Deck 3: Structure of the Nervous System

Question 1

The term "neuraxis" refers to

A) the cross-sectional diameter of the spinal cord.
B) a plane that divides the two hemispheres into right and left halves.
C) an imaginary line drawn through the spinal cord up to the front of the brain.
D) a plane that divides the brain into top and bottom halves.
E) the frontal portions of the brain.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A neuroscientist cuts a brain in half, along the division between the hemispheres. This cut is referred to as a _____________ cut.

A) parasagittal
B) horizontal
C) midsagittal
D) frontal
E) transverse

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A _______ section is made through the human brain and is parallel to the ground, and a _______ section through the spinal cord is parallel to the ground.

A) transverse; horizontal
B) horizontal; transverse
C) sagittal; midsagittal
D) frontal; coronal
E) parasagittal; midsagittal

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Early anatomists named observable brain features

A) for the similarity of the structure to everyday objects.
B) using a formal naming system.
C) in honor of their parents.
D) in honor of the early gods.
E) using Greek numerals.

Question 5

Which of the following terms means "above" when referring to the human brain?

A) superior
B) lateral
C) medial
D) contralateral
E) inferior

Question 6

Assume that electrical stimulation of the right motor cortex elicits limb movements on the left side of the body. In this instance, we would describe this as a(n) ___________ organization of motor cortex and the muscles of the body.

A) contralateral
B) contramedial
C) ipsilateral
D) bilateral
E) contrasagittal

Question 7

The _______ is a tough protective sheath that covers the brain and that lies closest to the skull.

A) dura mater
B) pia mater
C) dorsa mater
D) subarachnoid membrane
E) midsagittal sinus

Question 8

In which view of the brain would one be able to note the presence of a specific structure in both hemispheres?

A) cross-medial
B) frontal
C) sagittal
D) parasagittal
E) ipsilateral

Question 9

A brain region that is anterior and dorsal to the thalamus could also be described as _______ and _______ to the thalamus.

A) caudal; inferior
B) lateral; medial
C) ipsilateral; contralateral
D) rostral; superior
E) caudal; superior

Question 10

The ___________ layer of the meninges is the most durable.

A) dura mater
B) pia mater
C) dorsa mater
D) subarachnoid membrane
E) midsagittal sinus

Question 11

The right half of the brain controls the left half of the body. In order words, motor control is

A) contralateral.
B) transverse.
C) ipsilateral.
D) bilateral.
E) parasagittal.

Question 12

The term _______ refers to structures that are found on the same side of the body.

A) contralateral
B) contramedial
C) ipsilateral
D) bilateral
E) parasagittal

Question 13

The parietal lobe would be considered ____________ to the temporal lobe.

A) ventral
B) dorsal
C) anterior
D) lateral
E) posterior

Question 14

Cross sections that resemble those of a slice of bread and are perpendicular to the neuraxis are produced by a _______ section of the human brain.

A) transverse
B) horizontal
C) sagittal
D) midsagittal
E) parasagittal

Question 15

The _______ is the middle layer of the brain meninges.

A) dura mater
B) pia mater
C) dorsa mater
D) arachnoid membrane
E) midsagittal sinus

Question 16

The ___________ layer(s) is/are missing from the meninges in the peripheral nervous system.

A) pia
B) dura
C) arachnoid
D) pia and arachnoid
E) dura and arachnoid

Question 17

The nose is ___________ whereas the back of the head is __________.

A) rostral; caudal
B) caudal; rostral
C) dorsal; ventral
D) ventral; dorsal
E) medial; lateral

Question 18

In the opening vignette, Ryan B. undergoes neurosurgery to remove a portion of his _______ in order to treat his worsening epilepsy.

A) cerebellum
B) limbic system
C) medial temporal lobe
D) amygdala
E) parietal lobe

Question 19

The term "rostral" means

A) toward the tail.
B) superior.
C) toward the beak or snout.
D) away from the midline.
E) toward the midline.

Question 20

The order of the meningeal layers from the surface of the brain outward are

A) dura, pia, arachnoid.
B) arachnoid, dura, pia.
C) pia, dura, arachnoid.
D) pia, arachnoid, dura.
E) dura, arachnoid, pia.

Question 21

Hydrocephalus is treated by

A) stimulant drugs.
B) anti-serotonin drugs.
C) blocking the flow of CSF through the ventricles.
D) removing the choroid plexus.
E) draining CSF from the ventricles using a shunt.

Question 22

Which of the following is true of CSF?

A) CSF is produced within the venous sinuses.
B) CSF flows from the lateral ventricles toward the fourth ventricle.
C) CSF is produced in the fourth ventricle and flows toward the fifth ventricle.
D) CSF is a by-product of nerve cell activity.
E) CSF production is sped up during a seizure.

Question 23

The _______ is the origin of the cells that form the central nervous system.

A) basal plate
B) ventricular zone
C) cerebral cortex
D) mesoderm
E) arachnoid layer

Question 24

CSF is reabsorbed into the blood supply via the

A) arachnoid granulations.
B) choroid plexus.
C) foramen of Magendie.
D) nodes of Ranvier.
E) dura mater.

Question 25

The four hollow and interconnected spaces within the brain form the

A) choroid plexi.
B) supra-arachnoid spaces.
C) ventricles.
D) meninges.
E) spinal aqueducts.

Question 26

On the 28th day of embryonic development, the human brain resembles a

A) hollow tube.
B) shallow plate.
C) series of ridges.
D) series of increasingly larger rectangles.
E) round balloon.

Question 27

Which of the following is true of embryonic neuron formation?

A) New neurons are formed near the pia mater.
B) A progenitor cell forms four founder cells during symmetrical division.
C) A progenitor cell forms a neuron and another founder cell during asymmetrical division.
D) Progenitor cells produce new glial cells.
E) The cerebral cortex develops from the outside in.

Question 28

Which of the following is correct regarding CSF?

A) CSF is produced by the arachnoid granulations.
B) The total brain volume of CSF is about 1250 ml.
C) CSF carries nutrients to neurons.
D) More than 12 hours are required to replace half of the CSF volume in a human brain.
E) Drainage of CSF would result in compression of brain tissue onto the ventral skull surface.

Question 29

Brain CSF is secreted by the

A) choroid plexus.
B) subarachnoid villi.
C) neurons of the hypothalamus.
D) meninges.
E) spinal aqueducts.

Question 30

In the peripheral nervous system, the _______ and the _______ fuse together to form a single sheath that protects the spinal and cranial nerves and the autonomic ganglia.

A) dura mater; pia mater
B) arachnoid layer; dura mater
C) astrocytes; choroid plexus mater
D) arachnoid membrane; pia mater
E) glia; astrocytes

Question 31

The beginnings of the nervous system develop _____ days after conception.

A) 7
B) 10
C) 18
D) 21
E) 28

Question 32

Which of the terms below means "endbrain"?

A) telencephalon
B) diencephalon
C) mesencephalon
D) myelencephalon
E) metencephalon

Question 33

The brain floats within _______ fluid, which is contained within the _______.

A) intracellular; pia mater
B) cerebrospinal; subarachnoid space
C) cerebrospinal; blood vessels
D) interstitial; subarachnoid space
E) extracellular; dura mater

Question 34

Interruption of the flow of CSF through the brain ventricles results in

A) anencephalus.
B) ischemic stroke.
C) Parkinson's disease.
D) myasthenia gravis.
E) hydrocephalus.

Question 35

The center of the neural tube becomes ___________, whereas the outside tissue becomes ___________.

A) the ventricles; the brain tissue
B) the brain tissue; the ventricles
C) the forebrain; the hindbrain
D) the hindbrain; the forebrain
E) the ventricles; the forebrain

Question 36

CSF is produced within the ____________ and reabsorbed into the blood by the _______.

A) subarachnoid villi; choroid plexus
B) blood-brain barrier; choroid plexus
C) gut; ventricles
D) ventricles; arachnoid granulations
E) arachnoid granulations; lateral ventricles

Question 37

CSF flows from third ventricle to the fourth ventricle via the

A) choroid plexi.
B) subarachnoid spaces.
C) massa intermedia.
D) arachnoid granulations.
E) cerebral aqueduct.

Question 38

______________ allow(s) newly formed neurons to migrate from the ventricular zone to their final resting place.

A) Dura mater cells
B) Progenitor cells
C) Radial glia
D) Astrocytes
E) Stem cells

Question 39

The rostral end of the neural tube at 28 days will eventually form 3 interconnected channels known as the

A) telencephalon.
B) cerebral cortex.
C) mesencephalon.
D) myelencephalon.
E) ventricles.

Question 40

A key function of apoptosis is to

A) form new neurons.
B) guide new neurons to their final position in the brain.
C) spur the growth of dendritic branches.
D) terminate the formation of new neurons within the developing brain.
E) mold an adult nerve cell.

Question 41

Human brains are about three times larger than chimpanzee brains when corrected for

A) birth order.
B) age.
C) body size.
D) number of nerve cells.
E) gender.

Question 42

Neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus is stimulated by

A) the experience of behavioral depression.
B) a learning experience.
C) the experience of prolonged stress.
D) the ingestion of drugs that induce stress.
E) the blockade of glutamate receptors.

Question 43

During symmetrical division, _______________ are produced.

A) two new progenitor cells
B) a progenitor cells and a brain cell
C) three new progenitor cells
D) two progenitor cells and a brain cell
E) two progenitor cells and two brain cells

Question 44

Which of the following is true of the evolution of the human brain?

A) The human brain is smaller than that of any other primate.
B) Comparisons of brain size within the primate family require an adjustment for body size.
C) The size of primate brains has shrunk over the course of evolutionary history.
D) Primate brain size increases depended on the elimination of duplicate master genes.
E) Inactivation of the ghrelin gene likely makes chimpanzee brains larger than human brains.

Question 45

Which of the following is a subcortical structure?

A) spinal cord
B) lateral fissure
C) limbic system
D) dura mater
E) parietal cortex

Question 46

The process of _______ refers to the production of new neurons.

A) apoptosis
B) neurogenesis
C) mitogenesis
D) mutagenesis
E) killer gene activation

Question 47

A _______ refers to a small groove on the surface of the human cortex.

A) fissure
B) gyrus
C) foramen
D) ventricle
E) sulcus

Question 48

A _______ refers to a bulge of tissue located between the adjacent grooves in the surface of the human cortex.

A) fissure
B) gyrus
C) foramen
D) ventricle
E) sulcus

Question 49

The cerebral cortex has a grayish-tan appearance because

A) the cortex contains many axons.
B) of the large amount of myelin contained in the cortex.
C) nerve membrane is uniformly gray in appearance.
D) many Schwann cells are located in the cortex.
E) the cortex contains many cell bodies.

Question 50

Which of the following would be expected following damage to the cortex that lies just in front of the central sulcus?

A) intense hypersexuality
B) visual hallucinations
C) inability to discriminate tones as low intensities
D) difficulty in reading and writing
E) difficulty in controlling the muscles of the body

Question 51

Which type of brain development occurs into adulthood?

A) myelination
B) synapse formation
C) neural tube development
D) neural migration
E) neural proliferation

Question 52

Which of the following supports the notion that brain development can be modified by experiences?

A) The motor cortex of a blind person is enlarged relative to that of a sighted person.
B) The somatosensory cortex in the cortical regions devoted to control of the fingers is smaller in expert guitar players relative to novice players.
C) The visual cortex is larger in blind persons.
D) Apoptosis trims the number of dendritic branches in the brain.
E) The development of the neural circuits for depth perception requires input from both eyes during a critical period.

Question 53

If a cat is raised in an environment consisting of vertical lines, its brain will develop unable to process horizontal lines. This development shows the role of

A) genetics.
B) individuation.
C) experience.
D) mutagenesis.
E) neurogenesis.

Question 54

A _______ is a large groove found in the surface of the human cortex.

A) fissure
B) gyrus
C) cerebral aqueduct
D) ventricle
E) sulcus

Question 55

Radial glial cells involved in new neuron formation eventually are transformed into

A) progenitor cells.
B) oligodendroglia.
C) microglial cells.
D) visual sensory neurons.
E) astrocytes.

Question 56

Which of the following do NOT belong together?

A) occipital lobe; visual function
B) frontal lobe; motor function
C) frontal lobe; auditory function
D) insular cortex; taste function
E) temporal lobe; auditory function

Question 57

The _______ lobe of the cortex contains primary auditory cortex.

A) occipital
B) frontal
C) temporal
D) insular
E) parietal

Question 58

Research has shown that neurogenesis

A) occurs only in the adult brain.
B) occurs only in the prenatal brain.
C) occurs in the hippocampus of the adult brain.
D) occurs in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb of the adult brain.
E) never occurs.

Question 59

The surface of human cortex

A) is smooth in a human brain.
B) is convoluted by grooves and bulges.
C) contains cell bodies that give rise to a whitish appearance.
D) is about 250 square feet in area.
E) is about 30 mm in thickness.

Question 60

If the axon of a newly developed neuron is unable to find a vacant postsynaptic cell, it will experience

A) apoptosis.
B) a life-sustaining signal.
C) synaptic contacts with radial glial cells.
D) an opportunity to reroute.
E) cell division.

Question 61

The motor association cortex is located

A) just caudal to visual association cortex.
B) just rostral to primary motor cortex.
C) just below the auditory association cortex.
D) within a fissure between the two hemispheres.
E) caudal to primary somatosensory cortex.

Question 62

"Autotopagnosia" involves _______ and is produced by damage to the _______.

A) problems in naming one's own body parts; left parietal lobe
B) a problem in remembering the names of body parts; right frontal lobe
C) an inability to pronounce the names of major body parts; right occipital lobe
D) a problem in speech perception; right parietal lobe
E) problems in naming one's own body parts; right parietal lobe

Question 63

The thalamus and hypothalamus belong to the

A) telencephalon.
B) diencephalon.
C) metencephalon.
D) mesencephalon.
E) myelencephalon.

Question 64

The planning and execution of movements is a function performed by the association cortex within the _______ cortical lobe.

A) occipital
B) frontal
C) parietal
D) insular
E) temporal

Question 65

Damage to left parietal lobe would be expected to produce a persistent difficulty in

A) controlling the left arm and leg.
B) producing speech.
C) repeating words.
D) understanding speech.
E) knowing the position of the person's body parts.

Question 66

The most likely consequence of damage positioned at the junction of the visual, auditory, and somatosensory association cortexes would be

A) problems in recognizing an object by sight.
B) an inability to recognize a familiar odor.
C) difficulty in naming an object the person can touch (but not see).
D) problems in reading or writing.
E) difficulty in playing a tune on a piano.

Question 67

Damage to the basal ganglia would be expected to produce difficulties in

A) recognizing emotion in the facial expressions of other people.
B) naming the parts of one's own body.
C) understanding social rules.
D) motor movements.
E) forming emotional memories.

Question 68

The _______ region of cortex lies buried within a fissure between the _______ and the _______ lobes.

A) calcarine; temporal; frontal
B) insular; parietal; frontal
C) calcarine; insular; occipital
D) insular; frontal; temporal
E) parietal; frontal; calcarine

Question 69

The _______ is the key structure of the basal ganglia.

A) hippocampus
B) cerebellum
C) caudate nucleus
D) amygdala
E) hypothalamus

Question 70

Which of the following would be expected as a result of damage to the somatosensory association cortex?

A) an inability to recognize a familiar odor
B) difficulty in playing a tune on a guitar
C) difficulty in naming an object the person can touch (but not see)
D) problems in naming a song the person knew before sustaining brain damage
E) problems in recognizing an object by sight

Question 71

Regions of the cortex that are NOT primarily concerned with sensation or movement are termed the _______ cortex.

A) projection
B) association
C) nonspecific
D) homuncular
E) undifferentiated

Question 72

Damage to the visual association cortex would be expected to produce

A) problems in recognizing an object by sight.
B) difficulty in playing a tune on a piano.
C) difficulty in naming an object the person can touch (but not see).
D) problems in naming a song the person knew before sustaining brain damage.
E) an inability to recognize a familiar odor.

Question 73

The association regions of the left and right hemispheres are interconnected via axons that travel within the

A) stria terminalis.
B) cingulate projections.
C) corpus callosum.
D) medial commissure.
E) fornix.

Question 74

Which of the following is true regarding the functions performed by the left and right hemispheres?

A) The left hemisphere is adept at the analysis of information.
B) The right hemisphere is adept at the serial analysis of information.
C) The right hemisphere is adept at the analysis of information.
D) The left hemisphere is adept in the synthesis of information.
E) The two hemispheres perform identical functions.

Question 75

Which of the following terms and shapes are NOT a correct match?

A) limbic cortex; border
B) fornix; "breast-shaped"
C) "sea horse"; hippocampus
D) amygdala; "almond"
E) thalamus; "inner chamber"

Question 76

In which sensory system does sensory information from the left side of the body travel to the left hemisphere?

A) vision
B) audition
C) pain
D) olfaction
E) somatosensation

Question 77

Damage to the amygdala would be expected to alter

A) emotion.
B) language acquisition.
C) long-term memory.
D) planning of motor behavior.
E) hearing of loud sounds.

Question 78

The limbic system is comprised of

A) the hippocampus, amygdala, fornix, and mammillary bodies.
B) the hypothalamus, thalamus, fornix, and mammillary bodies.
C) the hippocampus, thalamus, fornix, and mammillary bodies.
D) the cerebral cortex, thalamus, fornix, and mammillary bodies.
E) the hippocampus and fornix.

Question 79

The telencephalon is ____________ to the diencephalon.

A) caudal
B) dorsal
C) posterior
D) inferior
E) rostral

Question 80

Which of the following most accurately describes the general functions performed by the left and right hemispheres?

A) The left hemisphere is adept at the synthesis of information.
B) The right hemisphere is adept at the serial analysis of information.
C) The right hemisphere is adept at the analysis of information.
D) The right hemisphere is adept at the synthesis of information.
E) The two hemispheres perform identical functions.