Exam 4: The Brain and Nervous System

When a neurotransmitter binds briefly with a receptor site, the ultimate effect is either excitatory or inhibitory. Explain the effects of each.

Sensory nerves put us in touch with both the outside world and with the activities within our own bodies.

A PET scan:

Which of the following neurotransmitters affects neurons involved in increased heart rate and the slowing of intestinal activity during stress?

Many areas of the cortex, when stimulated, would produce no obvious response or sensation.

_______________ are waves of electrical activity associated with particular stimuli such as seeing a picture or hearing a word.

_______________ allows scientists to see the neural activity associated with each of the series of steps associated with a thought in real time.

Norepinephrine may be considered either a neurotransmitter or a hormone.

Without the reticular activating system in our brain, we would not be alert.

A young woman returns from a day at the beach to find she has developed a severe sunburn. Which neurons are sending the messages from her burned skin to her central nervous system, informing her of the pain from the burn?

_______________ carry orders from the central nervous system to muscles, glands, and internal organs.

The function of the _______________ is to gather and process information, produce responses to stimuli, and coordinate the workings of different cells.

In most people, the right cerebral hemisphere of the brain is specialized for processing facial emotion.

Which word in parentheses better fits each of the following definitions? 1. Basic building blocks of the nervous system (nerves, neurons) 2. Cell parts that receive nerve impulses (axons, dendrites) 3. Site of communication between neurons (synapse, myelin sheath) 4. Opiate-like substance in the brain (dopamine, endorphin) 5. Chemicals that make it possible for neurons to communicate (neurotransmitters, hormones) 6. Hormone closely associated with emotional excitement (epinephrine, estrogen) B. Imagine that you are depressed, and you hear about a treatment for depression that affects the levels of several neurotransmitters thought to be involved in the disorder. Based on what you have learned, what questions would you want to ask before deciding whether to try the treatment?

Which of the following neurotransmitters functions as the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain?

The thalamus is a brain structure involved in emotions and drives that are vital for survival.

Patients with right hemisphere damage may have difficulty understanding music or art.

Which of the following is a type of androgen?

Neurons in the central nervous system can neither reproduce nor regenerate.

What are the two general approaches to mapping the brain?