Question 1

Most of the brain's excitatory ionotropic synapses use the neurotransmitter glutamate.

Accepted Answer

Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter used by excitatory ionotropic synapses in the brain.

Question 2

Inhibitory synapses actively suppress excitatory responses.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 3

Professor Wick is teaching about neurotransmitter release and told his class that each neuron releases one kind of hormone.

Accepted Answer

Professor Wick is incorrect. Neurons release neurotransmitters, not hormones. Additionally, each neuron can release multiple types of neurotransmitters.

Question 4

Dr. Lattimer studies how the neurotransmitter dopamine is synthesized from tryptophan from the diet.

Accepted Answer

Dopamine is not synthesized from tryptophan, but rather from the amino acid tyrosine, which is also obtained from the diet.

Question 5

The circuit from sensory neuron to muscle response is called ____.
A) a reflex arc
B) a synapse
C) flexion
D) extension

Accepted Answer

The circuit from sensory neuron to muscle response is called a reflex arc, which is an automatic response to a stimulus that involves the sensory neuron, interneurons, and motor neurons. Choices B, C, and D are not accurate descriptions of the entire circuit.

Question 6

Nitric oxide (NO) can function as a hormone.

Accepted Answer

The answer of  Nitric oxide (NO) can function as a...

Question 7

Generally speaking, a neuron will release a greater number of neurotransmitters than what it will respond to with its own receptors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of  Generally speaking, a neuron will release a...

Question 8

Most of the known neurotransmitters are synthesized from amino acids.

Accepted Answer

The majority of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, are derived from amino acids such as tryptophan and phenylalanine, respectively.

Question 9

Spatial summation is the result of synaptic inputs from different locations arriving at the same time.

Accepted Answer

Spatial summation is the process by which synaptic inputs from different locations on a neuron converge at the same time, resulting in the firing of an action potential. This process is responsible for integrating information from multiple sources to generate a coordinated response.

Question 10

Metabotropic synapses use a large variety of transmitters.

Accepted Answer

Metabotropic synapses can use a variety of neurotransmitters, including but not limited to dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine. This is different from ionotropic synapses, which primarily use glutamate and GABA.

Question 11

The amount of temporal summation depends on the rate of stimulation.

Accepted Answer

Temporal summation refers to the build-up of postsynaptic potentials over time, and the amount of summation depends on the frequency or rate of stimulation.

Question 12

Winnifred is in the lab drawing illustrations of neurons in her lab notebook. She labeled the specialized area between two neurons as the _____.
A) synapse
B) axon hillock
C) node of Ranvier
D) vesicle

Accepted Answer

The synapse is the specialized area between two neurons where information is transmitted from one neuron to another. The other options, axon hillock, node of Ranvier, and vesicle, refer to other structures within the neuron, but not the area between two neurons.

Question 13

Neurons communicate with both electrical and chemical signals. Scientists have shown that chemical communication is the preferred form as it is faster.

Accepted Answer

Neurons communicate with both electrical and chemical signals, but electrical signals tend to be faster than chemical signals.

Question 14

Transmission of information between neurons occurs in the same way as transmission along an axon.

Accepted Answer

Transmission of information between neurons occurs at synapses through chemical or electrical signals, whereas transmission along an axon is typically electrical, involving the movement of ions across the axonal membrane.

Question 15

Charles S. Sherrington was the first to infer the properties of ____.
A) synapses
B) the refractory period
C) the sodium-potassium pump
D) dendrites and axons

Accepted Answer

Charles S. Sherrington was the first to infer the properties of synapses, which are the junctions between neurons where communication occurs. He proposed the concept of synaptic transmission, which describes how neurons communicate and transfer information across the synapse.

Question 16

Sherrington studied ____, which are automatic muscular responses to stimuli.
A) instincts
B) reflexes
C) inhibitions
D) aversions

Accepted Answer

Sherrington studied reflexes, which are automatic muscular responses to stimuli.

Question 17

At synapses, the cell that receives the message is called the presynaptic neuron.

Accepted Answer

The cell that receives the message at synapses is called the postsynaptic neuron, not the presynaptic neuron. The presynaptic neuron is the cell that sends the message across the synapse to the postsynaptic neuron.

Question 18

On the basis of what evidence were the properties of synapses first inferred?
A) The electron microscope
B) Single-neuron recordings
C) Behavioral observations
D) PET scans

Accepted Answer

The properties of synapses were first inferred from behavioral observations, as early neuroscientists like Charles Sherrington studied reflexes and deduced the existence of synapses before they could be directly observed.

Question 19

Whether or not a neurotransmitter is excitatory depends on the response of the postsynaptic receptor.

Accepted Answer

The neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory depending on the response of the postsynaptic receptor. If the response of the receptor is to depolarize the cell membrane and increase the likelihood of an action potential, the neurotransmitter is considered excitatory. If the response is to hyperpolarize the membrane and decrease the likelihood of an action potential, the neurotransmitter is considered inhibitory. Therefore, whether or not a neurotransmitter is excitatory depends on the postsynaptic receptor.

Question 20

A reflex arc contains specialized motor neurons that detect and execute the reflex.

Accepted Answer

A reflex arc contains sensory neurons that detect the stimulus and motor neurons that execute the response; it does not contain specialized motor neurons for detection.

Quiz 2: Synapses