Question 1

On a hot summer day,five children decide to fill up Brock's kiddie pool.Yesterday,Brock's father ran over the hose with the lawnmower,so the hose is not working.The children decide to create a bucket line from the faucet to the pool.The first child passes the full bucket to the second child,the second to the third,and so on until the last child empties the bucket into the pool and tosses the bucket back to the first child.If we compare the children's bucket line to a SINGLE neuron,we can say that the water,which is passed from child to child until it reaches the pool,is like the __________________,or nerve impulse,which is passed through the axon.

Accepted Answer

Action potential is the electrical impulse that is passed through the axon of a neuron to communicate with other neurons or muscles. In this analogy, the passing of the full bucket of water from child to child can be compared to the passing of the action potential from neuron to neuron.

Question 2

Professor Kendell is explaining how neurons work.He uses the metaphor of an electrical cord to explain neuron structure.Like the wires inside the electrical cord,he says,the ___________ carries the neuron's electrical message;like the rubber protecting the cord's wires,the neuron's _____________ ensures that the signal goes where it's supposed to.

Accepted Answer

The axon carries the neuron's electrical message, and the myelin sheath ensures that the signal goes where it's supposed to.

Question 3

After a neuron has sent a nerve impulse,it has to rest for a few milliseconds,a timeframe referred to as

Accepted Answer

After a neuron has sent a nerve impulse, it enters an absolute refractory period where it cannot generate another action potential, even if a strong stimulus is applied. This refractory period lasts for a few milliseconds, during which time the neuron is in a state of rest and cannot respond to any further stimuli. Option A is incorrect because an action potential is the actual nerve impulse, not the resting period. Option C is incorrect because a graded potential is a small, localized change in the membrane potential that may or may not lead to an action potential. Option D is incorrect because an anion is a negatively charged ion and has no relation to the resting period of a neuron.

Question 4

On a hot summer day,five children decide to fill up Brock's kiddie pool.Yesterday,Brock's father ran over the hose with the lawnmower,so the hose is not working.The children decide to create a bucket line from the faucet to the pool.The first child passes the full bucket to the second child,the second to the third,and so on until the last child empties the bucket into the pool.If we imagine that EACH child is a neuron,the gap between one child and the next is like a(n)

Accepted Answer

The gap between one child and the next in the bucket line is like the synapse between two neurons. Just like how neurotransmitters move across synapses to transmit information between neurons, the bucket of water is passed from child to child to reach the pool. The other answer choices (A) vesicle, (B) soma, and (D) node of Ranvier do not accurately reflect the process of passing a bucket of water from one child to the next.

Question 5

Though neurons are the building blocks of our nervous systems,they can't do everything alone.______________ cells guide neurons into place during prenatal development,hold them still after the nervous system has developed,and keep the neurons safe from toxins.

Accepted Answer

Glial cells are responsible for guiding and protecting neurons during development and after the nervous system has formed. The other options (axon and ion) are parts of neurons, while myelin is a substance produced by glial cells that helps neurons transmit information more quickly.

Question 6

Derek has been asked to hand-deliver a message to Adeline.Adeline lives across the river from Derek,and there is no bridge;therefore,Derek must take a boat across the channel.When he reaches the shore,he ties the boat to the dock so he can take the message to Adeline.If we compare Derek's actions to those that occur in neurons,we can say that the dock,where Derrek binds his boat,is like a

Accepted Answer

The dock, where Derek ties his boat, is analogous to a receptor site in neurons. Just as the dock is the specific location where the boat is secured, a receptor site is the specific location on a neuron where a neurotransmitter binds.

Question 7

When neurotransmitters plug into the appropriate neuron receptors,sodium ions very briefly flood through potassium channels like water through dam floodgates.This changes the neuron's electrical balance and is called

Accepted Answer

The influx of sodium ions through potassium channels is a key step in generating an action potential, which is a rapid change in the neuron's electrical potential that allows it to transmit signals to other neurons or muscles. Graded potentials are smaller changes in electrical potential that do not typically result in signal transmission. An absolute refractory period occurs after an action potential where the neuron cannot generate another action potential, but this is not related to the influx of ions through channels. An anion is a negatively charged ion and is not related to this process.

Question 8

When we're asked to read a passage of text out loud,many parts of the brain are required to recognize the letters,give them meaning,and translate them into speech.Even if each of these parts of the brain is intact,damage to parts of the brain that connect them,collectively referred to as ___________________,can make the process difficult or impossible.

Accepted Answer

The association cortex is involved in integrating information from different parts of the brain, which is crucial for tasks like reading aloud that require coordination between recognizing letters, understanding their meaning, and producing speech.

Question 9

The neurotransmitter dopamine has been implicated in psychosis.Antipsychotic medications decrease dopamine activity to reduce psychotic symptoms.Antipsychotics must therefore be

Accepted Answer

Antipsychotic medications reduce psychotic symptoms by blocking the activity of dopamine. Therefore, the best choice is antagonists, which are substances that inhibit or block the effects of a neurotransmitter like dopamine.

Question 10

Rita has always wanted to learn to play the piano.At 40,she decides to take piano lessons.She picks the skill up quickly,partly,her teacher says,because she's so eager to learn.As she learns,the neurons in Rita's brain are changing to store the new information and habits;this is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Neural plasticity refers to the ability of the brain to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life in response to new experiences. This is what is happening in Rita's brain as she learns to play the piano. Choices A, B, and D are not accurate in describing the process of learning and brain plasticity. Homeostasis refers to the tendency of the body to maintain internal stability, evolution refers to the process of genetic change over generations, and lateralization refers to specialization of functions in the brain's two hemispheres.

Question 11

Darian has decided to get the cosmetic injection of Botox to smooth wrinkles between his eyebrows.Before he goes to visit his doctor,he researches Botox on the internet and learns that it's a mild form of the botulism toxin,which paralyzes facial muscles by blocking the action of

Accepted Answer

Botox works by blocking the action of acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter responsible for muscle contraction. By inhibiting acetylcholine, Botox temporarily paralyzes or weakens facial muscles, resulting in the smoothing of wrinkles.

Question 12

Derek has been asked to hand-deliver a message to Adeline.Adeline lives across the river from Derek,and there is no bridge.Derek's friends Hakeem,Geoff,and Rion have also been asked to carry messages across the river.The four friends agree that they will share a boat across the channel so they can deliver their messages.If we compare this scenario to neuron communication,we can say that the boat,which contained the messengers,is like a

Accepted Answer

The boat carrying the messengers across the river can be compared to a vesicle in neuron communication. Just as a vesicle carries neurotransmitters across the synapse, the boat carries the messengers across the river.

Question 13

People who have paralysis due to a break in the spinal cord have intact sensory neurons in spite of their inability to experience sensation in the paralyzed areas.The problem is that the sensory information cannot reach the part of the brain that translates it into actual sensation.This part of the brain is called

Accepted Answer

The somatic sensory cortex is responsible for processing tactile information from the body, which is necessary for experiencing sensation. In cases of spinal cord injury, the sensory information cannot reach this part of the brain, leading to the inability to perceive sensation in paralyzed areas. The motor cortex is responsible for controlling voluntary movements, while Wernicke's area and Broca's area are involved in language processing.

Question 14

Derek has been asked to hand-deliver a message to Adeline.Adeline lives across the river from Derek,and there is no bridge.Therefore,Derek must take a boat across the channel to deliver the message.If we compare Derek's actions to those that occur in neurons,we can say that Derek,the person who carries the message across the channel,is like a

Accepted Answer

Derek, who carries the message across the channel, is like a neurotransmitter because he is the messenger who transports the message from one side (axon terminal) to the other side (dendrites) of the "synaptic cleft" (river). Just like a neurotransmitter carries signals between neurons, Derek carries the message between two individuals separated by a physical barrier.

Question 15

One of the reasons it's important never to move someone who's been in a car accident unless absolutely necessary is that broken bones in the neck could damage the spinal cord or the ____________,which is the part of the brain responsible for breathing and heartbeat.

Accepted Answer

The medulla is the part of the brain located at the base of the skull that controls vital bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Moving someone with a neck injury could cause damage to the medulla, which could be life-threatening.

Question 16

Monica is going to the dentist to get her first filling.She tries to be responsible about all medications,so before he numbs her mouth,she asks the dentist to explain how Novocain works.The dentist tells Monica that Novocain creates numbness and prevents pain by _______________ in the target area.

Accepted Answer

Novocain works by stopping action potentials from occurring in the target area, which prevents pain signals from being transmitted to the brain.

Question 17

When the tamping iron went through Phineas Gage's head,it damaged the part of his brain responsible for self control,planning,judgment,and inhibition of behaviours.This part of the brain is called

Accepted Answer

The phineas gage's damage was in his prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for self control, planning, judgement, and inhibition of behaviours. Therefore, choice C (the prefrontal cortex) is the best option.

Question 18

When your body gets too warm,you begin to sweat,your skin flushes,and you're likely to seek out cooler surroundings.When your body gets too cool,you get goosebumps,you shiver,and you're likely to seek out warmer surroundings.These behaviours are evidence that your body likes to maintain an internal balance called _________________ to keep you safe and healthy.

Accepted Answer

Homeostasis is the internal balance that the body maintains to ensure that vital physiological processes are functioning properly. It is the body's way of keeping conditions constant within a narrow range despite changes in the external environment. This balance is crucial to keeping the body safe and healthy. Choices B, C, and D are not related to the concept of homeostasis.

Question 19

The hippocampus produces new neurons all the time,a process that is called _______________.This process is believed to be important to learning and memory.

Accepted Answer

The process of producing new neurons in the hippocampus is called neurogenesis. This process is believed to be important in learning and memory. Homeostasis refers to the balance or stability of physiological systems in the body, aphasia is a language disorder, and lateralization refers to the specialization of the brain's hemispheres.

Question 20

Stoddard,Raine,Bihrle,and Buchsbaum (1997)were interested in what might cause people,who had not been abused,neglected,or raised in disrupted households,to kill.Using PET scans,they determined that the murderers' brains had lower-than-normal prefrontal activity.This finding can help us understand why these individuals were more likely to kill because this part of the brain is

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for self-control, delayed gratification, reasoning, judgment, foresight, and activation during feelings of guilt or embarrassment. Therefore, all of these options are correct, making choice D the best answer.

Quiz 3: Biological Foundations of Behaviour