Deck 39: The Nervous System

Question 1

Activity of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is brief because it

A) is pumped out of the synaptic cleft by the sodium-potassium pump.
B) is rapidly broken down by enzymes in the synaptic cleft.
C) is transported back into the presynaptic neuron.
D) ʺself-destructsʺ shortly after leaving the presynaptic neuron.
E) diffuses out of the synaptic cleft.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which stimulus would the brain interpret as the strongest?

A) 50 action potentials per second
B) 100 action potentials per second
C) 10 action potentials per second
D) 5 action potentials per second
E) 20 action potentials per second

Answer 2

B

Question 3

If a bone fragment resulting from a broken nose pushed against the olfactory (smell) nerve, triggering an action potential, the person would

A) register the sensation as a smell.
B) lose her sense of smell.
C) register the sensation as a sound.
D) register the sensation as a visual stimulus.
E) not register the sensation at all.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Myelin speeds the conduction of action potentials along a neuron by

A) increasing the diameter of the axon.
B) inserting additional voltage-gated K+ channels into the membrane.
C) allowing the action potential to ʺjumpʺ over sections of the axon.
D) increasing the resting membrane potential.
E) lowering the threshold at which action potentials are generated.

Question 5

At the synapse, some neurotransmitters open ion channels that make the interior of the postsynaptic neuron more negative. Thus, these neurotransmitters produce a(n) __________postsynaptic potential (IPSP).

A) rewarding
B) decreasing
C) inhibitory
D) enhancing
E) excitatory

Question 6

The intensity of a stimulus is indicated by the __________of action potentials.

A) intensity
B) speed
C) loss
D) frequency
E) duration

Question 7

In an unstimulated neuron, the___________ concentration is higher inside the cell than outside.

A) Cl?
B) Li+
C) Na+
D) Ca2+
E) K+

Question 8

Electrical signals are transmitted to the synaptic terminals along the

A) glia.
B) synapse.
C) dendrite.
D) cell body.
E) axon.

Question 9

The brain and spinal cord interpret the frequency of action potentials they receive as

A) stimulus intensity.
B) a reflex.
C) convergence.
D) divergence.
E) stimulus importance.

Question 10

During the repolarization phase of an action potential, the membrane potential falls from +60 to -70 mV. This drop is due mostly to the movement of __________ions.

A) sodium
B) hydrogen
C) calcium
D) potassium
E) chloride

Question 11

The junction across which electrical signals are passed from a neuron to a muscle fiber, a gland, or another neuron is called the

A) axon.
B) glia.
C) synapse.
D) dendrite.
E) soma.

Question 12

The resting potential of an unstimulated neuron is between __________millivolts (mV).

A) ?400 and ?900
B) ?4 and ?9
C) 40 and 90
D) 4 and 9
E) ?40 and ?90

Question 13

Axons

A) have receptors for neurotransmitters.
B) receive information from the external environment.
C) process information.
D) form the gray matter of the brain and spinal cord.
E) carry action potentials.

Question 14

Action potentials are generated when suddenly open.

A) resting Na+ channels
B) voltage-gated Na+ channels
C) sodium-potassium pumps
D) resting K+ channels
E) voltage-gated K+ channels

Question 15

What happens when the resting potential reaches threshold voltage?

A) Voltage-gated sodium channels close.
B) Voltage-gated potassium channels open.
C) Voltage-gated sodium channels open.
D) The sodium-potassium pump is turned on.
E) Resting potassium channels close.

Question 16

Which portion of the neuron typically receives information?

A) Cell body
B) Dendrite
C) Synaptic terminal
D) Axon
E) Glia

Question 17

Select the path an electrical signal would take within a single neuron.

A) Synaptic terminal → cell body → axon → dendrite
B) Synaptic terminal → dendrite → axon → cell body
C) Dendrite → cell body → axon → synaptic terminal
D) Synaptic terminal → axon → cell body → dendrite
E) Cell body → dendrite → axon → synaptic terminal

Question 18

Nicotine affects neurotransmission by causing more action potentials in the presynaptic neuron and by causing more neurotransmitter to be released per vesicle. This means your postsynaptic neurons

A) are uncoordinated in the presence of nicotine.
B) are unaffected by nicotine.
C) are more easily stimulated in the presence of nicotine.
D) cannot be stimulated at all in the presence of nicotine.
E) are harder than normal to stimulate in the presence of nicotine.

Question 19

In an unstimulated neuron, the sodium-potassium pump maintains the concentration gradient of sodium and potassium ions by transporting

A) potassium ions into and sodium ions out of the cell.
B) potassium ions out of and sodium ions into the cell.
C) sodium and potassium out of the cell.
D) sodium and potassium into the cell.
E) sodium and potassium ions in both directions across the cell membrane.

Question 20

In an unstimulated neuron, the plasma membrane is most permeable to ions.

A) sodium (Na⁺)
B) sugar
C) chloride (Cl^?)
D) calcium (Ca²⁺)
E) potassium (K⁺)

Question 21

The cell bodies of motor neurons are located

A) next to the sensory receptors.
B) in the muscles.
C) in the forebrain.
D) in the gray matter of the spinal cord.
E) outside the spinal cord.

Question 22

Which of the following is part of the peripheral nervous system?

A) Thalamus
B) Medulla
C) Spinal cord
D) Autonomic nervous system
E) Brain

Question 23

Which region of the brain is responsible for the intricate coordination of finger movements involved in playing the piano?

A) Pons
B) Midbrain
C) Cerebrum
D) Cerebellum
E) Hypothalamus

Question 24

Which of the following does NOT describe the autonomic nervous system?

A) It forms synapses with smooth muscles in blood vessels.
B) It is subdivided into sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.
C) Neurons release norepinephrine or acetylcholine onto their target organ.
D) It regulates heart rate.
E) It controls voluntary movements.

Question 25

The __________coordinates muscle movements of the body.

A) cerebrum
B) parietal lobe
C) hypothalamus
D) cerebellum
E) medulla

Question 26

While walking barefoot along the beach, you step on a shard of glass and reflexively lift your injured foot. Which path did the reflex to lift your foot take?

A) Motor nerve → sensory nerve → spinal cord → brain
B) Sensory nerve → motor nerve → spinal cord → brain
C) Sensory nerve → spinal cord → brain → spinal cord → motor nerve → effector
D) Sensory nerve → spinal cord → motor nerve → effector
E) Motor nerve → spinal cord → brain → spinal cord → sensory nerve → effector

Question 27

All sensory information, with the exception of olfaction, must pass though the__________as it travels to the cerebral cortex.

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

Question 28

A functioning __________would enable you to read a novel while sitting in a noisy restaurant.

A) cerebrum
B) thalamus
C) substantia nigra
D) reticular formation
E) hypothalamus

Question 29

Which of these neurotransmitters, released by neurons of the sympathetic nervous system, helps prepare the body for energetic activity?

A) Norepinephrine
B) Endorphin
C) Dopamine
D) Serotonin
E) Acetylcholine

Question 30

Which portion of the brain is responsible for primitive emotions such as fear, rage, and sexual desire?

A) Thalamus
B) Medulla
C) Reticular formation
D) Pons
E) Limbic system

Question 31

Of the following structures, which can be found in the human peripheral nervous system?

A) Sensory neurons
B) Cerebellum
C) Hypothalamus
D) Cerebrum
E) Spinal cord

Question 32

Motor neurons

A) integrate information from many sources.
B) carry impulses to the brain.
C) receive stimuli from inside or outside the body.
D) transmit impulses toward the spinal cord.
E) send signals to effector organs.

Question 33

The autonomic nervous system consists of two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The sympathetic division is responsible for which type of response?

A) Slowing of the heart rate
B) Constriction of the air passages in the lungs
C) Fight-or-flight responses
D) Stimulation of digestion
E) Rest-and-digest responses

Question 34

Addictive drugs that make people feel good, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, block the uptake of which of the following neurotransmitters in the brain?

A) Nitric oxide
B) Dopamine
C) Serotonin
D) Acetylcholine
E) GABA

Question 35

A diffuse nerve net would be found in which of the following animals?

A) Flatworm
B) Octopus
C) Insect
D) Human
E) Jellyfish

Question 36

Most brain and spinal cord cells are

A) saltatory neurons.
B) sensory neurons.
C) motor neurons.
D) interneurons.
E) parasympathetic neurons.

Question 37

Which region of the brain controls breathing and heart rate?

A) Hypothalamus
B) Medulla
C) Cerebrum
D) Thalamus
E) Cerebellum

Question 38

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Which drug produces a relaxing effect by blocking the receptors for glutamate?

A) Alcohol
B) Nicotine
C) Caffeine
D) Methamphetamine
E) Cocaine

Question 39

Taking a nap after meals is probably a good idea because it allows the body to digest the food as a result of the activities of the__________ nervous system.

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

Question 40

Dolphins use echolocation to maneuver around objects quickly and precisely to capture prey. Thus, you would expect them to have a larger -than-normal

A) cerebrum.
B) amygdala.
C) limbic system.
D) hypothalamus.
E) cerebellum.

Question 41

Dendrites release neurotransmitters at synapses.)

Question 42

After an accident, a professional musician cannot associate any of the instruments he has played with the sounds they make. What part of his brain is most likely damaged?

A) Auditory association areas
B) Sensory association areas
C) Basal ganglia
D) Primary auditory areas
E) Primary sensory areas

Question 43

Sensations of fear, pleasure, and sexual arousal are produced by the

A) amygdala.
B) cerebral cortex.
C) hypothalamus.
D) reticular formation.
E) medulla.

Question 44

To survive the winter, some birds, such as the black-capped chickadee, must locate caches of seeds it buries each fall. Which region of the brain allows the birds to remember the exact locations of these stashes?

A) Hypothalamus
B) Occipital lobe
C) Hippocampus
D) Frontal lobe
E) Amygdala

Question 45

The right cerebral hemisphere

A) controls movements of the right side of the body.
B) is smaller in women than men.
C) is logical.
D) controls movements of the left side of the body.
E) is slightly larger than the left cerebral hemisphere.

Question 46

Damage to the right frontal cortex may produce paralysis on the__________side of the body.

A) right
B) nondominant
C) left
D) dominant

Question 47

Nerves are groups of axons bundled together.

Question 48

The corpus callosum links the

A) cerebrum and thalamus.
B) thalamus and hypothalamus.
C) forebrain and midbrain.
D) peripheral and central nervous systems.
E) right and left cerebral hemispheres.

Question 49

If a patient has a particular memory problem in which he can recall old memories but cannot make new memories, what part of his brain is most likely damaged?

A) Thalamus
B) Prefrontal cortex
C) Temporal lobes
D) Basal ganglia
E) Hippocampus

Question 50

You arrive ten minutes late for your final exam and immediately regret stopping for donuts, which feel like a dead weight in your stomach. Your heart is pounding and your palms are sweaty. What part of your nervous system is in control?

A) Sympathetic
B) Nerve net
C) Voluntary
D) Somatic
E) Parasympathetic

Question 51

John was attending a party when he suddenly started eating food from some of the other guestʹs plates and using profane language. Johnʹs son promptly rushed his father to the hospital where it was discovered that he had suffered a stroke. Based on Johnʹs altered behaviors, which area of the brain was most likely damaged by the stroke?

A) Temporal lobe
B) Hypothalamus
C) Corpus callosum
D) cerebellum
E) Prefrontal cortex

Question 52

Aliceʹs PET (positron emission tomography) scan shows a large red area in the occipital lobe when taken while Alice is looking at color images. Which of the following is TRUE about Aliceʹs PET scan?

A) The occipital lobe had the highest level of activity.
B) The occipital lobe was the only area of Aliceʹs brain that was active.
C) This scan proves the old saying that we use only 10% of our brains.
D) The darkest areas of Aliceʹs brain were the most active.

Question 53

When you hear a loud noise, you immediately turn your head and direct your eyes toward the sound. Which region of the brain directs this reflexive movement of your eyes?

A) Hippocampus
B) Cerebrum
C) Midbrain
D) Pons
E) Hindbrain

Question 54

It is possible that brain damage from a stroke or other injury could leave a person with the ability to comprehend written language but not spoken language (assume the personʹs hearing is fine). Which statement best explains this?

A) The ability to understand written language is controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere, whereas the ability to understand spoken language is controlled by the right cerebral hemisphere.
B) The same region of the brain controls all aspects of language comprehension.
C) Different parts of the brain are involved in different aspects of language comprehension.
D) Different cells of the frontal cortex control different aspects of language comprehension.

Question 55

Visual information is processed in the

A) frontal lobes.
B) hippocampus.
C) temporal lobes.
D) occipital lobes.
E) parietal lobes.

Question 56

The __________is a cluster of neurons that plays a role in wake-sleep cycles, muscle tone, emotions, and some reflexes.

A) cerebral cortex
B) pons
C) reticular formation
D) medulla
E) hypothalamus

Question 57

Which region of the brain helps regulate body temperature, endocrine activity, and water balance?

A) Hypothalamus
B) Thalamus
C) Cerebrum
D) Cerebellum
E) Medulla

Question 58

Sensory information processing as well as the direction of voluntary movements are carried out by the

A) amygdala.
B) cerebrum.
C) cerebellum.
D) medulla.
E) hypothalamus.

Question 59

People with damage to the hippocampus seem to be unable to remember recent events even though their memory of events before the damage remains intact. This seems to indicate that the hippocampus is involved in

A) producing hormones that control the memory neurons of the cerebrum.
B) generating new neurons in the cerebellum.
C) recognizing similar events.
D) retrieving memories.
E) transferring information from short-term memory into long-term memory.

Question 60

The left and right hemispheres of the brain are connected through the__________ , a large band of axons.

A) medulla
B) pons
C) reticular formation
D) hypothalamus
E) corpus callosum

Question 61

The hippocampus is responsible for processing sensory stimuli.

Question 62

The integration of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) received by a postsynaptic neuron determines its activity.

Question 63

The brain is able to take sensory inputs from many neurons, integrate them, and determine an appropriate response.

Question 64

The peripheral nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Question 65

The more frequently an action potential is triggered by a stimulus, the greater the intensity of the sensation.

Question 66

A neuronʹs resting potential is due in large part to the diffusion of K+ ions out of the cell, leaving the negatively charged DNA and proteins inside the cell.

Question 67

As the resting membrane potential of a neuron nears threshold, it becomes harder to stimulate.

Question 68

An influx of calcium ions causes vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic membrane and release neurotransmitter into the synapse.

Question 69

Interneurons connect sensory and motor neurons.

Question 70

A good meal and a pleasant evening relaxing in front of the fire trigger the parasympathetic nervous system.

Question 71

The control centers for breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate are located in the medulla.

Question 72

At a chemical synapse, the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons touch and chemicals are exchanged through gap junctions.

Question 73

The more complex the organism, the more likely it is to have nerve net.

Question 74

Effectors pick up sensory stimuli.

Question 75

Smooth muscle responses are controlled by the somatic nervous system.

Question 76

Myelinated axons conduct action potentials more slowly than axons without a myelin covering.

Question 77

Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system responses usually oppose each other.

Question 78

The concentrations of ions inside and outside of a neuron are maintained by sodium-chloride (Na+-Cl−) pumps.

Question 79

The stronger the stimulus, the more powerful the action potential.

Question 80

Emotions and the responses to emotions are controlled by the limbic system.