Question 1

The ability of neurons to change their structure and function is called neural:

Accepted Answer

Neural plasticity refers to the ability of neurons to form new connections, reorganize their structure, and modify their function in response to different experiences and stimuli.

Question 2

When the potential of a neuron is made more negative (e.g. ,moved from -70 to -73 millivolts),the neuron has experienced a depolarization.

Accepted Answer

When the potential of a neuron becomes more negative, it is experiencing hyperpolarization instead of depolarization. Depolarization occurs when the potential becomes more positive, such as moving from -70 to -65 millivolts.

Question 3

Wernicke's area is primarily concerned with speech production,whereas Broca's area is related to speech comprehension.

Accepted Answer

The statement is the opposite of the correct relationship between Wernicke's and Broca's areas. Wernicke's area is related to speech comprehension, whereas Broca's area is primarily concerned with speech production.

Question 4

Babies who are reared in stimulating environments with a lot of human interaction can be expected to show:

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that babies who are raised in stimulating environments with a lot of human interaction have faster neurological development than babies in less stimulating environments. This is because the brain develops through a process of synapse formation and pruning, and experiences and interactions help to create and strengthen these connections.

Question 5

The two ways in which neurotransmitters are deactivated in the synapse are chemical breakdown and reuptake.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Neurotransmitters can be deactivated in the synapse either by being broken down chemically or by being reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron through a process called reuptake.

Question 6

A person who has had his corpus callosum cut is briefly shown a picture of a spoon in his left visual field.Which of the following accurately describes what he will be able to do? He will say that he saw:

Accepted Answer

When a person's corpus callosum is cut, the two hemispheres of the brain cannot communicate effectively. In this case, the picture of the spoon is only presented to the left visual field, which is processed by the right hemisphere of the brain. The person will not be able to verbally report seeing the spoon because language is predominantly controlled by the left hemisphere. However, the person's right hemisphere can still process the information and send signals to the left hand to select the correct object from a group, indicating that they did perceive the spoon.

Question 7

You don't want your pet turtle Flash to be bored,so you go out of your way to make his cage very exciting and interesting.You change things around frequently and give him new things to explore.If your efforts actually produced changes in the neurons of Flash's brain,then they would best illustrate the concept of:

Accepted Answer

Neural plasticity refers to the brain's ability to change and adapt, such as through learning and experience. By providing Flash with new things to explore and changing his environment, his brain may adapt and form new neural pathways, illustrating the concept of neuroplasticity.

Question 8

If the patients with with their corpus callosum severed were shown a picture of a hairbrush in their right visual field,,then the patients would be able to:

Accepted Answer

The answer of If the patients with with their corpus...

Question 9

Research on neural plasticity indicates that young children recover more effectively from brain damage than adults.Which of the following can best account for this fact,young children have?

Accepted Answer

The presence of more synapses in young children supports their greater neural plasticity and ability to recover from brain damage. Synaptic pruning, which is the elimination of unused synapses, occurs as a child develops and can hinder recovery from brain damage in adults who have fewer synapses.

Question 10

The two divisions of the sympathetic nervous system are the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

Accepted Answer

The somatic nervous system is not a division of the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system consists of the thoracolumbar division and the craniosacral division, which make up the autonomic nervous system.

Question 11

Split-brain research was made possible originally by surgical techniques in which the _________ was cut to limit the potential brain damage caused by epileptic seizures.

Accepted Answer

Split-brain research involves cutting the corpus callosum, which is the major pathway connecting the two hemispheres of the brain. This surgery was initially performed to alleviate severe epilepsy, and researchers later discovered that it created a unique opportunity to study the functions of each hemisphere of the brain independently.

Question 12

Roger Sperry was the first to discover how the brain would operate if the corpus callosum was severed in these studies.

Accepted Answer

Roger Sperry's studies involved split-brain patients, where the corpus callosum (the band of fibers connecting the two hemispheres of the brain) was severed. He discovered that each hemisphere of the brain could function independently, with different abilities and ways of processing information.

Question 13

Neuroscientists have found that cell death is programmed into every neuron by its genes,and that the neuron's "suicide apparatus" can be activated by:

Accepted Answer

Neuroscientists have found that cell death in neurons is programmed into their genes, and that the neuron's "suicide apparatus" can be activated by a lack of stimulation from other neurons. In other words, if a neuron isn't receiving enough input or activity from other neurons, it may activate its own cell death mechanism. The other choices - genetic diseases, severe brain damage, and overstimulation during panic attacks - are all potential triggers for cell death in neurons, but they are not programmed into the neuron's genes in the same way as a lack of stimulation.

Question 14

Research indicates that difference in specializations between right and left hemisphere functions go unnoticed because of:

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain, allowing for communication and integration of information between the two. Therefore, differences in specialization between the hemispheres would be noticed due to this connection.

Question 15

Later split brain research found that the ___________ hemisphere has definite superiority over the ___________ in the recognition of patterns.

Accepted Answer

Later split brain research found that the right hemisphere has definite superiority over the left in the recognition of patterns.

Question 16

When neurons die because of aging or damage,surviving neurons can NOT restore functioning by:

Accepted Answer

Growing more new axons on each surviving neuron is not possible because neurons cannot regenerate once they have matured, so surviving neurons cannot grow new axons or regenerate those that have been lost.

Question 17

The brain changes that occur when you learn to walk,acquire speech,read,and fall in love,are called neural:

Accepted Answer

The changes that occur in the brain when we learn new things or have new experiences are called neural plasticity, which refers to the brain's ability to adapt and change over time. This is what allows us to learn new skills, acquire knowledge, and form memories. The other choices (accommodation, elasticity, and personality) do not accurately describe this process.

Question 18

Neurogenesis,which is the growth of new neurons in an adult brain,has been found in the:

Accepted Answer

Neurogenesis has been found in the hippocampuses of rodents and primates, but not in the frontal lobes. Although there is evidence of decreased neurogenesis in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's patients, there is still some controversy about whether or not neurogenesis occurs in Alzheimer's brains.

Question 19

A person with a severed corpus callosum is briefly shown a picture of a bird and after this presentation she is able to tell the experimenter that she just saw a bird.Given this information,we can conclude that:

Accepted Answer

When a person's corpus callosum is severed, the hemispheres are unable to communicate with each other. This means that if a picture is shown in the person's left visual field (which is processed by the right hemisphere), the information cannot be relayed to the left hemisphere (where language processing is typically located in most people) for verbal communication. Therefore, the fact that the person was able to identify the bird suggests that the picture was shown in the person's right visual field (processed by the left hemisphere). This is a phenomenon known as "hemispheric lateralization."

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding the notion that humans only use 10% of their brain capacity is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that we use virtually all parts of our brain, and the "10% myth" is a misconception. Brain imaging studies demonstrate activity coursing through the entire brain, even when at rest.

Quiz 3: Biological Foundations of Behaviour