Deck 4: The Brain and Nervous System

Question 1

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

Answer 1

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Excitatory effect-a voltage shift in the positive direction occurs.
- It increases the probability that the receiving neuron will fire.
- Inhibitory effect-a voltage shift in the negative direction occurs.
- It decreases the probability that the receiving neuron will fire.

Question 2

List five different functions of glial cells.

Answer 2

A good answer will include the following key points.
- Provide a scaffold for neurons.
- Provide neurons with nutrients.
- Insulate neurons.
- Protect brain from toxic agents.
- Remove cellular debris when neurons die.
- Communicate with each other and with neurons.
- Help determine which neural connections get stronger or weaker.

Question 3

Researchers are now studying the possible involvement of sex hormones in behaviour that is not directly related to sex and reproduction. Cite one example of this research.

Answer 3

A good answer will include the following key points.
- The body's natural estrogen may contribute to learning and memory.
- Seems to promote the formation of synapses in some parts of the brain.
- Occurs in both males and females.

Question 4

Describe three tasks of the amygdala.

Question 5

Why is the parasympathetic nervous system compared to the brake of a car?

Question 6

Why is the sympathetic nervous system compared to the accelerator of a car?

Question 7

Your textbook describes an EEG recording as analogous to "listening to a game while standing outside a sports stadium." Explain this analogy.

Question 8

As she entered a health food store, Gail noticed a sign recommending an herbal remedy called "St. John's wort" for the treatment of depression. Explain how this remedy affects the biochemistry of the nervous system.

Question 9

Name two hormones discussed in the textbook and explain some of the tasks that these hormones perform.

Question 10

A brain without a peripheral nervous system would be like a radio without a receiver. Explain what is meant by this analogy.

Question 11

List the three main parts of the neuron and explain the role each plays in the transmission of neural communication.

Question 12

Which structure of the brain is about the size of a small fist and looks like a "little brain"? What function is associated with this "lesser brain"?

Question 13

Why do you immediately pull your hand away from something hot?

Question 14

Explain why the hippocampus has been called the "gateway to memory." What research supports this explanation?

Question 15

Which is the only sense that completely bypasses the thalamus? How is memory related to this particular sense?

Question 16

Name any four neurotransmitters discussed in the textbook and explain which aspects of behaviour, memory, and well-being each influences.

Question 17

Name one drawback of the transcranial magnetic stimulation method discussed in the textbook.

Question 18

What are the three structures of the brain stem described in your textbook? What function is associated with each structure?

Question 19

How does an MRI allow the exploration of "inner space" without the injection of chemicals?

Question 20

A soldier whose best friend has been seriously injured in battle carries the wounded man to safety. After he reaches the medics, he realizes that he, too, is wounded. How could the soldier have carried his friend to safety without noticing the pain from his own wound?

Question 21

On a hike through the hills, Tim feels a bug crawling up his leg under his pants. Which system is necessary for Tim to be aware of the bug?

A) sympathetic nervous system
B) endocrine system
C) somatic nervous system
D) autonomic nervous system

Question 22

Linguistic and analytic skills are typically handled by the:

A) right half of your brain.
B) left half of your brain.
C) top half of your brain.
D) back half of your brain.

Question 23

A PET scan:

A) records brain waves through electrodes taped to the scalp.
B) records biochemical changes in the brain as they are happening.
C) stimulates the brain by producing a magnetic field through a wire coil.
D) uses radio frequencies and a magnetic field to produce images of the brain.

Question 24

On each cerebral hemisphere, deep fissures divide the cortex into four distinct lobes. Name each of the four lobes and describe the location of each lobe.

Question 25

The _______________, or "lesser brain," is involved in remembering simple skills and acquired reflexes.

A) pons
B) medulla
C) reticular activating system
D) cerebellum

Question 26

A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the centre of the back, protected by a column of bones, is called the:

A) spinal cord.
B) cerebellum.
C) somatic nervous system.
D) amygdala.

Question 27

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

A) glutamate
B) GABA
C) acetylcholine
D) norepinephrine

Question 28

Ronald Myers and Roger Sperry wondered what would happen if the two hemispheres of the brain were cut off from one another. In order to explore their research question, they severed the corpus callosum in cats. Describe the aspects of the cats' behaviours that remained normal and the aspects that showed a profound change.

Question 29

Which part of a neuron acts like an antenna to receive messages from other neurons and transmits these messages toward the cell body?

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

Question 30

Explain the experimental procedure used when split-brain patients were shown composite photographs. Why did the patients claim to notice nothing unusual about the original photographs?

Question 31

Emily is told by her physician that her symptoms are caused by the loss of myelin. Her diagnosis is most likely to be:

A) Parkinson's disease.
B) Alzheimer's disease.
C) multiple sclerosis.
D) epilepsy.

Question 32

Why does the human brain have so many crevices and wrinkles in the cerebral cortex?

Question 33

Describe three activities that are more closely associated with the left hemisphere and three activities that are more closely associated with the right hemisphere of the brain.

Question 34

Soviet psychologist Alexander Luria studied individuals who had experienced damage to their frontal lobes. What functions of the frontal lobes were illustrated in Luria's work? Describe the startling observations made by Luria as he watched one man light a match and another man plane a piece of wood in a hospital carpentry shop.

Question 35

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

A) Motor nerves
B) Sensory nerves
C) Dendrites
D) Glial cells

Question 36

_______________ are the brain's communication specialists, transmitting information to, from, and within the central nervous system.

A) Neurotransmitters
B) Neurons
C) Glial cells
D) Hormones

Question 37

What is the difference between "grey matter" and "white matter" in the brain?

Question 38

How does plasticity help blind people?

Question 39

Which of the following is true of spinal reflexes?

A) They are not automatic and require conscious effort.
B) Spinal reflexes control such responses as withdrawing from a painful stimulus, sneezing, and blinking.
C) They involve sending sensory messages to the spinal cord that immediately trigger a motor response.
D) They require sensory information to be sent to the brain and then back down to the spinal cord.

Question 40

Shannon blinks as she steps off the school bus and walks into a gust of wind. This automatic reaction is regulated by the:

A) spinal cord.
B) lower part of her brain.
C) hormonal activity in her body.
D) hippocampus.

Question 41

The _______________ is a structure in the brain stem that is involved in activities like sleeping, waking, and dreaming.

A) medulla
B) pons
C) thalamus
D) cerebellum

Question 42

Reflexes below the neck, such as pulling a hand away from a hot stove, are controlled by the _______________.

A) spinal cord
B) sympathetic nervous system
C) brain
D) parasympathetic nervous system

Question 43

The somatic nervous system is also called the:

A) sympathetic nervous system.
B) parasympathetic nervous system.
C) central nervous system.
D) skeletal nervous system.

Question 44

The _______________ receives, processes, interprets, and stores incoming information from the senses and also sends out messages destined for muscles, glands, and internal organs.

A) cardiovascular system
B) central nervous system
C) endocrine system
D) lymphatic system

Question 45

Which part of the neuron transmits messages to other neurons, muscles, or gland cells?

A) the cell body
B) Dendrites
C) the axon
D) glial cells

Question 46

Affective neuroscientists explore:

A) the biological foundations of consciousness, perception, memory, and language.
B) processes such as attachment and attitudes.
C) the biology of such basic processes as learning, conditioning, eating, and sex.
D) the nervous system's involvement in emotion, motivation, and stress.

Question 47

An important role of the spinal cord is the:

A) processing and storing of incoming sensory information.
B) control of reflexes above the neck.
C) monitoring of the activity of the internal organs.
D) control of automatic reflexes below the neck.

Question 48

Researchers took photographs of different faces, cut them down the middle vertically, and pasted different halves together to form composite faces. The reconstructed photographs were flashed quickly to split-brain patients. It was found that the split-brain patients would:

A) name the person in the left part of the image and point with the right hand to the left image.
B) name the person in the right part of the image and point with the left hand to the left image.
C) name the person in the right part of the image and point with the right hand to the left image.
D) name the person in the left part of the image and point with the left hand to the right image.

Question 49

The nervous system is divided into two main parts:

A) the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
B) the brain and the spinal cord.
C) the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system.
D) the brain and the nerves.

Question 50

Cameron touches a hot iron and immediately pulls his hand away. His quick response occurs because:

A) spinal reflexes are automatic, requiring no conscious effort.
B) the brain registers the pain and responds quickly.
C) his glands have secreted chemical messengers called hormones.
D) pain information is sent to the brain faster than other sensory information.

Question 51

Reflexes above the neck, such as sneezing and blinking, are controlled by the _______________.

A) spinal cord
B) sympathetic nervous system
C) brain
D) parasympathetic nervous system

Question 52

Which of the following neurotransmitters affects neurons involved in muscle action, arousal, vigilance, memory, and emotion?

A) serotonin
B) GABA
C) acetylcholine
D) norepinephrine

Question 53

Cognitive neuroscientists focus on:

A) the biological foundations of consciousness, perception, memory, and language.
B) processes such as attachment and attitudes.
C) the nervous system's involvement in emotion, motivation, and stress.
D) the anatomical structure of the brain.

Question 54

The central nervous system consists of the:

A) parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions.
B) brain and the spinal cord.
C) muscles and glands.
D) sense organs and sensory neurons.

Question 55

New research suggests that glial cells make up around _______________ of the brain's cells.

A) 10 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 56

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

A) cardiovascular system
B) respiratory system
C) nervous system
D) lymphatic system

Question 57

In _______________, brain cells are stimulated using a powerful magnetic field produced by a wire coil placed on a person's head that temporarily inactivates neural circuits.

A) positron-emission tomography
B) functional magnetic resonance imaging
C) transcranial direct current stimulation
D) transcranial magnetic stimulation

Question 58

A cell that conducts electrochemical signals and is the basic unit of the nervous system is called a:

A) glial cell.
B) neuron.
C) neurotransmitter.
D) nerve.

Question 59

A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the centre of the back, protected by a column of bones, is called the:

A) spinal cord.
B) cerebellum.
C) somatic nervous system.
D) amygdala.

Question 60

Which of the following is true of spinal reflexes?

A) They are not automatic and require conscious effort.
B) Spinal reflexes control such responses as withdrawing from a painful stimulus, sneezing, and blinking.
C) They involve sending sensory messages to the spinal cord that immediately trigger a motor response.
D) They require sensory information to be sent to the brain and then back down to the spinal cord.

Question 61

The functioning of blood vessels, glands, and internal organs is regulated by the:

A) autonomic nervous system.
B) somatic nervous system.
C) hippocampus.
D) lymphatic system.

Question 62

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?

A) sensory neurons
B) motor neurons
C) synaptic neurons
D) association neurons

Question 63

In the peripheral nervous system, _______________ enable us to move, and cause glands to contract and to secrete hormones.

A) motor nerves
B) glial cells
C) dendrites
D) sensory nerves

Question 64

In the peripheral nervous system, _______________ carry messages from special receptors in the skin, muscles, and other internal and external sense organs to the spinal cord, which sends them along to the brain.

A) hormones
B) motor nerves
C) neuromodulators
D) sensory nerves

Question 65

Which of the following statements is true?

A) The autonomic nervous system collects sensory input and sends commands to skeletal muscles.
B) The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
C) The sympathetic nervous system enables the body to conserve and store energy.
D) The parasympathetic nervous system mobilizes the body for action.

Question 66

As Molly is walking across campus, a car swerves toward her. Her heart races and sweat breaks out as she jumps out of harm's way. This mobilization of energy is due to the action of Molly's:

A) lymphatic system.
B) endocrine system.
C) parasympathetic nervous system.
D) sympathetic nervous system.

Question 67

The name "glial" is derived from the Greek word for "glue." It is an appropriate name because glial cells:

A) keep the axon from detaching from the cell body.
B) hold neurons in place.
C) fuse neurotransmitters to receptor sites.
D) fuse sodium ions to potassium ions.

Question 68

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

A) Motor nerves
B) Sensory nerves
C) Dendrites
D) Glial cells

Question 69

On a hike through the hills, Tim feels a bug crawling up his leg under his pants. Which system is necessary for Tim to be aware of the bug?

A) sympathetic nervous system
B) endocrine system
C) somatic nervous system
D) autonomic nervous system

Question 70

While Bridget is walking on the road, a bicyclist swerves toward her. Her heart races and sweat breaks out as she jumps out of harm's way. Soon, Bridget's heart rate begins to decrease. This calming reaction is due to the action of Bridget's:

A) skeletal nervous system.
B) endocrine system.
C) parasympathetic nervous system.
D) sympathetic nervous system.

Question 71

A neuron is also called a:

A) glial cell.
B) precursor cell.
C) nerve cell.
D) neurotransmitter.

Question 72

April spots the boy that she has a crush on sitting with his friends. Her heart begins to pound, her hands get sweaty, and her cheeks feel hot. April's _______________ has been activated.

A) autonomic nervous system
B) somatic nervous system
C) spinal reflex system
D) skeletal nervous system

Question 73

Shannon blinks as she steps off the school bus and walks into a gust of wind. This automatic reaction is regulated by the:

A) spinal cord.
B) lower part of her brain.
C) hormonal activity in her body.
D) hippocampus.

Question 74

The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that connects to sensory receptors and to skeletal muscles is called the:

A) sympathetic nervous system.
B) parasympathetic nervous system.
C) somatic nervous system.
D) central nervous system.

Question 75

Which of the following is a part of the peripheral nervous system?

A) the brain
B) the spinal cord
C) the somatic nervous system
D) the endocrine system

Question 76

The input and output of the central nervous system is handled by the:

A) lymphatic system.
B) endocrine system.
C) cardiovascular system.
D) peripheral nervous system.

Question 77

As she walks out of the living room, Gloria turns off the light. In this example, which system is necessary for Gloria to perform this action?

A) sympathetic nervous system
B) parasympathetic nervous system
C) endocrine system
D) somatic nervous system

Question 78

The somatic nervous system is also called the:

A) sympathetic nervous system.
B) parasympathetic nervous system.
C) central nervous system.
D) skeletal nervous system.

Question 79

_______________ are the brain's communication specialists, transmitting information to, from, and within the central nervous system.

A) Neurotransmitters
B) Neurons
C) Glial cells
D) Hormones

Question 80

A cell that conducts electrochemical signals and is the basic unit of the nervous system is called a:

A) glial cell.
B) neuron.
C) neurotransmitter.
D) nerve.