Question 1

The study of the effects of heredity on how people conduct themselves is known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Behavioral genetics is the study of the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors in determining behavior and traits in individuals. It is concerned with understanding how genotype and phenotype contribute to behavior and personality. Classical genetics, development genetics, and molecular genetics focus more on the study of genes and their functions in organisms, and do not specifically address behavior.

Question 2

Izzy sees a snake in her backyard. Her pupils dilate, and her heart starts pounding. Her breathing is shallow and rapid. Her ________ nervous system is active.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described, such as pupil dilation, increased heart rate, and rapid breathing, are all indicative of the fight or flight response activated by the sympathetic nervous system in a potentially dangerous or threatening situation. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is responsible for the body's rest and digest activities and would not be active in this scenario. Apathetic and somatic are not relevant to the situation.

Question 3

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between the nervous system and the endocrine system?

Accepted Answer

The endocrine system and the nervous system are closely linked and interact with each other. The endocrine system secretes hormones that can affect the activity of neurons in the nervous system, while the nervous system can stimulate the release of hormones from endocrine glands. Their actions are often coordinated to maintain homeostasis and respond to changes in the internal and external environment.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a brain-scanning technique?

Accepted Answer

Electromyogram (EMG) is a technique to measure the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles, and is not used for brain scanning. The other options (EEG, PET, and TMS) are all brain-scanning techniques.

Question 5

The ________ gland has sometimes been called the master gland because it controls the functioning of the rest of the endocrine system.

Accepted Answer

The pituitary gland is often referred to as the master gland because it produces and secretes hormones that control the functioning of other endocrine glands throughout the body.

Question 6

The hindbrain includes each of the following structures EXCEPT the:

Accepted Answer

The thalamus is not a part of the hindbrain, it is a part of the forebrain. The other structures (medulla, pons, cerebellum) are all parts of the hindbrain.

Question 7

Which of the following structures is NOT part of the brain's central core?

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is not part of the brain's central core, as it is part of the limbic system involved in memory and learning. The central core includes the cerebellum, pons, and reticular formation, which are involved in basic survival functions such as motor control, sleep, and arousal.

Question 8

The ________ gland is a major component of the endocrine system, which secretes hormones that control growth and other parts of the endocrine system.

Accepted Answer

The pituitary gland is a major component of the endocrine system, which secretes hormones that control growth and other parts of the endocrine system. The esophageal gland is not part of the endocrine system, and the apocrine and parotid glands do not secrete hormones that control growth.

Question 9

The ________ is the part of the brain that is located in the middle of the central core and acts primarily to relay information about the senses.

Accepted Answer

The thalamus is located in the middle of the central core of the brain and is responsible for relaying information about the senses. It receives sensory information from various parts of the body and relays it to the appropriate areas of the brain for processing.

Question 10

Brent is taking part in an experiment in the cognitive neuroscience lab on campus. Silently, he reads sequences of words flashed on a computer screen. Simultaneously, the electrical activity of his brain is recorded through electrodes placed on the outside of his skull. The brain-scanning technique used in this study is:

Accepted Answer

The brain-scanning technique used in this study is EEG (electroencephalography), which involves placing electrodes on the outside of the skull to record electrical activity in the brain. This technique is often used to study brain function during cognitive tasks and is non-invasive. fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) are imaging techniques that use radiation and magnets to measure brain activity, and TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) involves the application of magnetic fields to the scalp to stimulate or inhibit brain activity.

Question 11

One of the newest brain-scanning techniques that is sometimes called a virtual lesion is:

Accepted Answer

TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation, which uses magnetic fields to temporarily disrupt neural activity in a targeted area of the brain. This disruption can then reveal which cognitive processes or neural networks rely on the disrupted brain region. It is sometimes called a virtual lesion because it allows researchers to examine the effects of temporarily "turning off" a specific brain region, similar to what would happen if the region were lesioned (damaged or surgically removed).

Question 12

The pons serves to:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The pons serves to:
...

Question 13

Marisol is trying a new treatment for severe depression. A tiny region of her brain is exposed to a strong magnetic field. Marisol is undergoing:

Accepted Answer

The treatment Marisol is undergoing involves exposing a specific region of her brain to a strong magnetic field, which is characteristic of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Option A (optogenetic therapy) involves using light to stimulate or inhibit specific neurons, Option C (positron emission tomography) is a diagnostic tool that involves injecting a radioactive substance to create a visual map of brain activity, and Option D (functional magnetic resonance imaging) uses magnetic fields to create images of brain activity, but is not intended as a treatment for depression.

Question 14

It ispossible to view individual circuits of neurons due to the emerging field of:

Accepted Answer

Optogenetics is a field that uses genetic and optical techniques to control specific circuits of neurons. It allows researchers to activate or deactivate individual neurons in a circuit, thus providing a way to study their functions and connections.

Question 15

The part of the brain extending from the medulla through the pons and made up of groups of nerve cells that can immediately activate other parts of the brain to produce general bodily arousal is known as the ________.

Accepted Answer

The description fits that of the reticular formation, which is responsible for arousal and attention. The thalamus is responsible for processing sensory information, while the cerebellum is responsible for motor coordination and balance. The limbic system is responsible for emotions, motivation, and memory.

Question 16

The part of the brain closest to the spinal cord is the ________, and it controls critical body functions, such as ________.

Accepted Answer

The medulla is the part of the brain closest to the spinal cord and is responsible for controlling critical body functions like heart rate and respiration. The cerebellum, although also close to the spinal cord, is responsible for coordination, balance, and fine motor movements, and does not control the functions listed in the choices.

Question 17

Your friend is considering using steroids to increase muscle mass. You would warn him that steroid abuse can lead to:

Accepted Answer

Steroid abuse has been linked to aggressive and violent behavior, sometimes referred to as "roid rage." It can also lead to other psychological effects, such as depression and mood swings. Steroid abuse can also have serious physical consequences, such as liver damage, heart disease, and infertility.

Question 18

Dr. Schilling is investigating the potential genetic basis of antisocial personality disorder by examining the relative prevalence of the disorder among either identical or fraternal twins, raised either together or in different families. Dr. Schilling is best described as a ________.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Schilling is investigating the role of genetics in antisocial personality disorder, making her a behavioral geneticist. Classical geneticists focus on studying patterns of inheritance for specific traits, development geneticists study how genes are expressed and regulated during development, and molecular geneticists examine the specific structure and function of DNA at the molecular level.

Question 19

Which brain-scanning technique below is correctly matched with its description?

Accepted Answer

EEG (electroencephalogram) is the brain-scanning technique that records the brain's electrical activity through electrodes placed on the scalp.

Question 20

Yves has been drinking. He has difficulty walking a straight line when asked to do so by a police officer. In this scenario, Yves' ________ is most likely to be functioning poorly.

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating movement and balance, so if Yves has difficulty walking in a straight line, it suggests that his cerebellum is not functioning properly. The other brain structures listed are not specifically related to motor coordination.

Quiz 2: Making the Most of Your Time