Deck 1: Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses

Question 1

 Dendrites contain the nuclei, ribosomes, mitochondria, and other structures found in most cells.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

 Dr. Skinner is working in the lab measuring the voltage of neurons, and during one condition, she tried to depolarize the neurons from -70 mV to -80 mV.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

 Neurons differ most strongly from other body cells in their ____.

A) temperature
B) shape
C) osmotic pressure
D) mitochondria

Answer 3

shape

Question 4

 There are two types of glial cells that produce myelin sheath. In the central nervous system, Schwann cells fulfill this role and, in the periphery, oligodendrocytes produce it.

Question 5

 Santiago Ramon y Cajal demonstrated that ____.

A) at rest, the neuron has a negative charge inside its membrane
B) neurons are separate from one another
C) neurons communicate at specialized junctions called synapses
D) action potentials follow the all-or-none law

Question 6

 An efferent axon carries information away from a structure.

Question 7

 Increasing the electrical gradient for potassium will reduce the tendency for potassium ions to exit the neuron.

Question 8

 Santiago Ramón y Cajal used special staining techniques to reveal that the brain is composed of individual cells.

Question 9

 The role of glial cells is to act like "glue" or scaffolding to support the neurons.

Question 10

 Dr. Kimi studies the plasma membrane of neurons. He specifically researches the specialized _____ that allow in important things like water, oxygen, sodium, and so on.

A) lipid channels
B) protein channels
C) lipid receptors
D) protein receptors

Question 11

 At the resting potential, the potassium channels are completely closed and the sodium channels are almost closed.

Question 12

 Both ____ and ____ shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1906.

A) Golgi and Cajal
B) Cajal and Sherrington
C) Sherrington and Golgi
D) Cajal and Kalat

Question 13

 Neurons receive information and transmit it to other cells.

Question 14

 The difference in voltage in a resting neuron is called the resting potential.

Question 15

 Neurons are distinguished from other cells by their shape.

Question 16

 Glial cells transmit information across long distances.

Question 17

 The blood-brain barrier is made up of closely packed glial cells.

Question 18

 The two basic kinds of cells in the nervous system are _____.

A) neurons and glia
B) dendrites and axons
C) ribosomes and lysosomes
D) neurons and axons

Question 19

 The greater the surface area of a dendrite, the more information it can receive from other neurons.

Question 20

 Action potentials can be produced in the dendrites of some neurons.

Question 21

 Dr. McLaughlin's lab studies how newly formed proteins are folded inside neurons. They would be most interested in studying the _____.

A) endoplasmic reticulum
B) mitochondria
C) ribosomes
D) nucleus

Question 22

 The structure that contains a cell's chromosomes is called the ____.

A) endoplasmic reticulum
B) nucleus
C) mitochondrion
D) ribosome

Question 23

 Ribosomes are the part of a cell that ____.

A) performs metabolic activities
B) breaks down harmful chemicals
C) transports proteins
D) synthesizes new proteins

Question 24

 Dendrites ____.

A) contain the nucleus, ribosomes, and other structures found in most cells
B) are branching fibers that get narrower near their ends
C) are thin fibers of constant diameter
D) are an insulating material that cover an axon

Question 25

 Water, oxygen, and ____ freely flow across a cell membrane.

A) calcium
B) positively charged ions
C) magnesium
D) carbon dioxide

Question 26

 Gaps in the insulating material that surrounds axons are known as ____.

A) interpeduncular nuclei
B) nodes of Ranvier
C) myelin synapses
D) presynaptic terminals

Question 27

 Professor Xi studies the _____ located on the _____ of neurons in order to better understand how messages are received by the neuron.

A) synaptic receptors; dendrites
B) axons; somas
C) synaptic hillocks; dendrites
D) synaptic receptors; somas

Question 28

 The branching fibers that form the information-receiving pole of the nerve cells are called _____.

A) motor neurons
B) dendrites
C) sensory neurons
D) axons

Question 29

 The insulating material that covers many vertebrate axons is called the ____.

A) dendrite
B) myelin sheath
C) cell body or soma
D) presynaptic terminal

Question 30

 An axon has many branches, each of which swells at its tip. These are known as ____.

A) presynaptic terminals
B) efferent axons
C) afferent axons
D) intrinsic neurons

Question 31

 The tree-like branches of a neuron that receive information from other neurons are called _____.

A) axons
B) dendrites
C) soma
D) myelin

Question 32

 Professor Case studies how drugs of abuse change the amount of chemical that neurons release from the presynaptic terminal into the ______.

A) dendritic terminal
B) junction between neurons
C) afferent space
D) nucleus

Question 33

 Jasmine is in her physiology lab practicing labeling a neuron. When she gets to the nodes of Ranvier, she will be labeling ______.

A) the spiny outgrowths on dendrites
B) the myelin sheath
C) the swelling at the end of the axon
D) the gaps in the myelin sheath along the axon

Question 34

 A presynaptic terminal is also known as ____.

A) an end bulb
B) a node of Ranvier
C) myelin
D) a spine

Question 35

 What do neurons have that other cells do not?

A) A plasma membrane
B) Large, branching extensions
C) Protein channels
D) An endoplasmic reticulum

Question 36

 Professor Lopez studies the specialized _________ in the eye that detect light.

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

Question 37

 Many dendrites contain short outgrowths called spines that _____.

A) increase the surface area available for synapses
B) increase the speed of transmission
C) eliminate cell waste products
D) increase the symmetry of the soma

Question 38

 Small, charged molecules can cross the cell membrane through ____.

A) diffusion
B) ribosomes
C) mitochondria
D) protein channels

Question 39

 The endoplasmic reticulum is a ____.

A) network of thin tubes that transport newly synthesized proteins
B) site where the cell synthesizes new protein molecules
C) structure that separates the inside of the cell from the outside
D) structure that contains the chromosomes

Question 40

 As compared to dendrites, axons usually ____.

A) form the information-receiving pole of the neuron
B) are shorter in length
C) are covered with myelin
D) taper in diameter toward their periphery

Question 41

 ____ in the brain and spinal cord and ____ in the periphery are specialized types of glia that build the myelin sheaths that surround neurons.

A) Oligodendrocytes; Schwann cells
B) Schwann cells; oligodendrocytes
C) Microglia; oligodendrocytes
D) Radial glia; Schwann cells

Question 42

 Radial glia ____.

A) guide the migration of neurons during embryonic development
B) synchronize the activity of axons
C) wrap around the presynaptic terminals of several axons
D) build the myelin sheaths that surround and insulate certain axons

Question 43

 If you were to accidentally touch a hot stove with your hand, you would quickly pull your hand away. The information carried to the muscles in your arm to make them contract was carried by ____.

A) efferent neurons
B) afferent neurons
C) intrinsic neurons
D) sensory neurons

Question 44

 Marquitta is studying for a quiz and records in her notes that glucose is the main source of fuel for the nervous system and enters the brain via _____.

A) active transport
B) passive transport
C) gaps in the ventricles
D) gaps in the blood-brain barrier

Question 45

 Neurons typically have one ____, but many ____.

A) dendrite; axons
B) axon; dendrites
C) cell body; axons
D) dendrite; cell bodies

Question 46

 As a general rule, axons convey information ____.

A) toward dendrites of their own cell
B) toward their own cell body
C) away from their own cell body
D) to surrounding glia

Question 47

 Which type of glia builds myelin sheaths around axons in the periphery of the body?

A) Astrocytes
B) Schwann cells
C) Oligodendrocytes
D) Radial glia

Question 48

 If all of a neuron's dendrites or axons were contained within the spinal cord, it would be considered a(n) ____ neuron.

A) efferent
B) afferent
C) intrinsic
D) Purkinje

Question 49

 What type of glia helps to synchronize the activity of axons?

A) Oligodendrocytes
B) Astrocytes
C) Radial glia
D) Schwann cells

Question 50

 Professor Peach is lecturing in her class about glial cells. She will tell her class that glial cells ______.

A) are less common than neurons in the human nervous system.
B) are responsible for transmitting information within the peripheral nervous system.
C) are the "glue" that holds all of the neurons together in the brain.
D) are not as well studied as neurons but have been shown to perform many important functions in the nervous system.

Question 51

 Dr. Pautz studies the immune system and has recently become interested in the glial cells that function similar to other cells in the immune system. What cells has Dr. Pautz started exploring?

A) Schwann cells
B) Microglia
C) Astrocytes
D) Radial glia

Question 52

 What mechanism prevents or slows some chemicals from entering the brain, while allowing others to enter?

A) A threshold
B) A blood-brain barrier
C) An endoplasmic wall
D) A differential-drug inhibitor

Question 53

 What is the main source of nutrition for vertebrate neurons?

A) Fats
B) Glucose
C) Sodium
D) Complex carbohydrates

Question 54

 What type of neuron in the pons receives information only from other cells in the pons and sends information only to other cells in the pons?

A) Afferent
B) Efferent
C) Intrinsic
D) Inter-synaptic

Question 55

 Andrew was exposed to the chicken pox virus as a child. What happened to that virus after it crossed the blood-brain barrier and entered Andrew's brain?

A) Andrew's natural killer cells were able to quickly destroy it.
B) The glia in his brain engulfed the virus and then natural killer cells destroyed them both.
C) Nothing happened since the chicken pox virus cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
D) Nothing happened at first, but the virus remained there and caused negative effects for Andrew as he got older.

Question 56

 Which type of glia remove waste material in the nervous system?

A) Astrocytes
B) Schwann cells
C) Oligodendrocytes
D) Radial glia

Question 57

 Molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier are usually ____.

A) large, uncharged molecules, such as lactose
B) large, charged molecules
C) neurotransmitters, such as dopamine
D) molecules that can dissolve in the fats of the capillary walls

Question 58

 Which type of glia release chemicals that modify the activity of neighboring neurons?

A) Astrocytes
B) Schwann cells
C) Oligodendrocytes
D) Radial glia

Question 59

 The major disadvantage of a blood-brain barrier is that ____.

A) many chemicals can easily diffuse into the brain
B) so much glucose is required to maintain it
C) certain required chemicals must be actively transported
D) viruses cannot escape

Question 60

 What type of glial cells myelinate axons in the brain and spinal cord?

A) oligodendrocytes
B) Schwann cells
C) radial glia
D) astrocytes

Question 61

 The concentration gradient refers to the ____.

A) fact that the concentration of ions is greater on the inside of a neuron
B) fact that the concentration of ions is greater on the outside of a neuron
C) difference in distribution for various ions between the inside and outside of the membrane
D) negatively charged proteins inside the cell

Question 62

 Professor Durrant explained to his students that the resting potential of a neuron is the ______.

A) total amount of positive charge inside the neuron relative to the outside
B) total amount of negative charge inside the neuron relative to the outside
C) total amount of sodium ions compared to potassium ions
D) the amount of positive charge in the dendrites compared to the axon

Question 63

 Dalton has been diagnosed with Korsakoff's syndrome. What likely caused his disorder?

A) He is an alcoholic and has damaged his nervous system such that glucose cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
B) He has been exposed to a virus that has now started killing neurons.
C) He doesn't have enough thiamine probably as a result of chronic alcoholism.
D) His glial cells are overactive and are damaging healthy neurons.

Question 64

 Professor Rhodus is lecturing about selective permeability of neurons. What would he tell the class?

A) All ions can only travel in one direction across the membrane.
B) All molecules must cross the membrane via a designated channel.
C) Only certain molecules can cross the membrane freely.
D) Only sodium and potassium ions can cross the membrane.

Question 65

 Dr. Delillo studies the resting potential of neurons. He has found that _______ is the main reason the neuron is able to maintain the resting potential.

A) the size difference between the axon and dendrites
B) the sodium-potassium pump
C) the concentration gradient
D) the refractory period of the membrane

Question 66

 Jena is reviewing her notes on action potentials for a quiz. She makes an extra notation that before the action potential when the neuron is at rest, sodium channels _____.

A) are open and allow sodium ions to flow through easily
B) are closed and don't allow sodium to pass through.
C) are partially open, so sodium leaks through slowly
D) are partially open but at equilibrium, so the sodium doesn't move

Question 67

 Pok is in the lab and is measuring the resting potential of neurons. Approximately what should she measure as the resting potential?

A) -65 millivolts
B) 0 millivolts
C) 70 millivolts
D) -70 millivolts

Question 68

 Electrical gradients lead to the ____.

A) general movement of ions into the neuron
B) general movement of ions out of the neuron
C) movement of ions to areas having the same electrical charges
D) movement of ions to areas having opposite electrical charges

Question 69

 When the neuronal membrane is at rest, the potassium channels ____.

A) permit potassium ions to pass quickly and easily
B) permit potassium ions to pass slowly
C) prohibit any movement of potassium ions
D) help to open up the sodium channels

Question 70

 The net effect of each cycle of the sodium-potassium pump is to ____.

A) decrease the number of positively charged ions within the cell
B) increase the number of positively charged ions within the cell
C) decrease the number of positively charged ions outside the cell
D) increase the number of negatively charged ions within the cell

Question 71

 When a neuron's membrane is at rest, the concentration gradient tends to move sodium ____ the cell and the electrical gradient tends to move it ____ the cell.

A) into; into
B) into; out of
C) out of; into
D) out of; out of

Question 72

 Under which conditions would the sodium-potassium pump likely be far less effective in creating a concentration gradient?

A) if dendrites were generally longer than axons
B) if the glia-to-neuron ratio were higher
C) if selective permeability of the membrane did not exist
D) if it were an active transport system that required energy

Question 73

 Korsakoff's syndrome ____.

A) is marked by severe memory impairments
B) results from too much thiamine
C) results from lack of oxygen to the brain
D) is due to a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier

Question 74

 Professor Nuno explained to her class that glucose is so important to the brain because ______.

A) neurons and glial cells can only metabolize glucose.
B) glial cells can only breakdown glucose into energy that the neurons can use.
C) glucose is unique and can cross the blood-brain barrier to be used by neurons.
D) all other forms of energy are used up by the body and don't make it to the brain.

Question 75

 Why does the brain need thiamine?

A) To enable glucose to cross the blood-brain barrier
B) As a source of fuel in case there is not enough glucose
C) As a building block for making proteins
D) To enable it to metabolize glucose

Question 76

 In order to change the amount of polarization of a neuron, Professor Alley would need to change the difference in voltage between _____.

A) the dendrites and the axon hillock
B) the axon and the soma
C) inside the nucleus and outside the nucleus
D) inside the cell and outside the cell

Question 77

 What term describes the difference in voltage that typically exists between the inside and the outside of a neuron?

A) Concentration gradient
B) Generator potential
C) Resting potential
D) Shock gradient

Question 78

 The resting potential is mainly the result of ____.

A) negatively charged proteins inside the cell
B) positively charged proteins inside the cell
C) negatively charged proteins outside the cell
D) positively charged proteins outside the cell

Question 79

 The membrane of a neuron is composed of ____ with ____ embedded in them.

A) carbohydrates; purines
B) phospholipids; proteins
C) proteins; neurotransmitters
D) benzene molecules; carbohydrates

Question 80

 When a neuron's membrane is at rest, the concentration gradient tends to move potassium ____ the cell and the electrical gradient tends to move it ____ the cell.

A) into; into
B) into; out of
C) out of; into
D) out of; out of