Deck 47: The Mammalian Nervous System: Structure and Higher Function

Question 1

Which statement about afferent and efferent pathways is not true?

A) Sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways carry only efferent information.
B) Visceral afferents carry information about physiological functions of which we are not consciously aware.
C) The voluntary division of the efferent portion of the peripheral nervous system executes conscious movements.
D) The cranial nerves and spinal nerves are part of the peripheral nervous system.
E) Afferent and efferent axons never travel in the same nerve.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

In the context of Matt Wilson's study of rats, "place cells"

A) are the fourth step in the research protocol.
B) refers to a particular location in the brain
C) are neurons that fire only when the rat is at a certain place.
D) are holding containers used to house the rats.
E) None of the above

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following describes the route of sensory information from the foot to the brain?

A) Ventral horn, spinal cord, medulla, cerebellum, midbrain, thalamus, parietal cortex
B) Dorsal horn, spinal cord, medulla, pons, midbrain, hypothalamus, frontal cortex
C) Dorsal horn, spinal cord, medulla, pons, midbrain, thalamus, parietal cortex
D) Ventral horn, spinal cord, pons, cerebellum, midbrain, thalamus, parietal cortex
E) Dorsal horn, spinal cord, medulla, pons, midbrain, thalamus, frontal cortex

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which conclusion was supported by experiments on split-brain patients?

A) Language abilities are localized mostly in the left cerebral hemisphere.
B) Language abilities require both Wernicke's area and Broca's area.
C) The ability to speak depends on Broca's area.
D) The ability to read depends on Wernicke's area.
E) The left hand is served by the left cerebral hemisphere.

Question 5

The peripheral nervous system connects to the central nervous system via the

A) spinal nerves.
B) cranial nerves.
C) hypothalamus.
D) Both a and b
E) None of the above

Question 6

Which of the following statements about nerves is false?

A) A nerve is a bundle of axons.
B) Some axons in a nerve may be carrying information to the central nervous system, while other axons in the same nerve are carrying information from the central nervous system to organs.
C) "Nerve" is another name for the axon of a single neuron.
D) In addition to the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, a third division of the nervous system exists in the gut.
E) All of the above are true; none is false.

Question 7

Researchers at MIT studying the hippocampal activity of rats discovered that by observing the firing patterns of specific neurons called _______ cells they were able to ascertain the direction a rat would travel.

A) location
B) AAA
C) navigation
D) place
E) aller

Question 8

Which of the following represents the largest portion of the human cerebral cortex?

A) The frontal lobes
B) The primary somatosensory cortex
C) The temporal cortex
D) The association cortex
E) The occipital cortex

Question 9

In general, the more autonomic functions are found in the _______, and the more complex functions are found in the _______.

A) forebrain; hindbrain
B) telencephalon; diencephalon
C) thalamus; hypothalamus
D) midbrain; hindbrain
E) hindbrain; forebrain

Question 10

Which statement about cells in the visual cortex is not true?

A) Many cortical cells receive inputs directly from single retinal ganglion cells.
B) Many cortical cells respond most strongly to bars of light falling at specific locations on the retina.
C) Some cortical cells respond most strongly to bars of light falling anywhere over large areas of the retina.
D) Some cortical cells receive input from both eyes.
E) Some cortical cells respond most strongly to an object when it is a certain distance from the eyes.

Question 11

Which statement about the limbic system is not true?

A) Damage to one structure in the limbic system makes it impossible to form a fear memory.
B) The limbic system is involved in basic physiological drives, instincts, and emotions.
C) The limbic system consists of primitive forebrain structures.
D) In humans, the limbic system is the largest part of the brain.
E) In humans, a part of the limbic system is necessary for the transfer of short-term memory to long-term memory.

Question 12

Which statement about the reticular system is not true?

A) Increased activity in the reticular system induces sleep.
B) The reticular system is located in the brainstem.
C) Damage to the reticular system in the midbrain can result in coma.
D) Information from the spinal cord is routed to different nuclei in the reticular system and to the forebrain.
E) There are groups of neurons called nuclei in the reticular system.

Question 13

The human brain has about _______ neurons.

A) 1 million
B) 10 million
C) 1 billion
D) 10 billion
E) 100 billion

Question 14

The hindbrain develops into the

A) medulla.
B) pons.
C) cerebellum.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 15

Which of the following characterizes non-REM sleep?

A) Dreaming
B) Paralysis of skeletal muscles
C) EEG slow waves
D) Rapid and jerky eye movements
E) It makes up about 20 percent of total sleep time.

Question 16

Many people wake in the middle of the night and are able to find their way to the kitchen for a drink of water, all without turning on the lights. Their memory of spatial relationships between pieces of furniture and doors is rooted in the

A) amygdala.
B) hippocampus.
C) pituitary.
D) cerebellum.
E) pons.

Question 17

To study the brains of London taxi drivers, researchers studied their brains by means of the imaging technique known as

A) MRI.
B) CT scan.
C) CAT scan.
D) NMR.
E) HPLC.

Question 18

In the withdrawal reflex,

A) action potentials in a pain sensory neuron enter the spinal cord through the ventral root on the same side of the body.
B) the axon from a pain sensory neuron makes inhibitory synapses with motor neurons on the same side of the spinal cord and inhibitory synapses with motor neurons on the other side of the spinal cord.
C) coordinated escape reactions can be initiated before the brain registers the painful sensation.
D) axons from the pain sensory neuron make synapses with sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal cord.
E) axons from motor neurons on the same side of the spinal cord that receives the input from the pain receptors cross the spinal cord to stimulate muscles on the other side of the body.

Question 19

Afferent information flows _______ the CNS, and efferent information flows _______ the CNS.

A) to; to
B) to; from
C) from; to
D) from; from
E) from and to; to

Question 20

Which statement about the autonomic nervous system is true?

A) The sympathetic division is afferent, and the parasympathetic division is efferent.
B) The transmitter norepinephrine is always excitatory, and acetylcholine is always inhibitory.
C) Each pathway in the autonomic nervous system includes two neurons, and the neurotransmitter of the first neuron is acetylcholine.
D) The cell bodies of many sympathetic preganglionic neurons are in the brainstem.
E) The cell bodies of most parasympathetic postganglionic neurons are in or near the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord.

Question 21

The function of the reticular system is to

A) conduct impulses through the spinal cord.
B) distribute information to its proper location in the forebrain.
C) regulate the level of arousal of the nervous system.
D) regulate physiological drives and emotion.
E) transfer short-term memory to long-term memory.

Question 22

The knee-jerk reflex

A) involves a sensory neuron that synapses with a motor neuron in the ventral horn of the spinal cord.
B) can be checked readily by a physician.
C) is a monosynaptic reflex.
D) involves the leg extensor muscle.
E) All of the above

Question 23

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct brain structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The part of the brain that mostly likely has been damaged in a person who suffers from a personality disorder and cannot plan for future events

A) Temporal lobe
B) Occipital lobe
C) Parietal lobe
D) Frontal lobe
E) Cerebellum

Question 24

The telencephalon is divided into two hemispheres covered by a sheet of gray matter called the

A) hippocampus.
B) reticular system.
C) sulci.
D) gyri.
E) cerebral cortex.

Question 25

Interneurons are not found in the

A) midbrain.
B) thalamus.
C) white matter of the spinal cord.
D) gray matter of the spinal cord.
E) telencephalon.

Question 26

The largest difference between the brains of humans and the brains of fish is in the size of the

A) medulla.
B) cerebellum.
C) cerebrum.
D) diencephalon.
E) thalamus.

Question 27

The forebrain develops into the

A) telencephalon.
B) diencephalon.
C) cerebellum.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Question 28

In the spinal cord, the gray matter contains the _______, and the white matter contains the _______.

A) axons; cell bodies
B) cell bodies; axons
C) dorsal horn; ventral horn
D) ventral horn; dorsal horn
E) afferent information; efferent information

Question 29

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-Plays major roles in conscious behavior, learning, and memory

A) Medulla
B) Cerebellum
C) Diencephalon
D) Telencephalon
E) Thalamus

Question 30

The function of the limbic system is the

A) regulation of instincts, emotions, and physiological drives.
B) transfer of short-term memory to long-term memory.
C) regulation of arousal levels.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Question 31

Efferent nerves leave the spinal cord through the

A) ventral roots.
B) dorsal roots.
C) gray matter.
D) interneurons.
E) ventral and dorsal horns.

Question 32

The _______ constitutes the largest part of the human brain.

A) telencephalon
B) diencephalon
C) medulla
D) pons
E) cerebellum

Question 33

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-Orchestrates and refines motor commands

A) Medulla
B) Cerebellum
C) Diencephalon
D) Telencephalon
E) Thalamus

Question 34

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-Controls physiological functions such as breathing and circulation

A) Medulla
B) Cerebellum
C) Diencephalon
D) Telencephalon
E) Thalamus

Question 35

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct brain structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The part of the brain that most likely has been damaged in a person who cannot feel pressure applied to the hand even though the hand has not been injured

A) Temporal lobe
B) Occipital lobe
C) Parietal lobe
D) Frontal lobe
E) Cerebellum

Question 36

A comatose state

A) is an enhancement of sensation.
B) may result from damage to the brainstem below the reticular system.
C) may result from damage to the midbrain or higher levels, such that information from the reticular system cannot reach the forebrain.
D) may result from damage to the spinal cord.
E) None of the above

Question 37

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-Contains the final relay station for sensory information going to the telencephalon

A) Medulla
B) Cerebellum
C) Diencephalon
D) Telencephalon
E) Thalamus

Question 38

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct brain structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The part of the brain that most likely has been dam-aged in a person who can see and hear but cannot recognize familiar faces

A) Temporal lobe
B) Occipital lobe
C) Parietal lobe
D) Frontal lobe
E) Cerebellum

Question 39

Which of the following is not a function of the spinal cord?

A) Generation of repetitive motor patterns
B) Reflexes
C) Conduction of motor impulses from the brain
D) Refinement of motor and behavioral processes
E) Conversion of afferent to efferent information

Question 40

The thalamus and hypothalamus develop from the

A) telencephalon.
B) diencephalon.
C) cerebrum.
D) cerebellum.
E) hindbrain.

Question 41

The fight-or-flight mechanisms are a function of the _______ branch of the autonomic nervous system.

A) sympathetic
B) parasympathetic
C) contralateral
D) efferent
E) afferent

Question 42

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct brain structure from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The part of the brain that most likely has been damaged in a person who cannot detect motion even though the eyes are functioning normally

A) Temporal lobe
B) Occipital lobe
C) Parietal lobe
D) Frontal lobe
E) Cerebellum

Question 43

In autonomic efferent pathways, preganglionic neurons use _______ as the neurotransmitter, whereas postganglionic neurons use _______ as the neurotransmitter.

A) norepinephrine; acetylcholine
B) acetylcholine; norepinephrine
C) norepinephrine or acetylcholine; norepinephrine
D) acetylcholine; norepinephrine or acetylcholine
E) norepinephrine or acetylcholine; norepinephrine or acetylcholine

Question 44

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct neural region from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The preganglionic parasympathetic neurons projecting to the lungs come from this region.

A) Brainstem
B) Cervical region
C) Thoracic region
D) Lumbar region
E) Sacral region

Question 45

The preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic division meet their postganglionic connections

A) mostly in the brainstem.
B) in the upper regions of the spinal cord.
C) in ganglia arranged like chains along the spinal cord.
D) near the target organs.
E) in the midbrain.

Question 46

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct part of the nervous system from the list below with each description that follows. Each component can be used more than once, and each question may require more than one answer.

-You haven't eaten in a while so your stomach is empty and your body slows its secretion of digestive juices, reflecting the actions of this nervous system component.

A) The parasympathetic nervous system
B) The autonomic nervous system
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) Cholinergic neurons
E) The voluntary nervous system

Question 47

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct neural region from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The preganglionic sympathetic neurons projecting to the heart come from this region.

A) Brainstem
B) Cervical region
C) Thoracic region
D) Lumbar region
E) Sacral region

Question 48

Norepinephrine _______ the heart rate, whereas acetylcholine _______ the heart rate.

A) decreases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) increases; increases
D) decreases; decreases
E) increases; does not affect

Question 49

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct part of the nervous system from the list below with each description that follows. Each component can be used more than once, and each question may require more than one answer.

-You are about to jump off the high dive for the first time; your pupils dilate and your pulse rate increases, reflecting the actions of this part of the nervous system.

A) The parasympathetic nervous system
B) The autonomic nervous system
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) Cholinergic neurons
E) The voluntary nervous system

Question 50

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct neural region from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The preganglionic sympathetic neurons projecting to the lungs come from this region.

A) Brainstem
B) Cervical region
C) Thoracic region
D) Lumbar region
E) Sacral region

Question 51

The primary motor cortex is found in the _______ lobe and controls _______.

A) parietal; the detection of touch or pressure
B) parietal; movement
C) temporal; movement
D) frontal; movement
E) frontal; the detection of touch or pressure

Question 52

_______ have the largest brain-to-body size ratio, while _______ have the largest amount of association cortex relative to body mass.

A) Whales; humans
B) Elephants; whales
C) Elephants; humans
D) Gorillas; whales
E) Humans; whales

Question 53

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct part of the nervous system from the list below with each description that follows. Each component can be used more than once, and each question may require more than one answer.

-The tendency to feel tired or sleepy when bored reflects the actions of this nervous system component.

A) The parasympathetic nervous system
B) The autonomic nervous system
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) Cholinergic neurons
E) The voluntary nervous system

Question 54

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct part of the nervous system from the list below with each description that follows. Each component can be used more than once, and each question may require more than one answer.

-You are about to leave home for a job interview and realize you can't find your car keys; you panic because you really need the job. The physiological reactions experienced in situations of fear or panic are under the control of this part of the nervous system.

A) The parasympathetic nervous system
B) The autonomic nervous system
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) Cholinergic neurons
E) The voluntary nervous system

Question 55

A person who exhibits contralateral neglect syndrome and ignores stimuli from the left side of the body most likely has sustained damage to the _______ lobe.

A) left parietal
B) right parietal
C) left frontal
D) right frontal
E) left temporal

Question 56

The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system controls which of the following responses?

A) The fight-or-flight response
B) Increased heart rate and blood pressure
C) Increased digestion and decreased heart rate
D) Increased release of epinephrine and production of glucose
E) Voluntary movement

Question 57

The primary somatosensory cortex is located in the _______ lobe and controls _______.

A) parietal; the detection of touch or pressure
B) parietal; movement
C) temporal; the detection of touch or pressure
D) temporal; movement
E) frontal; the detection of touch or pressure

Question 58

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct part of the nervous system from the list below with each description that follows. Each component can be used more than once, and each question may require more than one answer.

-After cooking a big meal you eat way too much; sensors in your stomach are stretched and your body begins to increase production of digestive enzymes, reflecting the actions of this nervous system component.

A) The parasympathetic nervous system
B) The autonomic nervous system
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) Cholinergic neurons
E) The voluntary nervous system

Question 59

Which part of the brain is involved in higher-order information processing?

A) Association cortex
B) Thalamus
C) Limbic system
D) Central sulcus
E) Hippocampus

Question 60

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct neural region from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The preganglionic sympathetic neurons projecting to the urinary bladder come from this region.

A) Brainstem
B) Cervical region
C) Thoracic region
D) Lumbar region
E) Sacral region

Question 61

Long-term potentiation is

A) increased sensitivity to an electrical stimulus.
B) decreased sensitivity to an electrical stimulus.
C) habituation to a stimulus.
D) the application of high-frequency electrical stimulation.
E) a decreased entry of calcium ions into the post-synaptic cell.

Question 62

Long-term depression is

A) increased sensitivity to an electrical stimulus.
B) decreased sensitivity to an electrical stimulus.
C) the application of a continuous low-level stimulus.
D) the inability of neurons to fire an electrical impulse.
E) the inability to retain long-term memory.

Question 63

Complex cells in the visual cortex are stimulated by

A) specific colors.
B) bars of light with specific orientations and locations on the retina.
C) bars of light with any orientation but at a specific location on the retina.
D) bars of light with specific orientations at any location on the retina.
E) any type of light flashed on the retina.

Question 64

About _______ percent of a typical night's sleep is devoted to REM sleep, the stage at which dreams or nightmares are experienced.

A) 10
B) 20
C) 30
D) 40
E) 50

Question 65

Which of the following is the correct pathway for the flow of visual information?

A) Eye, thalamus, occipital lobe, optic chiasm
B) Eye, thalamus, optic chiasm, occipital lobe
C) Eye, optic chiasm, occipital lobe, thalamus
D) Eye, occipital lobe, optic chiasm, thalamus
E) Eye, optic chiasm, thalamus, occipital lobe

Question 66

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct neural region from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The preganglionic parasympathetic neurons projecting to the digestive system come from this region.

A) Brainstem
B) Cervical region
C) Thoracic region
D) Lumbar region
E) Sacral region

Question 67

On the cellular level, sleep occurs because of

A) hyperpolarization of the cells of the thalamus and cortex.
B) depolarization of the cells of the thalamus and cortex.
C) increased synaptic input between axons and neurons in the thalamus and cortex.
D) desynchronization of electrical impulses in the cortex.
E) decreased opening of potassium and calcium channels in the membranes of cortical cells.

Question 68

The corpus callosum is the

A) tract of gray matter connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.
B) white matter in the spinal cord.
C) gray matter in the spinal cord.
D) tract of white matter connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.
E) None of the above

Question 69

A sleeping dog that seems to be chasing squirrels in his sleep, with his closed eyes and feet showing jerky movements, is most likely in the midst of _______ sleep.

A) non-REM
B) EMG
C) slow-wave
D) REM
E) fast-wave

Question 70

The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov and his dog became famous for demonstrating

A) how short-term memory converts to long-term memory.
B) associative learning.
C) long-term potentiation.
D) the eye-blink reflex.
E) that muscles twitch during REM sleep.

Question 71

In eye-blink reflex studies, the conditioned reflex was localized to a region in the

A) medulla.
B) spinal cord.
C) cerebellum.
D) thalamus.
E) frontal lobe.

Question 72

Each retina sends _______ million axons to the brain; these are received by about _______ million neurons in the visual cortex.

A) 1; 200
B) 1; 2
C) 100; 2
D) 100; 200
E) 200; 1

Question 73

Damage to Wernicke's area results in loss of

A) language comprehension.
B) speech, or in poor speech.
C) the ability to recognize faces.
D) hearing.
E) long-term memory.

Question 74

Which of the following statements about the receptive field of a retinal ganglion cell is true?

A) There is no overlap with the receptive fields of neighboring ganglion cells.
B) The ganglion cell receives input from one rod or cone cell.
C) The receptive field depends on connections of horizontal and bipolar cells.
D) A signal at the edge of the receptive field is more significant than one from the center.
E) The receptive field is defined by signals from neighboring ganglion cells.

Question 75

Roger Sperry won the Nobel Prize for his work on

A) the hippocampus and memory loss.
B) the conditioned reflex.
C) hemispheric lateralization.
D) lateralization of language to the left hemisphere.
E) REM sleep.

Question 76

Damage to Broca's area results in loss of

A) language comprehension.
B) speech, or in poor speech.
C) the ability to recognize faces.
D) the ability to read.
E) hearing.

Question 77

Which of the following occurs during REM sleep?

A) Dreaming
B) Paralysis of the skeletal muscles
C) Sleepwalking
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

Question 78

In their studies on vision, David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel found that

A) many areas of the retina can stimulate a single cell in the visual cortex.
B) cells in the visual cortex respond to a receptive field on the retina.
C) cats can see bars of light at specific orientations only.
D) simple cells make connections to complex cells in the visual cortex.
E) visual information crosses over the optic chiasm.

Question 79

Which of the following best describes the visual processing that occurs within the retina?

A) Impulses are processed within individual photoreceptors and then travel to the brain.
B) Light signals are processed in retinal cells immediately in front of the photoreceptors.
C) Signals pass directly from photoreceptor cells to ganglion cells.
D) Action potentials in photoreceptor cells affect bipolar cells before reaching ganglion cells.
E) Membrane potential changes in a network of retinal cells activate ganglion cells.

Question 80

Use the following to answer questions:
Match the correct neural region from the list below with each description that follows. Each term may be used more than once.

-The preganglionic parasympathetic neurons projecting to the penis or clitoris come from this region.

A) Brainstem
B) Cervical region
C) Thoracic region
D) Lumbar region
E) Sacral region