Question 1

The amino acid that operates at most inhibitory synapses in the brain is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  acetylcholine 
B)  endorphin 
C)  nitric oxide 
D)  gamma-aminobutyric acid (GAB
A)  
A)  acetylcholine 
B)  endorphin 
C)  nitric oxide 
D)  gamma-aminobutyric acid (GAB
A)

Question 2

Action potentials are normally carried in only one direction: from the axon hillock toward the axon terminals. If you experimentally depolarize the middle of the axon to threshold, using an electronic probe, then ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  no action potential will be initiated 
B)  an action potential will be initiated and proceed only in the normal direction toward the axon terminal 
C)  an action potential will be initiated and proceed only back toward the axon hillock 
D)  two action potentials will be initiated, one going toward the axon terminal and one going back toward the hillock 
A)  no action potential will be initiated 
B)  an action potential will be initiated and proceed only in the normal direction toward the axon terminal 
C)  an action potential will be initiated and proceed only back toward the axon hillock 
D)  two action potentials will be initiated, one going toward the axon terminal and one going back toward the hillock

Question 3

The point of connection between two communicating neurons is called the ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  axon hillock 
B)  dendrite 
C)  synapse 
D)  cell body 
A)  axon hillock 
B)  dendrite 
C)  synapse 
D)  cell body

Question 4

The heart rate of a vertebrate will decrease in response to the arrival of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  acetylcholine 
B)  endorphin 
C)  nitric oxide 
D)  gamma-aminobutyric acid (GAB
A)  
A)  acetylcholine 
B)  endorphin 
C)  nitric oxide 
D)  gamma-aminobutyric acid (GAB
A)

Question 5

Refer to the following graph of an action potential to answer the question.
 
The membrane potential is closest to the equilibrium potential for potassium at label ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D 
A)  A 
B)  B 
C)  C 
D)  D

Question 6

How could you increase the magnitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs)generated at a synapse?

Accepted Answer

A)  Increase sodium-potassium pump activity. 
B)  Increase K⁺ permeability. 
C)  Increase Na⁺ permeability. 
D)  All of the listed responses are correct. 
A)  Increase sodium-potassium pump activity. 
B)  Increase K⁺ permeability. 
C)  Increase Na⁺ permeability. 
D)  All of the listed responses are correct.

Question 7

Neurotransmitters can affect postsynaptic cells by ________.
I.initiating signal transduction pathways in the cells
II.causing molecular changes in the cells
III.altering ion channel proteins
IV.altering the permeability of the cells

Accepted Answer

A)  I and III 
B)  II and IV 
C)  III and IV 
D)  I, II, III, and IV 
A)  I and III 
B)  II and IV 
C)  III and IV 
D)  I, II, III, and IV

Question 8

An inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)occurs in a membrane made more permeable to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  potassium ions 
B)  sodium ions 
C)  ATP 
D)  all neurotransmitter molecules 
A)  potassium ions 
B)  sodium ions 
C)  ATP 
D)  all neurotransmitter molecules

Exam 48: Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

The amino acid that operates at most inhibitory synapses in the brain is ________.

Action potentials are normally carried in only one direction: from the axon hillock toward the axon terminals. If you experimentally depolarize the middle of the axon to threshold, using an electronic probe, then ________.

The point of connection between two communicating neurons is called the ________.

The heart rate of a vertebrate will decrease in response to the arrival of ________.

Refer to the following graph of an action potential to answer the question. The membrane potential is closest to the equilibrium potential for potassium at label ________.

How could you increase the magnitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs)generated at a synapse?

Neurotransmitters can affect postsynaptic cells by ________. I.initiating signal transduction pathways in the cells II.causing molecular changes in the cells III.altering ion channel proteins IV.altering the permeability of the cells

An inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)occurs in a membrane made more permeable to ________.

Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and Life

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration and Fermentation

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Gene Expression: From Gene to Protein

Regulation of Gene Expression

Viruses

DNA Tools and Biotechnology

Genomes and Their Evolution

Descent with Modification: A Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity II: The Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Overview of Animal Diversity

An Introduction to Invertebrates

The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrates

Vascular Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Resource Acquisition and Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems and Restoration Ecology

Conservation Biology and Global Change

Filters