)thalamus.

Question 46

Which concept is most similar to that of a thermostat?

A)evolution.
B)determinism.
C)homeostasis.
D)the action potential.

Question 47

Which activity does not require the brain to initiate the response?

A)shaking someone else's hand.
B)pulling one's hand from a hot stove.
C)imagining what it feels like to be paralyzed.
D)feeling the difference between velvet and sandpaper.

Question 48

Which part of the nervous system slows down the heart rate once an emergency situation has been resolved?

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

Question 49

Which brain structure arouses the cerebral cortex to attend to new stimulation even during sleep?

A)pons
B)medulla
C)cerebellum
D)reticular formation

Question 50

Which statement regarding the divisions of the nervous system is correct?

A)the somatic nervous system can be divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
B)the peripheral nervous system can be divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
C)the autonomic nervous system can be divided into the peripheral and central nervous systems.
D)the central nervous system can be divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

Question 51

When reading an exam question,which brain structure relays information from the eyes to the occipital cortex?

A)thalamus
B)cerebellum
C)hypothalamus
D)reticular formation

Question 52

When one is startled in an unfamiliar location,which part of the nervous system automatically triggers the leg muscles to move?

A)spinal cord
B)parasympathetic division
C)somatic nervous system
D)central nervous system

Question 53

Which part of the body is directly responsible for respiration,digestion,and arousal?

A)spinal cord.
B)somatic nervous system.
C)central nervous system.
D)autonomic nervous system.

Question 54

Following a brain injury,a patient experiences significant weight gain and unusual body temerature fluctuations.Which brain structure has most likely been affected?

A)amygdala.
B)thalamus.
C)hypothalamus.
D)hippocampus.

Question 55

A first-time marathon runner is learning that running a marathon can be quite stimulating.How are the applause from the spectators,the sights along the road,and the pain of exertion brought to the central nervous system?

A)By the cerebellum.
B)By the thalamus.
C)By the brain stem.
D)By the peripheral nervous system.

Question 56

Which brain strucures are included in the limbic system?

A)medulla,hippocampus and pons.
B)hypothalamus,cerebrum and cerebellum.
C)hypothalamus,hippocampus and amygdala.
D)reticular formation,amygdala and thalamus.

Question 57

Which brain structure integrates sensory information and facilitates abstract thought?

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

Question 58

Which nervous system initiates the fear response to an emergency situation?

A)Central
B)Distal
C)sympathetic
D)parasympathetic

Question 59

Serge was a mean-spirited person until his brain injury.Which part of Serge's brain most likely sustained the injury?

A)amygdala.
B)thalamus.
C)hippocampus.
D)hypothalamus.

Question 60

A student is walking through an exhibit at the science museum entitled "The Living Brain." The exhibit takes the student from the outer layers of the brain to its deepest recesses.What is the route that the student will follow?

A)cerebrum,limbic system,brain stem
B)brain stem,limbic system,cerebrum
C)limbic system,cerebrum,brain stem
D)cerebrum,brain stem,limbic system

Question 61

Which brain structure allows the two cerebral hemisphees to communicate with one another?

A)the 10^th cranial nerve
B)the thalamus
C)the central sulcus
D)the corpus callosum

Question 62

After having suffered a stroke,a patient is unable to plan daily activities and finds it difficult to decide what to do for that day.Where is the brain damage most likely located?

A)In the visual cortex.
B)In the association cortex.
C)In the primary motor area.
D)In the primary somatosensory area.

Question 63

Which statement about the auditory cortex is accurate?

A)the auditory cortex is located in the two parietal lobes.
B)the auditory cortex in each hemisphere receives information from the contralateral ear only.
C)the auditory cortex of the left hemisphere receives information from both ears.
D)different areas of the auditory cortex are involved in the production of language.

Question 64

Bernard is a split-brain patient undergoing some tests.He is shown a picture of a duck in his left visual field.Which of the following would Bernard likely be able to do?

A)Pick up the object with his right hand.
B)Pick up the object with his left hand.
C)Label the object.
D)Tell a story related to the object.

Question 65

A split-brain patient was shown a picture of a pig in the right visual field and a picture of a tree in the left visual field.When asked to report what was seen,how would the patient most likely respond?

A)The patient would be able to provide the label for pig but not for tree.
B)The patient would be able to provide the label for tree but not for pig.
C)The patient would point to a pig with her right hand.
D)The patient would point to a tree with her left hand.

Question 66

A diagram in a scientific journal illustrates the relationship between the motor cortex and different parts of the body.Which statement about this diagram is most likely true?

A)the shoulders are missing from the drawing.
B)only the areas related to the eyes,ears and nose are larger than normal.
C)the feet are huge,compared to the rest of the body.
D)the areas related to the fingers,thumb,and speech muscles are quite large.

Question 67

Which brain structure occupies two-thirds of the brain's total mass and regulates higher thinking and emotional functions?

A)cerebrum.
B)limbic system.
C)corpus callosum.
D)cerebral cortex.

Question 68

Nadine has suffered a brain injury and can no longer feel anything on her body although she can still move.Where did the brain damage most likely occur?

A)motor cortex
B)somatosensory cortex
C)cerebellum
D)amygdala

Question 69

A patient has no difficulty understanding what is said,but finds it impossible to produce words.Which brain structure has most likely been damaged?

A)Broca's area.
B)Wernicke's area.
C)the angular gyrus.
D)the visual cortex.

Question 70

What conclusion can be drawn about a "split-brain" patient?

A)The corpus callosum has been severed.
B)The patient will be unable to eat or walk unassisted.
C)The patient will demonstrate personality changes.
D)The person has been born without an anterior commissure.

Question 71

Where is the somatosensory cortex of the brain located?

A)just in front of the central sulcus.
B)just behind the central sulcus.
C)just above the lateral fissure.
D)just below the lateral fissure.

Question 72

Where in the brain is speech production typically located in most right-handed individuals?

A)Broca's area in the left hemisphere
B)Broca's area in the right hemisphere
C)Wernicke's area in the left hemisphere
D)Wernicke's area in the right hemisphere

Question 73

What is the function of the majority of the cerebral cortex?

A)To facilitate the process of language.
B)To process sensory information.
C)To moderate physical movement.
D)To integrate a range of information.

Question 74

Brian suffered an injury to his left somatosensory cortex.What symptoms would he most likely exhibit?

A)He would not be able to move the left side of his body.
B)He would not be able to move the right side of his body.
C)He would not be able to feel any sensations on the right side of his body.
D)He would not be able to feel any sensations on the left side of his body.

Question 75

While going for the ball in the soccer league championship,a player slips and hits the back of his head so hard that he "sees stars." Which lobe of the brain was stimulated when he hit his head?

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

Question 76

Which statement is true regarding the differences between the left and right hemispheres?

A)The left hemisphere processes negative emotions while the right hemisphere processes positive emotions.
B)The right hemisphere processes language while the left hemisphere processes spatial information.
C)The right hemisphere tends to be more holistic while the left hemisphere is more analytical.
D)The right hemisphere is larger in women whereas the left hemisphere is larger in men.

Question 77

Justine is engaged in everyday activities.Which statement most accurately describes what is occurring in her brain?

A)Each activity is processed by a specific lobe.
B)For most activities,the frontal lobes are engaged first.
C)Although the brain operates as a whole,some functions are associated with specific areas.
D)The brain operates as a unit,and no single area is necessary for any specific function.

Question 78

If Greg suffered an injury to a portion of his somatosensory cortex,what areas of his body are most likely to be affected by chance alone?

A)feet and legs
B)torso and shoulders
C)neck and eyes
D)tongue and thumb

Question 79

What is the primary function of the occipital lobes?

A)Processing visual information
B)Interpreting pain sensations
C)Mediating emotional responses
D)Understanding the written word

Question 80

Where is the motor cortex of the brain located?

A)below the lateral fissure,in the temporal lobes.
B)above the lateral fissure,in the occipital lobes.
C)in front of the central sulcus,in the frontal lobes.
D)just behind the central sulcus,in the left and right parietal lobes.