Question 1

Dendrites release neurotransmitters at synapses.)

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters are typically released by the axon terminals of neurons, not dendrites. Dendrites primarily receive signals from other neurons.

Question 2

After an accident, a professional musician 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 auditory association areas are responsible for processing and making sense of the sounds we hear, including associating specific sounds with their sources, such as musical instruments. Damage to this area can lead to difficulties in recognizing or associating sounds with their sources, as described in the scenario.

Question 3

Sensations of fear, pleasure, and sexual arousal are produced by the

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is involved in processing emotions such as fear, pleasure, and sexual arousal.

Question 4

To survive the winter, some birds, such as the black-capped chickadee, must locate caches of seeds it buries each fall. Which region of the brain allows the birds to remember the exact locations of these stashes?

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is crucial for memory and spatial navigation, allowing birds to remember the locations of their food caches.

Question 5

The right cerebral hemisphere

Accepted Answer

The right cerebral hemisphere controls movements of the left side of the body due to the crossing over of motor pathways in the brain.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Damage to the right frontal cortex can affect the motor functions on the opposite side of the body, leading to paralysis on the left side due to the way the brain's neural pathways are organized.

Question 7

Nerves are groups of axons bundled together.

Accepted Answer

Nerves are indeed groups of axons, which are the long, slender projections of neurons, bundled together along with other tissues like connective tissue, to transmit electrical impulses across different parts of the body.

Question 8

The corpus callosum links the

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain, specifically the right and left cerebral hemispheres, facilitating interhemispheric communication.

Question 9

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 crucial for the formation of new memories. Damage to this area can result in an inability to form new memories, a condition known as anterograde amnesia, while often leaving older memories intact.

Question 10

You arrive ten minutes late for your final exam and immediately regret stopping for donuts, which feel like a dead weight in your stomach. Your heart is pounding and your palms are sweaty. What part of your nervous system is in control?

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response, which includes symptoms like a pounding heart and sweaty palms when under stress, such as being late for an important exam.

Question 11

John was attending a party when he suddenly started eating food from some of the other guestʹs plates and using profane language. Johnʹs son promptly rushed his father to the hospital where it was discovered that he had suffered a stroke. Based on Johnʹs altered behaviors, which area of the brain was most likely damaged by the stroke?

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for regulating behavior, decision-making, and social interaction. Damage to this area can result in disinhibition, inappropriate social behavior, and difficulty in controlling impulses, which aligns with John's sudden inappropriate actions at the party.

Question 12

Aliceʹs 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 Aliceʹs PET scan?

Accepted Answer

The occipital lobe is primarily responsible for visual processing. A large red area in the occipital lobe during a PET scan, while looking at color images, indicates high levels of activity in this region, consistent with its role in processing visual stimuli.

Question 13

When you hear a loud noise, you immediately turn your head and direct your eyes toward the sound. Which region of the brain directs this reflexive movement of your eyes?

Accepted Answer

The answer of When you hear a loud noise, you...

Question 14

It is possible that brain damage from a stroke or other injury could leave a person with the ability to comprehend written language but not spoken language (assume the personʹs hearing is fine). Which statement best explains this?

Accepted Answer

Different parts of the brain are involved in different aspects of language comprehension, which explains how damage to one area could affect the ability to understand spoken language but not written language.

Question 15

Visual information is processed in the

Accepted Answer

Visual information is primarily processed in the occipital lobes, which are located at the back of the brain and are responsible for interpreting visual stimuli and information from the eyes.

Question 16

The __________is a cluster of neurons that plays a role in wake-sleep cycles, muscle tone, emotions, and some reflexes.

Accepted Answer

The reticular formation is a set of interconnected nuclei that are located throughout the brainstem. It plays a crucial role in controlling arousal and alertness, influencing wake-sleep cycles, and regulating muscle tone, among other functions. It is also involved in various reflexes and plays a part in the regulation of emotions.

Question 17

Which region of the brain helps regulate body temperature, endocrine activity, and water balance?

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature, endocrine activity, and water balance, among other autonomic functions.

Question 18

Sensory information processing as well as the direction of voluntary movements are carried out by the

Accepted Answer

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is responsible for processing sensory information and directing voluntary movements, among other functions such as intelligence, learning, and memory.

Question 19

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

The hippocampus is crucial for the consolidation of information from short-term to long-term memory, which explains why people with damage to this area struggle with forming new memories but can recall events that happened before the damage.

Question 20

The left and right hemispheres of the brain are connected through the__________ , a large band of axons.

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.

Quiz 39: The Nervous System