Question 1

Which structure is responsible for transferring information from short-term memory into long-term memory?

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is responsible for transferring information from short-term memory into long-term memory. It is a part of the limbic system and located in the temporal lobe of the brain. The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating homeostasis and the autonomic nervous system. The amygdala is responsible for processing emotions and fear. The frontal lobe is responsible for executive function and decision-making. The occipital lobe is responsible for processing visual information.

Question 2

Recent discoveries have shown that women are more able than men to recover their speaking ability after a stroke. Women are able to shift more easily from the left brain to the right brain because they have a larger ________ than men do.

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is the structure that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Research has shown that women have a larger corpus callosum than men, which allows them to more easily shift their speaking ability from the left hemisphere to the right hemisphere after a stroke.

Question 3

Neurotransmitters are released from the dendrite side of the synapse. True or False?

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters are actually released from the axon terminal of the presynaptic neuron, and bind to receptors on the dendrite or cell body of the postsynaptic neuron.

Question 4

Cells maintain a resting membrane potential, with a higher K+ concentration on the inside of the cell membrane. True or False?

Accepted Answer

This is correct. Resting cells maintain a higher concentration of K+ ions inside the cell, creating a negative charge within the cell membrane.

Question 5

The ion concentrations in a resting membrane potential are maintained by Na+-K+ pumps. True or False?

Accepted Answer

Na+-K+ pumps actively transport ions across the cell membrane to maintain the ionic concentration gradient necessary for a resting membrane potential. This helps to establish the negative charge inside the cell relative to the outside.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

The temporal lobes are responsible for auditory processing and comprehension. Damage to this area can result in difficulty understanding and recognizing sounds, including musical instruments.

Question 7

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?

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is responsible for forming and storing new memories. Damage to this region can lead to anterograde amnesia, where new information cannot be retained, while old memories remain intact.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Damage to the right frontal cortex will affect the left side of the body. This is because the motor and sensory pathways in the brain cross over, meaning that the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa.

Question 9

Memory, sensory processing, motor responses, creativity, and higher intellectual functions are carried out by the:

Accepted Answer

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is responsible for memory, sensory processing, motor responses, creativity, and higher intellectual functions. The medulla and hypothalamus are responsible for regulating vital functions such as breathing and heart rate, while the cerebellum is responsible for coordination and balance. The amygdala, while involved in memory and emotion processing, is not responsible for the full range of functions listed.

Question 10

At a chemical synapse, the cell membranes touch and chemicals are exchanged through gap junctions. True or False?

Accepted Answer

At a chemical synapse, the cell membranes do not touch. Instead, there is a small gap called the synaptic cleft between the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes. Chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are released from the presynaptic neuron and diffuse across the synaptic cleft to bind with receptors on the postsynaptic neuron.

Question 11

Myelin slows the transmission of action potentials along their length. True or False?

Accepted Answer

Myelin actually speeds up the transmission of action potentials along their length by allowing them to jump between nodes of Ranvier.

Question 12

Visual information is processed in the:

Accepted Answer

Visual information is primarily processed in the occipital lobes of the brain. The occipital lobes are located at the back of the brain and are responsible for receiving and processing visual stimuli.

Question 13

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:

Accepted Answer

Damage to the hippocampus affects the transfer of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, as seen in the inability to remember recent events but retention of older memories.

Question 14

The right cerebral hemisphere:

Accepted Answer

The right cerebral hemisphere controls the left side of the body through the corpus callosum.

Question 15

The corpus callosum links the:

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is a large band of nerve fibers that connects the right and left cerebral hemispheres of the brain. This allows for communication and coordination between the two hemispheres.

Question 16

Is it possible that brain damage from a stroke or other injury could leave a person whose hearing is fine with the ability to comprehend written language but no understanding of spoken language? Why?

Accepted Answer

Different aspects of language are processed in different parts of the brain, so it is possible that damage to a specific area responsible for processing speech could leave a person with the ability to understand written language but not spoken language.

Question 17

Which of these parts of the brain controls the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is a small but highly important part of the brain located just below the thalamus and above the brainstem. It regulates many vital functions, including the autonomic nervous system, pituitary gland, and homeostasis. The medulla oblongata also plays a role in controlling autonomic functions, but the hypothalamus is the primary controller.

Question 18

Alice's 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 Alice's PET scan?

Accepted Answer

The PET scan shows that Alice's occipital lobe had a high level of activity when looking at color images, but other brain areas may still be active as well. The scan does not provide information about the rest of her brain, so option A and C can't be true. Option D is incorrect because the idea that we only use 10% of our brains is a myth.

Question 19

As the resting membrane potential moves closer to the threshold level, the neuron becomes harder to stimulate. True or False?

Accepted Answer

As the resting membrane potential moves closer to the threshold level, the neuron becomes easier to stimulate, not harder.

Question 20

Nerves are groups of axons bundled together. True or False?

Accepted Answer

Nerves are made up of bundles of axons, which are insulated by myelin and surrounded by connective tissue.

Quiz 38: The Nervous System