Q&A Hero

Q: The neuroanatomist who described fifty-two distinct cortical areas based on cell structure and arrangement, and whose classification scheme is often used today, was a.Purkinje. b. Helmholtz. c. Brodmann. d. Hyde.

Q: Which of the following terms refers to the idea of a continuous mass of tissue that shares a common cytoplasm? a.synapse b. syncytium c. striatum d. claustrum

Q: Rationalism is the philosophical position that knowledge a.originates from sensory experience. b. must be experimentally tested. c.must be deduced and justified through reason. d. is globally distributed in the cortex.

Q: Which of the following statements best describes the neuron doctrine? a.The nervous system consists of a fused network of interconnected fibers. b. The brain can be subdivided into regions that are distinct in cytoarchitectonics yet functionally interactive. c.The nervous system consists of physically distinct cells that are functionally interactive. d. The brain can be subdivided into functionally autonomous modules.

Q: The neuron doctrine is usually credited to__________ , who used a staining technique pioneered by . a. Purkinje ; Brodmann b. Brodmann ; Purkinje c. Golgi ; Ramn y Cajal d. Ramn y Cajal ; Golgi

Q: Which of the following is NOT true of empiricism? a.It is primarily associated with the British philosophers Hobbes, Hume, and Mill. b. It was a foundation for the associationistbehaviorist school of psychology. c.It postulates a special role for reason and induction in human thought. d. It emphasizes sensory experience in the development of knowledge.

Q: Ebbinghaus, who is considered the father of modern memory research, was among the first to demonstrate that a.different types of brain lesions can produce different types of memory deficits. b. in terms of cognition, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. c. behavior is best understood in terms of stimulusresponse relationships. d. internal mental processes can be measured in rigorous and reproducible ways.

Q: All of the following are representative of the emergence of the field of cognitive science in the second half of the 20th century EXCEPT a.new developments in computer technology and artificial intelligence. b. a philosophical shift in the field toward empiricism and associationism. c.Chomskys work arguing that behaviorist theories cannot explain language acquisition. d. Millers work showing that internal processes like short-term memory can be quantified.

Q: The term synapse, coined by Sherrington, refers to the junction between a.a blood vessel and surrounding neurons. b.two different cytoarchitectonic regions in the brain. c.two adjacent neurons. d.an axon and the cell body of a neuron.

Q: According to associationist Herman Ebbinghaus, complex processes such as memory a.can be understood by combining different pieces of information. b. are best understood in terms of a stimuluss emergent properties. c.cannot be measured because they are not behaviors. d. can be measured in an analytic fashion.

Q: Thorndikes law of effect a.stated that much knowledge is innately specified due to natural selection. b. was written to oppose Darwins theory of natural selection. c.stated that a behavior that is followed by a reward is likely to occur again. d. was written to oppose the behaviorists.

Q: Empiricism is to__________ as rationalism is to __________ . a. Locke and Hume ; Descartes and Kant b. Locke and Descartes ; Hume and Kant c. Descartes and Kant ; Locke and Hume d. Hume and Kant ; Locke and Descartes

Q: Empiricism is the philosophical position that all knowledge a.must be deduced and justified through reason. b. originates from sensory experience. c.must be experimentally tested. d. is globally distributed in the cortex.

Q: Cells that fire together, wire together was first proposed by Donald Hebb as an explanation for a.epileptic seizures and their effects. b. associations made by the law of effect. c.the way in which the brain codes new learning. d. amnesia caused by brain damage.

Q: Noam Chomsky argued that the structure of human languages is__________ , in contrast to B. F. Skinners assertion that languages are__________ . a. innate ; learned b. learned ; universal c. universal ; rational d. rational ; innate

Q: According to Edward Thorndike, which of the following is NOT true about rewards? a.They indicate which creatures have malleable structures in the brain. b. They help to stamp things into the mind. c.They lead to adaptive learning. d. They are part of the law of effect.

Q: John Watson famously argued that newborn babies a.are incapable of forming memories. b. have an intelligence comparable to our nearest primate cousins. c.can be raised to become anything. d. will develop different intellectual abilities according to innate differences.

Q: Which of the following methods measures the BOLD signal? a.magnetic resonance imaging b. functional Magnetic resonance imaging c.computerized axial tomography d. electroencephalogram

Q: The two main classes of cell in the nervous system are a. dendrites and axons. b. axons and neurons. c. neurons and glial cells. d. glial cells and dendrites.

Q: Which of the following people played the LEAST direct role in the development of the electroencephalogram? a.Hans Berger b. Willem Einthoven c. Richard Canton d. Hermann von Helmholtz

Q: You decide that you want to measure blood flow of the brain. Which of the following methods could you use? a.listen to the blood flow across veins b. look at red blood cells under a microscope c.measure the amount of iron in the blood d. none of the above

Q: Which of the following people did NOT play a strong role in the theoretical shift in psychology in the latter part of the twentieth century? a.Noam Chomsky b. Sir Charles Sherrington c.George A. Miller d. Claude Shannon

Q: Two main types of projections extend from the cell body of a neuron. receive inputs from other neurons, while __________ send information to other neurons. __________ __________ a. synapses ; glia b. axons ; dendrites c. glia ; synapses d. dendrites ; axons

Q: Within a neuron, the transmission of information is usually__________ . Between neurons, the transmission of information is usually __________ . a. chemical ; chemical b. electrical ; electrical c. electrical ; chemical d. chemical ; electrical

Q: Computer axial tomography is to MRI as__________ is to . a.x-ray ; radio frequencies b. structure ; function c.blood oxygenation ; x-ray d. radiation ; dipoles

Q: Demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis disrupt normal neural communication by a. destroying receptors on postsynaptic cells so that neurotransmitters cannot bind normally. b. creating lesions in the bloodbrain barrier that allow toxic substances to enter the brain from the bloodstream. c. causing deterioration of the fatty substance that normally coats and insulates axons. d. diminishing the activity of the sodiumpotassium pumps that usually maintain the resting potential of neurons.

Q: Which of the following cells produce myelin in the peripheral nervous system? a. astrocytes b. microglia c. oligodendrocytes d. Schwann cells

Q: In the nervous system, these cells provide structural support and insulation for neurons. a.glia b. dendrites c. mitochondria d. Purkinje cells

Q: The__________ , which is comprised of astrocytes, protects the brain from chemical compound circulating in the body that might otherwise interfere with neuronal activity. a. sodiumpotassium pump b. bloodbrain barrier c. myelin sheath d. lipid bilayer

Q: The nodes of Ranvier are a.vesicles of neurotransmitters, stored in presynaptic neurons. b.points along axons where sodiumpotassium pumps are found. c.vesicles of calcium ions, stored in postsynaptic neurons. d.points along axons that are not surrounded by myelin.

Q: The ease with which a cell membrane will permit ions to cross it is referred to as a. the concentration gradient. b. permeability. c. the action potential. d. conductivity.

Q: If you inserted a micropipette into a neuron without harming the cell, and pumped in a small quantity of calcium ions, each of which carried two positive charges, how would this affect the membrane potential? a. The membrane potential would become depolarized relative to the resting potential. b. The membrane potential would become hyperpolarized relative to the resting potential. c. There would be no change because calcium does not contribute to the resting potential. d. There would be no change because the sodiumpotassium pump would remove excess calcium from the cell.

Q: Ouabain is a toxin that works by permanently inhibiting the activity of sodiumpotassium pumps embedded in neuronal membranes. How would ouabain administration affect the resting potential of a neuron? a. The magnitude of the resting potential would shift toward zero. b. The resting potential would hyperpolarize toward a more negative value. c.The resting potential would reverse to a positive, rather than a negative, value. d. Application of ouabain would not affect the resting potential.

Q: The term concentration gradient refers to a difference in the a.number of two different ion types within the neuron. b.number of ions found on opposite sides of the cell membrane. c.permeability of the membrane to one kind of ion compared to another. d.permeability of the membrane at rest compared to during an action potential.

Q: Which of the following cells devour and remove damaged brain cells? a.astrocytes b. microglia c.oligodendrocytes d. Schwann cells

Q: If you were to insert a microelectrode through the cell membrane of a neuron, you would be able to demonstrate that a.the region inside the cell membrane contains more positive ions than the region outside the membrane. b. the region inside the cell membrane contains more negative ions than the region outside the membrane. c.there is a greater concentration of potassium ions outside the cell membrane than inside the membrane. d. there is a greater concentration of potassium ions inside the cell membrane than outside the membrane.

Q: The poison tetraethylammonium (TEA) interferes with normal neural communication. The toxin binds to and blocks voltage-gated potassium channels in the neuron cell membrane. Which of the following best describes the effects of TEA on the action potential? a.The depolarization phase of the action potential fails to occur. b. The repolarization phase of the action potential is blocked. c.The refractory period of the action potential is shortened. d. The action potential fails to be regenerated at the nodes of Ranvier.

Q: At the resting state, a higher concentration of __________ is found outside a neuron and a higher concentration of __________ is found inside a neuron. a. K+ ; Na+ b. Na+ ; K+ c. dopamine ; serotonin d. serotonin ; dopamine

Q: The value of the membrane potential to which an axon must be depolarized to initiate an action potential is called the __________ potential for that neuron. a.graded b. resting c.threshold d. refractory

Q: The HodgkinHuxley cycle describes how the depolarization of the membrane causes voltage-gated sodium channels to __________ , allowing __________ sodium ions to enter the cell. This change insodium concentration then causes__________ of the cell. a.close ; fewer ; further depolarization depolarization b. close ; fewer ; repolarization c.open ; more ; further d. open ; more ; repolarization

Q: In myelinated axons, action potentials are generated a.at the nodes of Ranvier only. b. along the entire length of the axons. c.underneath the myelinated portions of the axons only. d. only at the axon hillocks and axon terminals.

Q: The primary reason why neurons are refractory for a short period after firing action potentials, and the reason underlying the absolute refractory period, is that the a.voltage-gated sodium channels are inactivated. b. voltage-gated potassium channels are inactivated. c.sodiumpotassium pump has to remove sodium ions from inside the cell. d. sodiumpotassium pump has to retrieve potassium ions from outside the cell.

Q: The most important function of myelin in the nervous system is to a.form the bloodbrain barrier. b.trigger the release of neurotransmitters from axon terminals. c.produce cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebral ventricles. d.facilitate conduction of action potentials in axons.

Q: The term saltatory conduction refers to the fact that a.action potentials travel faster when extracellular salt concentration is high. b.action potentials evoked by strong stimuli travel faster than those evoked by weaker stimuli. c.action potentials occur only at the nodes of Ranvier of axons. d. action potentials are generated only by myelinated portions of axons.

Q: Which of the following statements best describes the immediate consequence of neurotransmitter molecules binding to postsynaptic receptors? a.Voltage-gated channels in the cell membrane open and permit ion flow through the membrane. b. The activity of the sodiumpotassium pumps increases. c.Calcium absorption into the axon terminal cell is triggered. d. Neurotransmitter-containing vesicles bind to the inside of the axon terminal membrane.

Q: The primary benefit that the nervous system gains from myelination is a.generation of currents actively (action potentials) rather than passively (electrotonic conduction). b.decreased membrane resistance. c.increased resting potentials. d.faster neural communication.

Q: Which of the following sequences of steps best represents the order of events that occur during synaptic transmission? a.binding of neurotransmitter at the postsynaptic membrane -> diffusion of neurotransmitter across the synapse -> release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic cell b. diffusion of neurotransmitter across the synapse -> binding of neurotransmitter at the postsynaptic membrane -> release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic cell c.release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic cell -> binding of neurotransmitter at the postsynaptic membrane -> diffusion of neurotransmitter across the synapse d. release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic cell -> diffusion of neurotransmitter across the synapse -> binding of neurotransmitter at the postsynaptic membrane

Q: The role of calcium ions (Ca2+) in synaptic transmission is to a.bind neurotransmitter molecules to the postsynaptic membrane. b.mediate the release of neurotransmitter molecules from the presynaptic neuron. c.repolarize the postsynaptic cell after transmission has been completed. d.increase the activity of the sodiumpotassium pumps in the presynaptic cell.

Q: Consider the synapse shown schematically here. If neuron A causes neuron B to become hyperpolarized relative to Bs resting state, a.neuron B is more likely to fire its own action potential. b. neuron B is less likely to release neurotransmitter molecules from its own axon terminal. c.neuron B is more likely to absorb extracellular potassium through voltage-gated channels. d. neuron B is less likely to absorb extracellular sodium through the sodiumpotassium pump.

Q: Which of the following is a catecholamine? a. gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) b. glutamate c.serotonin d.norepinephrine

Q: Which of the following is NOT a mechanism for removing a neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft? a. diffusion of the neurotransmitter away from the synapse b. active reuptake of the neurotransmitter back into the presynaptic terminal c. enzymatic breakdown of the neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft d. transport of the neurotransmitter by ion channels into neighboring glial cells

Q: The effect of a particular neurotransmitter on postsynaptic neurons a.is always either excitatory or inhibitory. b.depends on the properties of the postsynaptic neuron. c.may be modulated by the presence or absence of another neurotransmitter. d.Both b and c are true.

Q: Many drugs produce their effects by facilitating or interfering with neurotransmitters at synapses. Which of the following drugs would most likely increase the effect of serotonin? a. a drug that binds to directly coupled serotonin receptors but does not change membrane permeability b. a drug that prevents the activity of an enzyme that breaks down serotonin molecules in the synaptic cleft c. a drug that blocks the effect of Ca2+ ions d. a drug that blocks the effect of a conditional neurotransmitter that normally facilitates the effect of serotonin

Q: The morphology of the brain of Albert Einstein revealed an unusual Sylvian fissurethe division that separates the __________ lobe from the __________ lobes. a.occipital ; frontal and parietal b. temporal ; frontal and parietal c.frontal ; temporal and occipital d. parietal ; temporal and occipital

Q: The thick outer membrane that encloses the brain within the skull is the a. gray matter. b. white matter. c. myelin sheath. d. dura mater.

Q: Neurons in two different regions of Brodmanns cytoarchitectonic map always a.use different types of neurotransmitters to communicate. b. differ in cell morphology and organization. c.lie inside different lobes of the cerebral cortex. d. are separated by fissures in the cortex.

Q: The two main divisions of the central nervous system are the a. forebrain and brainstem. b. white matter and gray matter. c. brain and spinal cord. d. cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum.

Q: All of the following are advantages of a folded cerebral cortex EXCEPT a.the need for blood vasculature in the cortex is eliminated. b. neural conduction time between areas is reduced. c.neurons are brought into closer three-dimensional relationships. d. more cortical surface can be packed into the skull.

Q: A gap junction is a. the point where a neurotransmitter vesicle binds to the presynaptic membrane. b. a connection between two sections of a G protein that plays a role in second-messenger cascades. c. a transmembrane channel that connects the cytoplasm of two cells at an electrical synapse. d. more likely to be found on the amino acids than on the biogenic amines.

Q: Gray matter is to white matter as __________ are to__________ . a.gyri ; sulci b. glial cells ; neurons c. cell bodies ; axon tracts d. oligodendrocytes ; Schwann cells

Q: The difference between gray matter and white matter is that gray matter refers to , whereas white matter refers to__________ . a. protruding rounded surfaces ; fissures and invaginations b. fissures and invaginations ; protruding rounded surfaces c. cell bodies ; axons and glial cells d. axons and glial cells ; cell bodies

Q: The temporal lobe likely bears this name because a.it is the brains center for temporal processing. b.its functions are particularly susceptible to the effects of aging. c.it lies beneath the area of the scalp where hair grays with age. d.its neurons fire more quickly than neurons in other brain regions.

Q: The most caudal lobe of the cerebral cortex is the __________ lobe. a.frontal b. temporal c.occipital d. parietal

Q: The term cytoarchitectonics refers to a.how cells in one brain region appear morphologically and how they are arranged with respect to each other. b.how assemblies of neurons function together and how they communicate with neighboring ganglia. c.how different brain regions differ in volume and how they interact to produce complex cognitive phenomena. d.how the brains of different animals differ from each other in gross anatomy and the evolutionary bases of these differences.

Q: The central sulcus is an anatomical landmark that separates the lobe from the lope. a.temporal ; frontal b. frontal ; parietal c.parietal ; occipital d. occipital ; temporal

Q: A patient reports that she is functionally blind after a focal brain injury, even though her eyes and optic nerves are completely intact. Of the structures listed here, the most probable location for the brain injury is the a.inferior colliculus. b. lateral geniculate nucleus. c.superior temporal lobe. d. postcentral gyrus.

Q: Following a focal brain injury, a patient shows great difficulty in discriminating tones that differ in frequency. Which area of the cortex is most likely affected? a.the superior temporal lobe b. the inferior temporal lobe c.the anterior parietal lobe d. the posterior parietal lobe

Q: The primary auditory cortex is organized using a tonotopic map, which means that there is an orderly representation of a.loudness. b. frequency. c. duration. d. spatial location.

Q: The part of the thalamus that is most important in relaying information to the primary visual cortex is the a.lateral geniculate nucleus. b. superior colliculus. c.medial geniculate nucleus. d. inferior colliculus.

Q: The volume of cortex that is not sensory or motor has traditionally been termed __________ . a. extrastriate b. cognitive c. association d. equipotential

Q: All of the structures listed here are major components of the basal ganglia EXCEPT the a. globus pallidus. b. amygdala. c. caudate nucleus. d. putamen.

Q: As a result of a brain injury to the medial temporal lobes and neighboring subcortical structures, a patient exhibits a number of cognitive and behavioral changes. Of the options here, which is the LEAST likely to be affected? a.memory b. emotional processing c. learning d. somatosensation

Q: This brain structure is often called the gateway to the cortex because almost all sensory inputs synapse here before continuing to their primary cortical sensory areas. a.hypothalamus b. hippocampus c.thalamus d. amygdala

Q: Which of the following functions is NOT mediated primarily by the hypothalamus? a. endocrine system regulation b. maintenance of homeostatic states in the body c. relay of sensory information from the body to the cortex d. hormone control

Q: As a result of a brain injury to this diencephalic structure, a patient is experiencing disruptions in maintaining homeostasis of bodily states and endocrine control. a. thalamus b. hypothalamus c. hippocampus d. cingulate gyrus

Q: Injury to the hypothalamus would most likely interfere with a. hormone regulation. b. motor control. c. memory. d. olfactory sensation.

Q: The brainstem includes all of the following components EXCEPT the a.medulla. b. midbrain. c. hypothalamus. d. pons.

Q: The specialized structures that comprise the midbrain control functions such as a. hormone regulation. b. visual reflexes. c. memory. d. emotional processing.

Q: A patient has great difficulty in maintaining his posture, walking, and coordinating his movements. His brain injuries probably involve the a.cerebellum. b. corpus callosum. c.superior colliculus. d. third ventricle.

Q: Parts of the brain where metabolic activity is relatively high are characterized by a. elevated regional blood flow. b. increased cerebrospinal fluid production. c. a high degree of myelination. d. greater concentrations of calcium ions.