Deck 1: Organization and Function of the Nervous System

Question 1

The three major classes of neurons are

A) motor, sensory, and interneurons.
B) efferent, afferent, and glia.
C) motor, efferent, and afferent.
D) glia, interneurons, and motor.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The nucleus of a neuron resides within the

A) terminal button.
B) axon.
C) cell body.
D) dendrites.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The axon hillock is located

A) at a cell's terminal button.
B) at gaps in a cell's myelin.
C) where the axon leaves the cell body.
D) where dendrites connect to the cell body.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Myelin serves to

A) increase the speed of conduction along the axon.
B) insulate a cell's axon from the electrical activity of adjacent axons.
C) synthesize and store neurotransmitter substances.
D) Both a and b are correct

Question 5

Neurotransmitters are stored and released from a cell's

A) terminal button.
B) node of Ranvier.
C) cell body.
D) axon hillock.

Question 6

The pressures acting on charged ions include ________ and ________ pressures.

A) hydrostatic; electrostatic
B) diffusion; hydrostatic
C) diffusion; electrostatic
D) diffusion; glucostatic

Question 7

A neuron's resting membrane potential is caused by

A) sodium ions.
B) a disequilibrium of positive and negatively charged ions inside and outside the axon.
C) a high concentration of sodium inside the cell.
D) potassium ions.

Question 8

The resting membrane potential has a charge of about ________ millivolts.

A) 0
B) +100
C) −70
D) −55

Question 9

The resting membrane potential is maintained because

A) potassium ions cannot cross through the cell membrane to the outside.
B) sodium ions cannot cross to the inside of the cell membrane.
C) there is no pressure acting on sodium ions.
D) there is no pressure acting on potassium ions.

Question 10

Potassium is said to be at equilibrium during a resting potential because

A) electrostatic pressure forcing it in equals the diffusion pressure forcing it out.
B) diffusion pressure forcing it in equals the electrostatic pressure forcing it out.
C) hydrostatic pressure forcing it in equals the electrostatic pressure forcing it out.
D) it is equally concentrated inside and outside the cell.

Question 11

Changes in the voltage of a cell that vary depending on the strength of stimulation are referred to as

A) action potentials.
B) depolarization.
C) hyperpolarization.
D) graded potentials.

Question 12

When an axon is depolarized to approximately ________ millivolts, an action potential is initiated.

A) −55
B) −70
C) 0
D) +30

Question 13

Ion channels for sodium ions open when the membrane is ________ to about ________ millivolts.

A) depolarized; −55
B) polarized; −70
C) charged; +30
D) depolarized; 0

Question 14

The initiation of an action potential is a consequence of an ________ of ________ ions.

A) influx; potassium
B) efflux; chlorine
C) influx; sodium
D) All of the above are correct

Question 15

During an action potential, the membrane voltage changes from ________ to about ________ millivolts on the inside relative to the outside.

A) −70; 0
B) 0; +50
C) −70; +30
D) −70; +55

Question 16

Local anesthetics such as lidocaine work by

A) preventing the release of neurotransmitters signaling pain messages.
B) blocking sodium channels so an action potential cannot occur.
C) preventing cells from receiving signals from pain-transmitting neurons.
D) blocking receptor sites for pain-signaling neurotransmitters.

Question 17

Myelin is made up of ________ in the central nervous system.

A) fat cells
B) Schwann cells
C) oligodendrocytes
D) astrocytes

Question 18

Myelin is made up of ________ in the peripheral nervous system.

A) fat cells
B) Schwann cells
C) oligodendrocytes
D) astrocytes

Question 19

Gaps in myelin surrounding an axon are referred to as

A) receptors.
B) demyelination.
C) nodes of Ranvier.
D) synapses.

Question 20

The total amount of neurotransmitter released during an action potential depends on

A) how much sodium enters the terminal button.
B) how much calcium is ejected from the terminal button.
C) regulatory proteins that contain the neurotransmitter substance.
D) how much calcium enters the terminal button.

Question 21

Once released into the synaptic gap, neurotransmitter substances

A) bind to receptor sites on both pre- and postsynaptic sites.
B) are degraded by a breakdown enzyme.
C) are returned to the transmitting cell via reuptake.
D) All of the above are correct

Question 22

Receptor proteins that directly control either the opening or closing of specific ion channels are referred to as ________ receptors.

A) ionotropic
B) metabotropic
C) postsynaptic
D) presynaptic

Question 23

Receptor proteins that indirectly open or close ion channels through the activation of a second messenger are referred to as ________ receptors.

A) ionotropic
B) metabotropic
C) postsynaptic
D) presynaptic

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of a second messenger?

A) Sodium
B) A G-protein
C) Acetylcholine
D) Cyclic adenosine monophosphate

Question 25

Proteins on the presynaptic terminal that transport neurotransmitter substances back into the terminal button are referred to as

A) G-proteins.
B) reuptake transporters.
C) autoreceptors.
D) metabotropic receptors.

Question 26

Receptors on the presynaptic terminal that regulate neurotransmitter synthesis and storage are referred to as

A) heteroreceptors.
B) autoreceptors.
C) metabotropic receptors.
D) Both a and b are correct

Question 27

The main difference between autoreceptors and heteroreceptors is that

A) heteroreceptors are activated by a different neuron and neurotransmitter, whereas autoreceptors are activated by the neuron they regulate.
B) heteroreceptors are postsynaptic, whereas autoreceptors are presynaptic.
C) heteroreceptors are metabotropic, whereas autoreceptors are ionotropic.
D) heteroreceptors are excitatory, whereas autoreceptors are inhibitory.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a criterion for a substance to meet the definition of a neurotransmitter?

A) It must be synthesized and stored in the presynaptic neuron.
B) It must cause a postsynaptic effect after it interacts with a receptor.
C) It must be taken up intact by the transmitting neuron.
D) It must have some mechanism for its degradation or reuptake.

Question 29

Otto Loewi received the Nobel Prize in 1936 for his discovery of

A) dopamine.
B) norepinephrine.
C) serotonin.
D) acetylcholine.

Question 30

The neurotransmitter that activates all neuromuscular synapses is called

A) norepinephrine.
B) acetylcholine.
C) dopamine.
D) muscarine.

Question 31

The neurotransmitter of the mesolimbic system is called

A) norepinephrine.
B) serotonin.
C) adenosine.
D) dopamine.

Question 32

The neurotransmitter involved in emotional behavior, arousal, and sleep that is derived from the amino acid tryptophan is called

A) dopamine.
B) norepinephrine.
C) serotonin.
D) acetylcholine.

Question 33

The most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter is called

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

Question 34

The glutamate receptor that has been implicated as a mechanism for long-term potentiation is called

A) NMDA.
B) metabotropic.
C) kainate.
D) AMPA.

Question 35

Alcohol binds to a specific receptor site on the ________ receptor complex.

A) NMDA
B) GABA
C) dopamine
D) norepinephrine

Question 36

The neurotransmitter that transmits pain signals in the spinal cord is called

A) serotonin.
B) glycine.
C) Substance P.
D) nonrepinephrine.

Question 37

Anatomical sections through the brain along the axis from front to back are called ________ sections.

A) coronal
B) horizontal
C) sagittal
D) oblique

Question 38

The respiratory center of the brain is located in the

A) medulla.
B) pons.
C) midbrain.
D) cerebellum.

Question 39

Damage to the ________ might lead to jerky, uncoordinated movements.

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

Question 40

A system of neurons originating deep in the brainstem which controls arousal, consciousness, and alertness is the ________ system.

A) mesolimbic
B) reticular activating
C) striatal
D) somatosensory

Question 41

The mesolimbic-cortical system originates in the ________ and projects dopamine containing neurons to the ________.

A) nucleus accumbens; frontal cortex
B) septum; prefrontal cortex
C) ventral tegmental area; frontal cortex
D) ventral tegmental area; nucleus accumbens

Question 42

The ________ undergoes considerable degeneration with prolonged periods of stress, schizophrenia, or posttraumatic stress disorder.

A) hypothalamus
B) hippocampus
C) thalamus
D) basal ganglia

Question 43

The ventromedial nucleus, lateral nucleus, preoptic nucleus, and paraventricular nucleus are all parts of the

A) hypothalamus.
B) thalamus.
C) basal ganglia.
D) mesolimbic system.

Question 44

The ________ controls most sensory input to the cortex and is involved in regulating attention and arousal.

A) hypothalamus
B) basal ganglia
C) medulla
D) thalamus

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT part of the basal ganglia?

A) Caudate nucleus
B) Putamen
C) Substantia nigra
D) Nucleus accumbens

Question 46

Which of the following structures of the brain is affected by Parkinson's disease?

A) Thalamus
B) Substantia nigra
C) Nucleus accumbens
D) Hippocampus