Question 1

Latoria is horseback riding when she falls and hits her head.After the accident,she has difficulty performing finely coordinated movements.Latoria has most likely damaged her ____.

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating and controlling fine motor movements, so damage to this area of the brain could result in difficulty performing finely coordinated movements. The other structures listed (medulla oblongata, reticular formation, and locus coeruleus) are not primarily involved in motor coordination.

Question 2

Herman suffers a stroke that destroys the connections between the reticular formation and the rest of his brain.Herman will most likely ____.

Accepted Answer

The reticular formation is crucial for maintaining consciousness and arousal. If its connections to the rest of the brain are destroyed, it can no longer perform this function, likely resulting in a permanent coma.

Question 3

While waiting to begin his college entrance exam,John becomes nervous.As a result,his medulla oblongata begins to function differently.This will cause a change in his ____.

Accepted Answer

The medulla oblongata controls vital involuntary functions such as heart rate and breathing, so if it begins to function differently due to John's nervousness, it is likely that his heart rate and breathing will be affected.

Answer: A
 While the medulla oblongata is not directly responsible for emotional experience, its involvement in the stress response can indirectly affect how John experiences and perceives his emotions.

Question 4

Mitch trips and falls near the campfire.When he reflexively draws back his hand,which has touched a hot coal,the signal sent throughout his nervous system went from his hand to his ____.

Accepted Answer

The signal would travel from his hand through the sensory neurons to the spinal cord, where it would be processed and then sent back out through motor neurons to the muscles in his hand causing him to quickly pull it back. It would then continue up to his brain for further processing and interpretation of the painful stimulus.

Question 5

Alfred is in a car accident,and the doctor suspects that Alfred may have suffered structural damage to his brain.Which test would be most appropriate to find out whether there is structural damage?

Accepted Answer

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most appropriate test to detect structural damage in the brain. It uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the brain's structure, which can help detect any abnormalities or damage.

Question 6

During a job interview,Samira realizes that she is sweating a little bit and feels her heart pounding against her chest.Her stomach is also a little bit upset and she hasn't felt like eating all day.From this information,it appears that the ____ division of Samira's ____ nervous system is very active.

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response, which includes increased heart rate, sweating, and digestive upset. These symptoms suggest that Samira's sympathetic nervous system is active. Thus, option C is the correct answer.

Question 7

After Les touches a hot iron,he pulls his hand away almost instantaneously.The command from the brain that instructed Les's muscles to pull his arm away so quickly was passed along by the ____.

Accepted Answer

The spinal cord is responsible for reflex actions, such as pulling the hand away from a hot iron without conscious thought. This is a basic survival mechanism that does not require processing by the higher brain regions.

Question 8

Which part of a neuron is most likely to be found in a fiber tract of the nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Fibers tracts are made up of bundles of axons that transmit information from one part of the nervous system to another. Therefore, the axon is the most likely part of the neuron to be found in a fiber tract.

Question 9

To understand how to better treat depression,Dr.Kloss and his team plan to use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).By using this technology,the research team will be able to____.

Accepted Answer

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. By delivering magnetic pulses to specific areas of the brain, TMS can disrupt the activity of neurons in that region. This allows researchers to study the effects of targeted brain stimulation on mood, behavior, and other factors that may be related to depression. TMS is not typically used to detect changes in blood flow or measure general electrical activity in the brain, nor is it used to trace the activity of axon pathways.

Question 10

Athea is a subject in a study in which the glucose in her brain is marked with a radioactive substance.Then radiation detectors identified especially active brain areas.Which technology is likely used in this study?

Accepted Answer

Positron emission tomography (PET) is the technology that uses a radioactive substance to mark glucose in the brain and radiation detectors to identify active brain areas. EEGs measure electrical activity in the brain, MRIs use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the brain, and PPRs do not exist as a common technology for brain imaging.

Question 11

Doctor Emarih wants to know what conclusions he can draw from fMRI research.He has been reviewing criticisms of this technology and finds one of them to be incorrect.According to your textbook,which criticism is false?

Accepted Answer

The criticism that fMRI technology shows us how the brain produces thoughts and feelings with a remarkable amount of precision is false. While fMRI scans do show patterns of blood flow and oxygen usage in the brain, they do not provide a precise understanding of the specific neural pathways and mechanisms involved in producing thoughts and feelings. They also do not reveal the underlying causes of brain activity, such as genetics or environmental factors.

Question 12

Dr.Zomboss plans to overtake all of humankind by shutting down the fiber tracts of their brains.To do this,Dr.Zomboss will set his brain zappers to target ____.

Accepted Answer

Collections of axons that travel together in bundles are called fiber tracts. Therefore, by setting his brain zappers to target fiber tracts, Dr. Zomboss can shut down the communication between different brain areas, leading to the desired effect of overtaking humankind. Other options (A, B, and D) do not necessarily relate to fiber tracts and their disruption may not lead to the same outcome as Dr. Zomboss's plan.

Question 13

You have been up all night studying for an important midterm examination and are exhausted.As you reach for your hot chocolate,you accidentally touch the hot burner on the stove.You quickly pull your hand away from the burner.Which statement about your action is true?

Accepted Answer

When you touch a hot burner, the sensory neurons in your skin send a message to the spinal cord, which then immediately sends a reflexive command back to the muscles in your hand to pull it away. This process is known as a spinal reflex and does not involve the conscious control of the brain. Therefore, choices A, C, and D are incorrect.

Question 14

To study brain activity,Dr.Nu Rho uses a new scanning technique that traces the activity of axon pathways.Dr.Rho's brain imaging procedure is known as ____.

Accepted Answer

DTI is a brain imaging technique that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to trace the axon pathways in the brain. This technique is often used to study white matter tracts and their connectivity. EEG measures brain activity through electrodes placed on the scalp, PET scans measure brain activity by detecting the use of glucose by brain cells, and TMS uses magnetic waves to stimulate specific regions of the brain. None of these techniques directly trace the activity of axon pathways like DTI.

Question 15

Chirag's spinal cord is completely severed at the neck in an auto accident.What will he still be able to do?

Accepted Answer

The knee-jerk reflex is a spinal reflex that does not require input from the brain. Therefore, even with a severed spinal cord at the neck, Chirag may exhibit this reflex. The other options require some level of communication between the brain and the area of the body in question, which would not be possible with a complete spinal cord severance at the neck.

Question 16

Yao is participating in a study that is investigating sleep patterns.As part of the study,researchers paste electrodes to Yao's scalp.The electrodes are then hooked up to an electroencephalograph (EEG),which will provide information about the ____.

Accepted Answer

An electroencephalograph (EEG) measures the electrical activity of the brain, providing information about the general electrical activity of the brain during sleep.

Question 17

Blesdo keeps falling asleep at odd times,and generally has issues with arousal and attention.His doctors have ruled out sleep disorders and are now concentrating on certain brain structures.The one that is most likely malfunctioning is the ____.

Accepted Answer

The reticular formation is responsible for regulating sleep and wakefulness, as well as arousal and attention. If it is malfunctioning, it can lead to disruptions in sleep and attention, which are the symptoms Blesdo is experiencing. The other brain structures listed are not as directly related to these functions.

Question 18

According to your text,we know that fMRI technology ____.

Accepted Answer

The text states that fMRI technology can reveal the brain areas that are active when a person experiences an emotion.

Question 19

Casey gets up one morning after only a few hours of sleep and heats up some water for tea in a pot with a noninsulated handle.As he picks up the pot by the handle a few minutes later,he drops it with a crash.Which part of Casey's nervous system causes him to drop the pot?

Accepted Answer

The spinal cord integrates sensory and motor information and is responsible for reflex actions such as dropping a hot pot. Sensory neurons detect the sensation of heat and send a message to the spinal cord, which then activates motor neurons to move the muscles and drop the pot. The other choices are not directly involved in reflexive actions.

Question 20

Claudia has just come home from a long,difficult day of writing questions for this test.As she sits down on the sofa,her heart rate and breathing slow down,her muscles relax,and her digestive system starts getting ready for food.It appears as though Claudia's ____ has been activated.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms mentioned in the scenario, such as slowed heart rate, relaxed muscles, and preparation for food indicate activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digestion. The thalamus is a sensory relay center in the brain, the amygdala plays a role in emotional processing, and the somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements.

Quiz 3: Biological Aspects of Psychology