Exam 2: The Biological Basis of Behavior

Compare and contrast the functions of the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system.

During its resting state, the electrical charge inside the neuron is ________ the electrical charge outside the neuron.

At fertilization, the chromosomes from the father's sperm unite with the chromosomes from the mother's egg, creating a new cell called a(n) ________.

The two cerebral hemispheres are not really equivalent in their functions.

The cell body is enclosed by the ________.

Imagine that you believe that increased neural activity in the human limbic system produces increases in aggressive behavior. Which of the following findings would not provide support for your theory?

The brain and spinal cord contain about ________ percent of the body's neurons.

The language used by neurons to communicate ________.

Briefly describe the functions of the reticular formation and the limbic system. Explain what problems can result from damage or destruction of these areas.

The two main components of the human nervous system are the ________ nervous system and the ________ nervous system.

The reticular formation is located only in the hindbrain.

Terminal buttons are located ________.

The structure directly over the brain stem that relays and translates sensory information is the ________.

The part of the brain most people think of when they talk about the brain is the ________.

A group of axons bundled together is called a ________.

Studies of heritability in humans that assume that if genes influence a certain trait, close relatives should be more similar with that trait than distant relatives are called ________ studies.

Discuss how the brain controls language in humans, identifying the key structures involved in language processing and describing the effects of damage to these areas.

You're walking all alone down a dark street when suddenly you hear a scream and then footsteps coming closer and closer. Your heart begins to pound, you're scared stiff, and you feel like running. Which part of the nervous system causes your body's reaction?

Because they have similar chemical structures, morphine and other narcotics are able to lock into receptor sites for ________.

The function of the neuron's dendrite is to ________.