Question 1

Maria heard a strange banging noise just outside her bedroom window in the middle of the night. She froze in fear, and her heart began to pound. Maria's heightened physical arousal involved the activation of which subdivision of the nervous system?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 2

The nodes of Ranvier are:

Accepted Answer

A)  a type of neuron that communicates information from one neuron to another. 
B)  the synaptic vesicles that contain neurotransmitters. 
C)  the ion channels in the membrane of a neuron's axon that open and close during an action potential. 
D)  small gaps in the myelin sheaths that cover some axons.

Question 3

Which brain structure exerts considerable influence over the secretion of hormones throughout the body?

Accepted Answer

A)  the hypothalamus 
B)  the amygdala 
C)  the hippocampus 
D)  the thalamus

Question 4

The rush of euphoria that many people experience after sustained exercise, especially running or cycling, is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  neurogenesis. 
B)  the synaptic rush. 
C)  the split-brain high. 
D)  the runner's high.

Question 5

A neuroscientist might examine how damage to the hippocampus affects the ability to form new memories.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

As you take this test, you do not have to focus on taking your next breath or making your heart beat. This is because the _____ is involved in the control of vital life functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

Accepted Answer

A)  medulla 
B)  pons 
C)  thalamus 
D)  parietal lobe

Question 7

A German neurologist named _____ identified an area on the left temporal lobe that, when damaged, disrupted the ability to understand written or spoken language.

Accepted Answer

A)  Pierre Paul Broca 
B)  Karl Wernicke 
C)  Roger Sperry 
D)  Franz Gall

Question 8

The thyroid gland secretes the hormone melatonin, which plays an important role in the letdown of milk in nursing mothers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Launched in 2009 by the National Institutes of Health, the _____ aims to combine brain-imaging data from hundreds of participants into a three-dimensional map of the brain's information highways.

Accepted Answer

A)  Human Connectome Project 
B)  Human Genome Project 
C)  Human Neurogenesis Project 
D)  Cortical Localization project

Question 10

How is the endocrine system involved in the regulation of behavior?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How is the endocrine system involved in...

Question 11

A neuron may have thousands of _____, but can have only one _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  dendrites; axon 
B)  cell bodies; dendrite 
C)  axons; dendrite 
D)  nodes of Ranvier; synaptic vesicle

Question 12

Explain what is meant by "runner's high" and discuss the role that endorphins play in this phenomenon.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain what is meant by "runner's high"...

Question 13

Critically evaluate the following claim: "Most people use only 10 percent of their brain."

Accepted Answer

The answer of Critically evaluate the following claim: "Most people...

Question 14

Better-educated people have more synaptic connections and less severe symptoms of Alzheimer's disease than those who are less well educated.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The brain's ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged areas is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  aphasia. 
B)  neurogenesis. 
C)  structural plasticity. 
D)  functional plasticity.

Question 16

The notion of structural plasticity:

Accepted Answer

A)  has been demonstrated in animal studies, but there is no evidence for structural plasticity in humans. 
B)  is the idea that learning, active practice, or environmental stimulation can cause physical changes in the brain's structure. 
C)  led to the idea of surgically cutting the corpus callosum as a possible treatment for severe cases of epilepsy. 
D)  is the idea that the brain has the ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged brain areas.

Question 17

What is the hypothalamus, and what roles does it play?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the hypothalamus, and what roles...

Question 18

Growth hormone, prolactin, and oxytocin are all secreted by:

Accepted Answer

A)  the pineal gland. 
B)  the adrenal medulla. 
C)  the pituitary gland. 
D)  the hypothalamus.

Question 19

Synaptic vesicles are tiny pouches that hold the special chemical messengers manufactured by the neuron, which are called neurotransmitters.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

As your body's emergency system, the sympathetic nervous system rapidly triggers the fight-or-flight response when a threat or danger is perceived.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 2: Neuroscience and Behavior

Maria heard a strange banging noise just outside her bedroom window in the middle of the night. She froze in fear, and her heart began to pound. Maria's heightened physical arousal involved the activation of which subdivision of the nervous system?

The nodes of Ranvier are:

Which brain structure exerts considerable influence over the secretion of hormones throughout the body?

The rush of euphoria that many people experience after sustained exercise, especially running or cycling, is called:

A neuroscientist might examine how damage to the hippocampus affects the ability to form new memories.

As you take this test, you do not have to focus on taking your next breath or making your heart beat. This is because the _____ is involved in the control of vital life functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

A German neurologist named _____ identified an area on the left temporal lobe that, when damaged, disrupted the ability to understand written or spoken language.

The thyroid gland secretes the hormone melatonin, which plays an important role in the letdown of milk in nursing mothers.

Launched in 2009 by the National Institutes of Health, the _____ aims to combine brain-imaging data from hundreds of participants into a three-dimensional map of the brain's information highways.

How is the endocrine system involved in the regulation of behavior?

A neuron may have thousands of _, but can have only one _.

Explain what is meant by "runner's high" and discuss the role that endorphins play in this phenomenon.

Critically evaluate the following claim: "Most people use only 10 percent of their brain."

Better-educated people have more synaptic connections and less severe symptoms of Alzheimer's disease than those who are less well educated.

The brain's ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged areas is called:

The notion of structural plasticity:

What is the hypothalamus, and what roles does it play?

Growth hormone, prolactin, and oxytocin are all secreted by:

Synaptic vesicles are tiny pouches that hold the special chemical messengers manufactured by the neuron, which are called neurotransmitters.

As your body's emergency system, the sympathetic nervous system rapidly triggers the fight-or-flight response when a threat or danger is perceived.