Question 1

A patient brought to the emergency room (ER) with severe burns is requesting something for the excruciating pain and is medicated with morphine. What neurotransmitter is blocked with this medication, thus reducing the pain?
A) Enkephalin
B) Dopamine
C) Acetylcholine
D) Substance P

Accepted Answer

Morphine reduces pain by blocking the neurotransmitter Substance P, which is involved in transmitting pain signals in the nervous system.

Question 2

A neurologist is teaching the staff about motor neurons. Which structural classification identifies motor neurons?
A) Unipolar
B) Pseudounipolar
C) Bipolar
D) Multipolar

Accepted Answer

Motor neurons are multipolar neurons, meaning that they have multiple dendrites and a single axon. This structural classification allows them to receive and integrate signals from multiple sources and transmit signals to muscles for movement. Unipolar neurons have a single process that divides into two branches, while pseudounipolar neurons have a single branch that divides into two processes. Bipolar neurons have two processes extending from opposite ends of the cell body.

Question 3

Neurotransmitters interact with the postsynaptic membrane by binding to which structure?
A) The receptor
B) A Nissl body
C) A glial cell
D) The neurofibril

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane to transmit signals across the synapse.

Question 4

When a student asks in which region of the neuron do nerve impulses travel the fastest, how should the nurse respond?
A) The large axon
B) The axon hillock
C) The cell body
D) The dendrites

Accepted Answer

The large axon is where nerve impulses travel the fastest due to the presence of myelin sheaths and larger diameter, which facilitate rapid conduction of electrical signals.

Question 5

When a presynaptic neuron is stimulated in a patient's body by an electrical current, from where are the neurotransmitters released?
A) Microtubules
B) The synaptic bouton
C) The synaptic cleft
D) The terminal receptor

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters are released from the synaptic bouton, which is the end part of the presynaptic neuron that contains synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitters.

Question 6

During rehabilitation for severe brain damage following a motor vehicle accident, a patient reports that her thought processes and ability to concentrate are impaired. Which area does the nurse suspect is damaged?
A) The thalamus
B) The limbic system
C) The prefrontal area
D) The occipital lobe

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal area of the brain is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as thought processes, concentration, and decision-making. Damage to this area can impair these abilities.

Question 7

Blockage of which of the following would cause hydrocephalus?
A) The cerebral aqueduct
B) The inferior colliculi
C) The red nucleus
D) The tegmentum

Accepted Answer

The cerebral aqueduct connects the third and fourth ventricles in the brain. Blockage here can lead to the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid, causing hydrocephalus.

Question 8

An experiment looking at an isolated neuron revealed a sensory nerve with one process containing a dendritic portion extending away from the CNS and an axon extending toward the CNS. Which of the following classifications would this neuron fall into?
A) Bipolar
B) Multipolar
C) Pseudounipolar
D) Interpolar

Accepted Answer

This neuron fits the description of a pseudounipolar neuron, which has a single process that divides into an axon and a dendrite at the cell body. The dendrite extends away from the CNS to receive sensory information, while the axon extends toward the CNS to transmit that information. The other classifications, bipolar and multipolar, do not fit this description. Interpolar neurons do not exist as a separate classification in current neuroscience literature.

Question 9

A nurse is preparing to teach about neurons. Which information should the nurse include?
A) The axon extends from the cell body at the axon hillock.
B) The axon attaches to the cell body by the Nissl body.
C) Axons attach to the cell body by the node of Ranvier.
D) The myelin sheath attaches the axon to the cell body.

Accepted Answer

The axon extends from the cell body at the axon hillock, which is the correct anatomical description of how the axon is connected to the neuron.

Question 10

A nurse is preparing to teach about functions to maintain homeostasis and instinctive behavioural patterns. Which area of the brain is the nurse discussing?
A) The thalamus
B) The medulla
C) The cerebellum
D) The hypothalamus

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is responsible for maintaining homeostasis and regulating instinctive behavioral patterns such as hunger, thirst, and temperature control.

Question 11

A student nurse asks the nurse what controls reflex activities concerned with heart rate and blood pressure. What is the nurse's best response? These reflex activities are controlled by the:
A) medulla oblongata.
B) pons.
C) midbrain.
D) cerebrum.

Accepted Answer

Reflex activities concerned with heart rate and blood pressure are controlled by the medulla oblongata located in the brainstem. It plays a crucial role in autonomic functions, such as regulating heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. The pons and midbrain are also parts of the brainstem, but they do not have as significant a role in controlling these reflex activities as the medulla oblongata does. The cerebrum is responsible for higher thinking and consciousness, but it is not involved in regulating these automatic bodily functions.

Question 12

Where is the primary visual cortex of the brain located?
A) The frontal lobe
B) The temporal lobe
C) The occipital lobe
D) The parietal lobe

Accepted Answer

The primary visual cortex is located in the occipital lobe of the brain.

Question 13

When a nurse is teaching about the transverse fibre tract that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, what term should the nurse use?
A) Peduncle
B) Corpus callosum
C) Basal ganglia
D) Pons

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is a transverse fibre tract that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

Question 14

A cell was isolated from the CNS. A researcher revealed that its main function was to clear cellular debris. What type of cell is the researcher studying?
A) Astrocyte
B) Ependymal cell
C) Microglial cell
D) Schwann cell

Accepted Answer

Microglial cells are the primary immune cells of the central nervous system and are responsible for clearing cellular debris and dead neurons through phagocytosis.

Question 15

When a patient asks what the somatic nervous system controls, how should the nurse respond?
A) It controls heart rate.
B) It controls spinal cord function.
C) It controls skeletal muscle action.
D) It regulates smooth muscle organs.

Accepted Answer

The somatic nervous system is responsible for voluntary control of skeletal muscles.

Question 16

A patient is looking at a picture of the brain and points to the convolutions on the surface of the cerebrum. What does the nurse say about these convolutions?
A) They are called sulci.
B) They are called fissures.
C) The convolutions are reticular formations.
D) The convolutions are called gyri.

Accepted Answer

The convolutions on the surface of the cerebrum are called gyri, which are the ridges between the grooves known as sulci.

Question 17

Which neurons have the capacity for regeneration?
A) Unmyelinated neurons in the brain
B) Myelinated neurons in the spinal cord
C) Myelinated peripheral neurons
D) Postganglionic motor neurons

Accepted Answer

Only myelinated peripheral neurons have the capacity for regeneration, as they are able to regenerate their axons after injury. Unmyelinated neurons in the brain, myelinated neurons in the spinal cord, and postganglionic motor neurons have limited regenerative capacity or none at all.

Question 18

What area of the brain is responsible for wakefulness and attention?
A) The corpora quadrigemina
B) The reticular activating system
C) The cerebellum
D) The hypothalamus

Accepted Answer

The reticular activating system (RAS) is responsible for regulating wakefulness and attention by controlling the arousal and consciousness levels in the brain.

Question 19

A neurologist is teaching about the region responsible for motor aspects of speech. Which area is the neurologist discussing?
A) Wernicke area
B) Broca area
C) Brodmann area 4
D) Brodmann area 6

Accepted Answer

The Broca area, also known as Broca's speech area, is responsible for the motor aspects of speech production. It is located in the frontal lobe, typically in the left hemisphere, and is involved in the planning and coordination of movements necessary for speech. The Wernicke area is responsible for understanding spoken language, while Brodmann areas 4 and 6 are involved in motor control of the body.

Question 20

If a neuron's membrane potential is held close to the threshold potential by excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), what state is the neuron in?
A) A hyperpolarized state
B) A facilitated state
C) An integrated state
D) An inhibited state

Accepted Answer

A facilitated state occurs when a neuron is brought closer to the threshold potential by EPSPs, making it more likely to fire an action potential.

Quiz 13: Structure and Function of the Neurological System

A patient brought to the emergency room (ER) with severe burns is requesting something for the excruciating pain and is medicated with morphine. What neurotransmitter is blocked with this medication, thus reducing the pain?

A neurologist is teaching the staff about motor neurons. Which structural classification identifies motor neurons?

Neurotransmitters interact with the postsynaptic membrane by binding to which structure?

When a student asks in which region of the neuron do nerve impulses travel the fastest, how should the nurse respond?

When a presynaptic neuron is stimulated in a patient's body by an electrical current, from where are the neurotransmitters released?

During rehabilitation for severe brain damage following a motor vehicle accident, a patient reports that her thought processes and ability to concentrate are impaired. Which area does the nurse suspect is damaged?

Blockage of which of the following would cause hydrocephalus?

An experiment looking at an isolated neuron revealed a sensory nerve with one process containing a dendritic portion extending away from the CNS and an axon extending toward the CNS. Which of the following classifications would this neuron fall into?

A nurse is preparing to teach about neurons. Which information should the nurse include?

A nurse is preparing to teach about functions to maintain homeostasis and instinctive behavioural patterns. Which area of the brain is the nurse discussing?

A student nurse asks the nurse what controls reflex activities concerned with heart rate and blood pressure. What is the nurse's best response? These reflex activities are controlled by the:

Where is the primary visual cortex of the brain located?

When a nurse is teaching about the transverse fibre tract that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, what term should the nurse use?

A cell was isolated from the CNS. A researcher revealed that its main function was to clear cellular debris. What type of cell is the researcher studying?

When a patient asks what the somatic nervous system controls, how should the nurse respond?

A patient is looking at a picture of the brain and points to the convolutions on the surface of the cerebrum. What does the nurse say about these convolutions?

Which neurons have the capacity for regeneration?

What area of the brain is responsible for wakefulness and attention?

A neurologist is teaching about the region responsible for motor aspects of speech. Which area is the neurologist discussing?

If a neuron's membrane potential is held close to the threshold potential by excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) , what state is the neuron in?