Deck 2: The Biological Basis of Behavior

Question 1

Each neuron has ________ axon(s).

A) one
B) two
C) four
D) eight

Answer 1

one

Question 2

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

A) receive messages from neighboring neurons
B) regulate the neuron's life processes
C) insulate against leakage of electrical impulses
D) conduct electrical impulses toward other neurons

Answer 2

receive messages from neighboring neurons

Question 3

A group of axons bundled together is called a ________.

A) myelinated pathway
B) synaptic vesicle
C) primary cluster
D) tract

Answer 3

tract

Question 4

Psychobiology overlaps with a much larger disciplinary field called ________, which specifically focuses on the study of the brain and the nervous system.

A) behavioral genetics
B) neuroscience
C) endocrinology
D) neuroimmunology

Question 5

In regards to the brain, the term "plasticity" refers to ________.

A) easily broken or "cracked"
B) ability to adapt to new conditions
C) level of complexity
D) brittleness, or rigidity

Question 6

The smallest unit in the nervous system is called the ________.

A) neuron
B) dendrite
C) axon
D) nerve

Question 7

The part of the neuron that carries outgoing messages either to another neuron or to a muscle or gland is the ________.

A) cell body
B) dendrite
C) axon
D) myelin sheath

Question 8

A nerve is really a(n) ________.

A) cell nucleus
B) group of axons bundled together
C) group of dendrites bundled together
D) afferent neuron

Question 9

The short fibers that extend from the cell body, allowing it to receive messages from other neurons are ________.

A) dendrites
B) synapses
C) axons
D) nerve bundles

Question 10

The human brain has, on average, ________ cells.

A) 100 million
B) 10 billion
C) 1 billion
D) 100 billion

Question 11

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

A) conduct electrical electrochemical impulses toward other neurons, muscles, or glands
B) receive messages from neighboring neurons
C) regulate the neuron's life processes
D) insulate against leakage of electrical impulses

Question 12

The field of psychobiology explores the ________.

A) evolution has shaped our instincts, drives, urges, and needs
B) biological foundations of behavior and mental processes.
C) our mental state affects our physical health
D) behavioral patterns affect biological development

Question 13

The part of a neuron which contains the nucleus and has a complete set of the neuron's chromosomes and genes is the ________.

A) cell membrane
B) axon
C) dendrite
D) cell body

Question 14

The length of an axon can range from 1 or 2 millimeters all the way up to up to ________ feet.

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 15

There are approximately ________ neurons in the brain of an average human being.

A) 100 trillion
B) 100 billion
C) 100 million
D) 100 thousand

Question 16

A group of axons bundled together is called a ________.

A) nerve
B) synaptic vesicle
C) primary cluster
D) myelinated pathway

Question 17

The brain of the average human being contains approximately 100 billion __________.

A) neurons
B) lobes
C) glands
D) nerves

Question 18

In the example of 5-year old Nico presented in your chapter, the young boy had half of his brain surgically removed. Although very unusual, the outcome of this procedure was that Nico __________.

A) retained most of his normal abilities
B) died in the weeks following the surgery
C) regenerated the missing half of his brain
D) was left with permanent disabilities

Question 19

Neurons typically have ________.

A) many axons and one dendrite
B) one axon and many dendrites
C) one axon and one dendrite
D) many axons and many dendrites

Question 20

The cell body is enclosed by the ________.

A) dendrite
B) myelin sheath
C) cell membrane
D) axon

Question 21

Cells that form the myelin sheath are called ________.

A) adipose tissues
B) interactive neurons
C) epidermal cells
D) glial cells

Question 22

A nerve is a group of ________ bundled together.

A) dendrites
B) axons
C) glial cells
D) interneurons

Question 23

The term "gray matter" refers to ________.

A) interneurons
B) myelinated axons
C) unmyelinated axons
D) glial cells

Question 24

Neurons that collect messages from sense organs and carry those messages to the spinal cord or the brain are called ________.

A) motor neurons
B) primary neurons
C) sensory neurons
D) interneurons

Question 25

The white, fatty covering that surrounds some axons is ________.

A) the myelin sheath
B) the cell membrane
C) the synaptic cleft
D) glial tissue

Question 26

Neurons that collect messages from sense organs and carry those messages to the spinal cord or the brain are called ________ neurons.

A) association
B) afferent
C) primary
D) efferent

Question 27

The language used by neurons to communicate ________.

A) involves simple "yes-no," "on-off" electrochemical impulses
B) is not yet known, despite years of research
C) is extremely flexible and complex, similar to human spoken language
D) involves neurons transitioning from one of four different electrochemical states to another Incorrect. Neurons really only have two "solid" states, on or off.

Question 28

Neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord or the brain to the muscles and glands are called ________ neurons.

A) efferent
B) afferent
C) association
D) primary

Question 29

Neurons that carry messages from one neuron to another are called ________ neurons.

A) efferent
B) afferent
C) association
D) primary

Question 30

You are a cell in the human nervous system. Your primary function is to provide support for neurons, hold them together, and help remove waste products and other substances, which could otherwise harm them. You are a(n) ________ cell.

A) adipose
B) epidermal
C) glial
D) lymph

Question 31

Terminal buttons are located ________.

A) at the end of the axon
B) in the cell body
C) at the end of the dendrite
D) in the nodes of the myelin sheath

Question 32

Terminal buttons release chemicals called ________.

A) hormones
B) neurotransmitters
C) antibodies
D) antigens

Question 33

Within a neuron, information always flows from ________.

A) axon to cell body to dendrite
B) cell body to dendrite to axon
C) cell body to axon to dendrite
D) dendrite to cell body to axon

Question 34

The term "white matter" refers to ________.

A) white blood cells
B) neurons and unmyelinated axons
C) interneurons
D) glial cells and myelinated axons

Question 35

Recent evidence suggests that glial cells and astrocytes may play an important role in ________.

A) learning and memory
B) endocrine functioning
C) maturation and aging
D) growth and metabolic regulation

Question 36

A nerve is composed of ________.

A) a bundle of synapses
B) elongated glial cells
C) a bundle of axons
D) a neuron and its synapses

Question 37

Neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord or the brain to the muscles and glands are called ________.

A) primary neurons
B) motor neurons
C) sensory neurons
D) interneurons

Question 38

The myelin sheath ________ of neural messages.

A) increases the speed
B) redirects the flow
C) lessens the speed
D) blocks the flow

Question 39

Neurons that carry messages from one neuron to another are called ________.

A) efferent neurons
B) afferent neurons
C) interneurons
D) primary neurons

Question 40

The primary purpose of the myelin sheath is to ________.

A) insulate the neuron so it can transmit information more efficiently
B) receive messages from outside the neuron and carry them to the cell nucleus
C) provide a place for neural respiration and cell metabolism to occur
D) provide a soft covering to hold axons in place

Question 41

If an incoming message is not strong enough to cause a neuron to fire, it may cause a shift in the electrical charge of just a tiny area of the neuron. This shift, which quickly fades away, is called a(n) ________.

A) resting potential
B) action potential
C) transitional polarization
D) graded potential

Question 42

When the electrical charge inside a neuron is negative in relation to the outside, the neuron is said to be in a state of ________.

A) shock
B) polarization
C) equilibrium
D) depolarization

Question 43

When a neuron is polarized, ________.

A) both positive and negative ions are concentrated inside the neural membrane
B) positive ions are concentrated outside the neural membrane while negative ions are concentrated inside the membrane
C) negative ions are concentrated outside the neural membrane while positive ions are concentrated inside the membrane
D) both positive and negative ions are concentrated outside the neural membrane

Question 44

Which of the following is NOT true of neural impulses?

A) The incoming message must be above a certain threshold to cause a neural impulse.
B) The neuron fires in response to every impulse it receives.
C) Neural impulses travel at speeds ranging from 3 feet per second to 400 feet per second.
D) The neuron may fire during the relative refractory period.

Question 45

Another term for a neural impulse is a(n) ________ potential.

A) resting
B) kinetic
C) graded
D) action

Question 46

A resting potential is the electrical charge across a neural membrane when ________ ions concentrate on the outside and ________ ions concentrate on the inside.

A) excess positive; excess negative
B) not enough negative; excess positive
C) excess negative; excess positive
D) not enough positive; excess negative

Question 47

Electrically charged particles found both inside and outside the neuron are ________.

A) ions
B) free radicals
C) nodes
D) follicles

Question 48

The level a neural impulse must exceed to cause a neuron to fire is called the ________.

A) threshold of excitation
B) kinetic potential
C) kinetic ceiling
D) polarization limit

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true?

A) A neuron fires in response to every message it receives.
B) Signals above the threshold of excitation will prevent a neuron from firing.
C) Impulses in myelinated neurons may reach speeds of nearly 400 feet per second.
D) The strength (intensity) of a neuron's action potential depends on the strength of its excitation.

Question 50

When sodium ions flow into a neuron and depolarize it, they create ________.

A) an action potential
B) breakdown of the cell nucleus
C) a relative refractory period
D) internal combustion

Question 51

When enough sodium atoms have entered the neuron to make the inside positively charged relative to the outside, the neuron is said to be ________.

A) depolarized
B) resting
C) diffusing
D) polarized

Question 52

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

A) smaller than
B) positive compared to
C) negative compared to
D) larger than

Question 53

"Depolarization," "absolute refractory period," and "threshold of excitation" are terms that apply most directly to ________.

A) brain wave patterns (EEGs)
B) neural synapses
C) computerized axial tomography
D) action potentials

Question 54

A frog muscle is stimulated with an electric current but the muscle doesn't twitch. This probably happens because ________.

A) ionic balance has been restored
B) the synapses are underactive
C) the threshold of excitation was not reached
D) the graded potential is too great

Question 55

An electrical charge occurs across the neural membrane when positive ions concentrate on the outside and negative ions concentrate on the inside, is known as ________.

A) the resting potential
B) flux
C) depolarization
D) the action potential

Question 56

A neuron will fire ________.

A) in response to every impulse it receives
B) only when the incoming message is stronger than the neuron's threshold of excitation
C) only when the incoming messages are weaker than the neuron's threshold of excitation
D) only when it receives two incoming messages at the same time

Question 57

Organisms or fluids attempting to enter the cell body of a neuron must first pass through the ________.

A) cell membrane
B) dendrite
C) axon
D) myelin sheath

Question 58

When a neuron is polarized, ________.

A) it cannot fire
B) the electrical charge inside is positive relative to the outside
C) sodium ions pass freely through the cell membrane
D) the electrical charge inside is negative relative to the outside

Question 59

The process by which a neuron is depolarized in a surge running down the length of an axon is called a(n)________ potential.

A) action
B) graded
C) kinetic
D) resting

Question 60

When sodium ions flow into a neuron and depolarize it, we say the neuron has ________.

A) reached equilibrium
B) been neutralized
C) refracted
D) fired

Question 61

The period after firing in which a neuron is returning to its normal polarized state and will fire again only if the incoming message is extremely powerful is the ________ period.

A) absolute refractory
B) relative refractory
C) recovery
D) secondary refractory

Question 62

Which of the following statements is true of the activity of neurons?

A) The nerve impulse fades in strength as it travels through the neuron.
B) The size and speed of the action potential is the same for a particular axon regardless of the strength of the stimulus that sets it off.
C) Transmission of information at synapses occurs by means of direct physical contact between the nerve cells.
D) None of the above are true.

Question 63

The term "neurotransmitter" refers to ________.

A) the DNA contained in the nucleus of every neuron
B) the chemical substance which is produced when a nerve impulse moves through the cell body of a neuron
C) a chemical released from the axon terminal into the synapse
D) any one of a number of chemical compounds that increases the activity of the endocrine system

Question 64

The action potential causes neurotransmitters to be released into the ________.

A) cell membrane
B) synaptic space
C) axon
D) myelin sheath

Question 65

A teacher grading papers opens the door of the room in which she has been working and becomes aware of loud rock music coming from her son's radio. When she asks him to turn it off, he asks why she is just noticing it now when he's had it on for over 20 minutes. Which of the following psychological explanations is the least plausible explanation of what occurred after she opened the door?

A) The volume of the music reached the threshold needed to fire her neurons.
B) The number of neurons firing increased considerably, bringing the music to her conscious awareness.
C) The neurons involved began to fire more quickly than they had before.
D) The strength of the neural impulses in each of the firing neurons increased markedly, bringing the music to her conscious awareness.

Question 66

The tiny space between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another neuron is called the ________.

A) synaptic cleft
B) synaptic knob
C) synaptic vesicle
D) synapse

Question 67

The "all or none law" is the principle stating that ________.

A) a neuron fires at full strength or not at all
B) all neurons in an area fire at the same intensity or not at all
C) a neuron must be receiving only "fire" messages through its dendrites or it will not fire at all
D) all the neurons in a particular area of the brain fire simultaneously or not at all

Question 68

How can the nervous system represent increases in the intensity of a stimulus?

A) By increasing the number of neurons firing and the frequency of firing in each neuron.
B) Only by an increase in the number of neurons being fired.
C) Only by an increase in the frequency of firing in each neuron.
D) Only by an increase in the size of the action potential in each neuron that fires.

Question 69

A young man is taking an important test in a large room. He is progressing nicely when, about ten minutes into the exam, the proctor opens the window and he becomes distracted by the noise of the traffic outside. Which of the following psychological explanations is the least plausible explanation for what occurred when the window was opened?

A) The neurons involved went into their absolute refractory period.
B) The volume of the traffic sounds reached the threshold needed to fire many of his neurons.
C) The number of neurons firing increased considerably, bringing the noise of the traffic into his conscious awareness.
D) The neurons involved began to fire more quickly than they had before.

Question 70

Chemicals released by the synaptic vesicles that travel across the synaptic space and affect adjacent neurons are called ________.

A) pathogens
B) androgens
C) neurotransmitters
D) ions

Question 71

At the end of each branch of an axon, there is a tiny swelling called a ________.

A) synaptic knob
B) receptor site
C) synaptic vesicle
D) synaptic cleft

Question 72

The cell membrane of a neuron is ________.

A) completely permeable
B) translucent
C) semipermeable
D) impermeable

Question 73

Which of the following is true of neural impulses in a single neuron?

A) The strength of the neural impulse decreases as the strength of the incoming message increases.
B) The neuron may fire during the absolute refractory period.
C) The strength of the neural impulse increases as the strength of the incoming message increases.
D) The strength of the neural impulse is the same each time the neuron fires.

Question 74

The entire area composed of the axon terminal of one neuron, the synaptic cleft, and the dendrite or cell body of the next neuron is called the ________.

A) synapse
B) synaptic knob
C) synaptic vesicle
D) synaptic space

Question 75

Tiny sacs in a synaptic knob that release chemicals into the synapse are called ________.

A) synaptic nodes
B) synaptic knobs
C) synaptic vesicles
D) synaptic clefts

Question 76

When a neural impulse reaches the end of an axon, it causes tiny oval sacs at the end of the axon to release chemicals called ________.

A) hormones
B) neurotransmitters
C) antioxidants
D) electrolytes

Question 77

Immediately after firing, a neuron cannot fire again no matter how strong the incoming messages may be. This period is called the ________ period.

A) relative refractory
B) primary refractory
C) polarization
D) absolute refractory

Question 78

At the end of each branch of an axon, there is a tiny knob called the ________.

A) synaptic cleft
B) receptor site
C) terminal button
D) synaptic vesicle

Question 79

A neuron is likely to fire ________ when stimulated by a strong signal.

A) in a coded sequence
B) for a longer period of time
C) more often
D) more intensely

Question 80

The "all or none law" refers to the fact that ________.

A) all the dendrites on a neuron must receive messages telling the neuron to fire or it will not fire at all
B) all the neurons in a particular area of the brain fire simultaneously or not at all
C) a neuron fires at full strength or not at all
D) all the neurons in a single nerve fire simultaneously or not at all