Question 1

Neurotransmitters that depolarize the postsynaptic neuron are called:

Accepted Answer

A)  synaptic vesicles. 
B)  receptor sites. 
C)  excitatory transmitters. 
D)  inhibitory transmitters.

Question 2

The underproduction of serotonin is thought to be an important factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative brain disorder involving profound memory
impairment.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Let's say that you are a crime scene investigator. A victim has died from massive convulsions and violent muscle contractions. In looking for the poison that killed this person, you would probably focus on a drug that resulted in a huge release of

Accepted Answer

A)  dopamine 
B)  GABA 
C)  acetylcholine 
D)  endorphins 
E)  serotonin

Question 4

The function of the axon is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  surround the neurons and hold them in place. 
B)  receive chemical messages from neighbouring neurons. 
C)  transmit electrical messages from the cell body to other muscles, glands, or neurons. 
D)  speed up the transmission of electrical impulses.

Question 5

Joel was in a car accident and banged his head. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, he was unable to see. Most likely, Joel hit

Accepted Answer

A)  the top of his head 
B)  the back of his head 
C)  an area near the central fissure 
D)  the front of his head 
E)  the side of his head

Question 6

This area of the brain is located in the temporal lobe and is involved in speech comprehension:

Accepted Answer

A)  Wernicke's area 
B)  frontal lobe 
C)  Broca's area 
D)  primary auditory cortex

Question 7

The primary job of the ascending reticular formation is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  regulate vital functions such as respiration and heart rate. 
B)  alert the brain that information is coming. 
C)  block out or admit sensory information to the brain. 
D)  coordinate muscle movements.

Question 8

Isaac contracted viral encephalitis. Five days later, he was unable to remember a number of details about his life and had trouble acquiring new memories. Most likely, the virus had damaged his

Accepted Answer

A)  cortex 
B)  hypothalamus 
C)  cerebellum 
D)  hippocampus 
E)  amygdala

Question 9

The effects of a psychoactive drug are determined not by which chemical transmitter the drug targets, but by the drug's actions at the synapse.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Let's say that you are a medical doctor. One of your patients seems to be suffering from an under supply of serotonin. What disorder would you suspect that his patient has?

Accepted Answer

A)  Alzheimer's disease 
B)  alcoholism 
C)  Parkinson's disease 
D)  schizophrenia 
E)  depression

Question 11

Julie was a concert pianist until she was in a serious skiing accident. As a result, she was no longer able to control the timing and coordination of her motor movements. She had sustained severe damage to her _.

Accepted Answer

A)  thalamus 
B)  cerebellum 
C)  reticulum 
D)  hypothalamus

Question 12

An oversupply of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can be excitatory or inhibitory, has been implicated in schizophrenia, and an undersupply of dopamine has been implicated in depression.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

The job of interneurons is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  perform connective or associative functions in the nervous system. 
B)  inhibit neurons from firing by reducing the action potential threshold. 
C)  carry information from the sense organs to the brain or spinal cord. 
D)  carry information from the brain and spinal cord to various muscles or organs.

Question 14

If a particular drug blocked the sodium channels on an axon, the neuron

Accepted Answer

A)  quickly reach the refractory period 
B)  would continue to depolarize 
C)  lose the myelin sheath 
D)  would not generate an action potential 
E)  open the potassium channels

Question 15

Which of the following is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found throughout the brain, especially important in anxiety and motor control?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 16

Kyle is a successful trial attorney, particularly adept at his ability to verbally out manoeuvre his opponents in the courtroom. Last month Kyle was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder. Kyle now wonders how long he will be able to continue
Working because he is having trouble understanding what his clients are telling him. He hears the words; he is just unable to make sense of their meaning. Which area of the
Brain would doctors say is most likely involved in his disease?

Accepted Answer

A)  Broca's 
B)  Sacks' 
C)  Wernicke's 
D)  Reticular

Question 17

You are trying to get a good scan of a patient's brain in order to see where the area of greatest activity is. Which of the following would be the worst scan to use?

Accepted Answer

A)  MRI 
B)  EEG 
C)  CAT scan 
D)  fMRI 
E)  PET scan

Question 18

Under very controlled laboratory conditions, split-brain patients show some very interesting phenomenon. In particular, if these patients are made to focus on a fixation point and they are flashed a picture of a hammer in the left visual field, they

Accepted Answer

A)  cannot find the object if they search for it with their left hand. 
B)  are not able to name the object. 
C)  can find the object only if they search for it with their right hand. 
D)  can name the object. 
E)  can name the object, but it appears backwards to them.

Question 19

Alcohol affects the brain by stimulating the activity of GABA, thereby depressing neural activity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

In the human body, the sympathetic system is responsible for activating the body for such things as the fight-or-flight response. The system is responsible for calming and slowing down the body is called the _.

Accepted Answer

A)  autonomic system 
B)  somatic system 
C)  parasomatic system 
D)  parasympathetic system

Exam 3: Biological Foundations of Behaviour

Neurotransmitters that depolarize the postsynaptic neuron are called:

The underproduction of serotonin is thought to be an important factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative brain disorder involving profound memory impairment.

Let's say that you are a crime scene investigator. A victim has died from massive convulsions and violent muscle contractions. In looking for the poison that killed this person, you would probably focus on a drug that resulted in a huge release of

The function of the axon is to:

Joel was in a car accident and banged his head. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, he was unable to see. Most likely, Joel hit

This area of the brain is located in the temporal lobe and is involved in speech comprehension:

The primary job of the ascending reticular formation is to:

Isaac contracted viral encephalitis. Five days later, he was unable to remember a number of details about his life and had trouble acquiring new memories. Most likely, the virus had damaged his

The effects of a psychoactive drug are determined not by which chemical transmitter the drug targets, but by the drug's actions at the synapse.

Let's say that you are a medical doctor. One of your patients seems to be suffering from an under supply of serotonin. What disorder would you suspect that his patient has?

Julie was a concert pianist until she was in a serious skiing accident. As a result, she was no longer able to control the timing and coordination of her motor movements. She had sustained severe damage to her _.

An oversupply of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can be excitatory or inhibitory, has been implicated in schizophrenia, and an undersupply of dopamine has been implicated in depression.

The job of interneurons is to:

If a particular drug blocked the sodium channels on an axon, the neuron

Which of the following is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found throughout the brain, especially important in anxiety and motor control?

You are trying to get a good scan of a patient's brain in order to see where the area of greatest activity is. Which of the following would be the worst scan to use?

Under very controlled laboratory conditions, split-brain patients show some very interesting phenomenon. In particular, if these patients are made to focus on a fixation point and they are flashed a picture of a hammer in the left visual field, they

Alcohol affects the brain by stimulating the activity of GABA, thereby depressing neural activity.

In the human body, the sympathetic system is responsible for activating the body for such things as the fight-or-flight response. The system is responsible for calming and slowing down the body is called the _.