Question 1

At which location would you expect to find primarily G-protein coupled receptors?

Accepted Answer

A)   parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system effectors
B)   parasympathetic and sympathetic postganglionic neurons
C)   parasympathetic nervous system effectors only
D)   sympathetic nervous system effectors only A

Question 2

Which neurotransmitter binds to muscarinic and nicotinic receptors?

Accepted Answer

A)   acetylcholine
B)   epinephrine (adrenaline) 
C)   norepinephrine (noradrenaline) 
D)   None of the choices is correct. A

Question 3

Alpha-bungarotoxin is a snake toxin that is a nicotinic antagonist. If someone were injected with alpha-bungarotoxin, which of the following cells would most directly have their activity affected?

Accepted Answer

A)   effectors of both the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches
B)   preganglionic neurons in both the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches
C)   postganglionic neurons in both the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches
D)   effectors of the sympathetic branch only C

Question 4

Emotions can influence autonomic nervous system activity due to interactions between the limbic system and hypothalamus.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

In World War I, nerve agents were used in the newly discovered chemical warfare in order to inflict extreme pain and death on a monumental scale. These agents interrupted normal communication at the neuromuscular junction by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity. How does this mechanism affect somatic muscle activity?

Accepted Answer

A)   high amounts of ACh cause muscle relaxation
B)   high amounts of ACh cause uncontrollable muscle spasms
C)   low amounts of ACh cause muscle relaxation
D)   low amounts of ACh cause uncontrollable muscle spasms

Question 6

Imagine that you are camping in the woods at night and after eating your dinner you hear rustling noises and what sounds like growling coming from the trees behind you. You look for your flashlight so you can go investigate and you notice that your heart is beating very quickly. What has likely caused this change?

Accepted Answer

A)   activation of the parasympathetic nervous system that released norepinephrine into your cardiac muscles cells
B)   activation of the sympathetic nervous system that released ACh into your cardiac muscles cells
C)   activation of the parasympathetic nervous system that released ACh into your cardiac muscles cells
D)   activation of the sympathetic nervous system that released norepinephrine into your cardiac muscles cells

Question 7

During a fight-or-flight response, a person can experience vasoconstriction in some blood vessels and vasodilation in others. How is it possible that norepinephrine can produce both vasodilation and vasoconstriction?

Accepted Answer

A)   There are different membrane receptors for noepinephrine, and activation of different receptor types determines the response of the effector
B)   There are different forms of norepinephrine which bind to the same receptors but have different effects on the cells
C)   When norepinephrine flows through the membrane into smooth muscle cells, it can bind to different proteins causing different responses in different cells.
D)   Norepinephrine can bind to G-protein receptors causing a signal cascade and cAMP can have various effects inside of the cytosol, depending on the type of cell that it is in.

Question 8

Increased activity in preganglionic neurons will most directly and most strongly activate which type of receptor?

Accepted Answer

A)   alpha-adrenergic
B)   beta-adrenergic
C)   muscarinic
D)   nicotinic

Question 9

The nervous system uses graded and action potentials to communicate with, and regulate most body organs and systems to help maintain homeostasis.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a way that the nervous system contributes to homeostasis?

Accepted Answer

A)   The somatic nervous system controls movement.
B)   All parts of the peripheral nervous system rapidly communicate information via action potentials.
C)   The somatic nervous system regulates the growth of target cells in the body.
D)   The nervous system receives and integrates sensory information in order to properly control motor commands.

Question 11

If the amount of acetylcholine in your body were suddenly reduced to a very low quantity, which branches of the nervous system would be strongly affected?

Accepted Answer

A)   both the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches would be majorly affected
B)   only the post-ganglionic axons of the parasympathetic system would be affected
C)   the entire parasympathetic system would be majorly affected
D)   only the post-ganglionic axons of the sympathetic system would be affected

Question 12

The effector(s) of the somatic motor system include(s)

Accepted Answer

A)   cardiac and skeletal muscle
B)   cardiac and smooth muscle
C)   cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle
D)   skeletal muscle only

Question 13

If you were to cut the axon entering the autonomic ganglion, and then stimulate the axon of the postganglionic neuron, what would happen to the effector of that pathway?

Accepted Answer

A)   it would be activated in the normal manner
B)   it would be activated, but in the opposite manner from normal
C)   it would not be activated
D)   it depends on whether it is the sympathetic or parasympathetic branch

Question 14

Some medications can lead to hypotension, or decreased blood pressure, due to changes in the level of activity of vascular muscles. These medications are most likely affecting the somatic nervous system.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The effector in an autonomic motor pathway is innervated by the preganglionic neuron.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

The hypothalamus receives sensory input from viscera which it integrates, then sends commands to various structures to respond to that input.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which of the following accurately describes the mechanism of how the sympathetic nervous system operates to release the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine into the blood?

Accepted Answer

A)   The post-ganglionic axon leaves the ganglion and targets the chromaffin cells, which then release the hormones directly.
B)   The pre-ganglionic axon synapses immediately with the chromaffin cells, which then release the hormones directly.
C)   The pre-ganglionic axon synapses immediately with the chromaffin cells which then synapse with the adrenal medulla to release the hormones.
D)   The post-ganglionic axon leaves the chain ganglion and target the chromaffin cells which then synapse with the adrenal medulla to release the hormones.

Question 18

At which location would you expect to find primarily muscarinic receptors?

Accepted Answer

A)   parasympathetic nervous system effectors
B)   parasympathetic and sympathetic postganglionic neurons
C)   somatic nervous system effectors
D)   sympathetic nervous system effectors

Question 19

Increased somatic nervous system activity has which effect on the motor neurons?

Accepted Answer

A)   increased release of ACh from the post-ganglionic motor neuron
B)   increased release of NE from the somatic motor neuron
C)   increased release of ACh from the somatic motor neuron
D)   increased release of NE from the post-ganglionic motor neuron

Question 20

When someone is stressed, their blood glucose levels tend to _____ compared to their normal levels when they are not stressed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When someone is stressed, their blood glucose...

Exam 10: Autonomic and Somatic Nervous Systems

At which location would you expect to find primarily G-protein coupled receptors?

Which neurotransmitter binds to muscarinic and nicotinic receptors?

Alpha-bungarotoxin is a snake toxin that is a nicotinic antagonist. If someone were injected with alpha-bungarotoxin, which of the following cells would most directly have their activity affected?

Emotions can influence autonomic nervous system activity due to interactions between the limbic system and hypothalamus.

During a fight-or-flight response, a person can experience vasoconstriction in some blood vessels and vasodilation in others. How is it possible that norepinephrine can produce both vasodilation and vasoconstriction?

Increased activity in preganglionic neurons will most directly and most strongly activate which type of receptor?

The nervous system uses graded and action potentials to communicate with, and regulate most body organs and systems to help maintain homeostasis.

Which of the following is NOT a way that the nervous system contributes to homeostasis?

If the amount of acetylcholine in your body were suddenly reduced to a very low quantity, which branches of the nervous system would be strongly affected?

The effector(s) of the somatic motor system include(s)

If you were to cut the axon entering the autonomic ganglion, and then stimulate the axon of the postganglionic neuron, what would happen to the effector of that pathway?

Some medications can lead to hypotension, or decreased blood pressure, due to changes in the level of activity of vascular muscles. These medications are most likely affecting the somatic nervous system.

The effector in an autonomic motor pathway is innervated by the preganglionic neuron.

The hypothalamus receives sensory input from viscera which it integrates, then sends commands to various structures to respond to that input.

Which of the following accurately describes the mechanism of how the sympathetic nervous system operates to release the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine into the blood?

At which location would you expect to find primarily muscarinic receptors?

Increased somatic nervous system activity has which effect on the motor neurons?

When someone is stressed, their blood glucose levels tend to _____ compared to their normal levels when they are not stressed.