Question 1

_________________ carry information away from the cell body.

Accepted Answer

Axons are the part of a neuron that carry information away from the cell body towards other cells.

Question 2

In many neurons the axon is covered by a sheath of fatty material known as _____________.

Accepted Answer

Myelin is the correct answer because it is the fatty material that forms a sheath around the axon of many neurons, providing insulation and increasing the speed at which electrical impulses are passed along the axon.

Question 3

_______________ help form a barrier that prevents certain substances in the bloodstream from reaching the brain.

Accepted Answer

Glial cells, specifically astrocytes, are part of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which helps in preventing certain substances in the bloodstream from reaching the brain, thus protecting it from potential harm.

Question 4

Speeds along myelinated axons can reach ____________ miles per hour.

Accepted Answer

Speeds along myelinated axons can reach up to 270 miles per hour, which is facilitated by the myelin sheath that insulates the axon and allows for faster transmission of electrical impulses.

Question 5

Stimulation, either directly or by chemical messages from other neurons, produces ___________________, a basic type of signal within neurons.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Stimulation, either directly or by chemical messages...

Question 6

Damage to the ___________________ surrounding axons can seriously affect synaptic transmission.

Accepted Answer

The myelin sheath surrounds axons and is crucial for the proper and efficient transmission of electrical impulses along the nerve cells. Damage to it can disrupt synaptic transmission significantly.

Question 7

In diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), progressive deterioration of the _______________ leads to jerky, uncoordinated movements in the affected person.

Accepted Answer

In multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system attacks the myelin sheath, which is the protective covering of the nerves. This leads to impaired transmission of signals in the nervous system, causing symptoms such as uncoordinated movements.

Question 8

The best-known imaging technique, and the first one developed for wide spread use, is an x-ray scanning procedure called ________________.

Accepted Answer

CT scan, or computed tomography scan, is the best-known imaging technique and was the first one developed for widespread use. It uses X-rays to create detailed images of the inside of the body.

Question 9

The pseudoscience associated with the study of the skull and personality became known as ___________.

Accepted Answer

Phrenology is the pseudoscience that involves the study of skull shapes as a supposed indicator of mental abilities and character traits.

Question 10

The __________ of an organism is the full sequence of genes found on the chromosomes with the associated DNA.

Accepted Answer

The genome of an organism encompasses the entire genetic material of that organism, including all of its genes and the noncoding sequences of the DNA.

Question 11

Researchers in the field of human behavior genetics unite __________ and psychology to explore the causal link between inheritance and behavior.

Accepted Answer

Genetics is the study of inheritance and variation in living organisms. It is a branch of biology that deals with the structure and function of genes, which are the units of heredity. Behavior genetics is a subfield of genetics that studies the role of genes in behavior.

Question 12

Researchers in the field of __________________ provide evolutionary explanations for the social behavior and social systems of humans and other animal species.

Accepted Answer

Sociobiology is the field that provides evolutionary explanations for social behavior and social systems in humans and other animals.

Question 13

The reticular formation has long tracts of fibers that run to the ____________, which channels incoming sensory information to the appropriate area of the cerebral cortex, where that information is processed.

Accepted Answer

The reticular formation connects with the thalamus, which acts as a relay station by channeling incoming sensory information to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex for processing.

Question 14

The __________, which is the largest of the limbic system structures, plays an important role in the acquisition of memories.

Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is crucial for memory formation, playing a significant role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and in spatial memory that enables navigation.

Question 15

The area where the axon connects to the soma is ______________.

Accepted Answer

The axon hillock is the area where the axon connects to the soma (cell body) of a neuron. It is often considered the last site in the soma where membrane potentials propagated from synaptic inputs are summated before being transmitted to the axon.

Question 16

When the ___________________is too large to be jumped by the neural impulse, the signal/information must be passed using chemicals as neurotransmitters instead of electrical currents.

Accepted Answer

The synaptic cleft is the gap between neurons that is too large for electrical signals to cross directly. Therefore, neurotransmitters are used to bridge this gap and transmit signals from one neuron to another.

Question 17

______________ is the DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission.

Accepted Answer

Genes are the segments of DNA that are the basic functional units of hereditary transmission, carrying the instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses.

Question 18

_______________ is the expression of your genetic makeup (eye color, height, hair color, etc).

Accepted Answer

Phenotype refers to the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences, such as eye color, height, and hair color.

Question 19

_____________ are the thread-like strands of DNA molecules that form the DNA segments.

Accepted Answer

Chromosomes are the thread-like structures made of DNA and proteins that contain the genetic information in the form of DNA segments.

Question 20

In the brain and spinal cord, areas that are mostly axons are called ___________ which is possible to differentiate pathways or tracts of these axons.

Accepted Answer

White matter in the brain and spinal cord is made up primarily of axons, which allows for the differentiation of various pathways or tracts within these structures.

Quiz 11: Brain Function and Neurotransmitters