Biological Bases of Behavior

Neurotransmitters are typically stored in which of the following parts of a neuron?

The terminal buttons

Metabolic activity in different areas of the brain can best be visualized by means of

positron emission tomography (PET)

The function of dendrites is to

receive information from other neurons

Multiple sclerosis is a result of degeneration in the

myelin sheath

The person most strongly associated with identifying deficits in the motor speech area and in the ability to produce speech is

Paul Broca

Which of the following provides information regarding brain function by monitoring the brain at work through metabolism of glucose?

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system results in which of the following?

A decrease in heart rate

Brain damage that leaves a person capable of understanding speech but with an impaired ability to produce speech most likely indicates injury to which of the following?

Broca's area

Sam has shown some marked changes in the way he is able to communicate after having a stroke. He knows what he wants to say, but his speech is slow and labored. Sam's grammar is also quite poor. The part of Sam's brain that most likely sustained damage is

Broca's area

Growth of which part of the neuron is the neurological basis for learning?

Dendrites

Which part of the neuron receives information from other neurons?

Dendrites

Which of the following neurotransmitters has been linked to Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia?

Dopamine

Consistent with the concept of neural plasticity, neurons in mammals have been found to change the way they function as a result of repeated stimulation by doing which of the following?

Growing new dendritic spines

The part of the neuron that is responsible for receiving signals from other neurons is called

a dendrite

Morphine is similar to the body's endorphins in that both elevate mood and ease pain. In this instance, morphine is considered to be a

agonist

A gymnast falls and hits her head on the floor. She attempts to continue practicing but has trouble maintaining balance. What part of her brain has probably been affected?

cerebellum

Difficulty in typing smoothly on a keyboard would most likely result from damage to the

cerebellum

The limbic system is most closely associated with

emotions

The role of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is to

establish homeostasis after a fight-or-flight response

Damage to which of the following could interfere with the ability to plan for the future?

frontal lobe

Brain lateralization refers to the

inclination for certain cognitive processes to be specialized to one hemisphere of the brain or the other

Mary participates in an exercise program because she experiences an increase in energy and feelings of well-being at the end of each exercise session. The best explanation for Mary's perseverance in the program is that exercise

increase her level of endorphins

The primary effect of the myelin sheath is to

increase the velocity of conduction of the action potential along the axon

The process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the neuron after it fires is called

reuptake

The right occipital lobe receives visual information from the

right half of both retinas

Neurotransmitters cross the _____________ to carry information to the next neuron.

synaptic gap

Which of the following is sometimes referred to as the brain's sensory switchboard, because it directs incoming sensory messages (with the exception of smell) to their proper places in the brain?

thalamus

The sequence of shifts in the electrical charge of a neuron is called

the action potential

Which of the following would most likely result from an injury to the medulla?

A life-threatening disruption of heartbeat and breathing

Damage to the cerebellum would most likely result in which of the following problems?

A loss of motor coordination

Which of the following is classified as an antagonist?

A tricyclic antidepressant, because they block serotonin and norepinephrine transporters.

The depletion of which of the following neurotransmitters is most closely associated with the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?

Acetylcholine

Electrically stimulating a rat's amygdala would most likely produce which of the following?

Aggression

Damage to which of the following brain structures may cause the inability to detect the emotional significance of facial expressions, especially those demonstrating fear?

Amygdala

Which of the following brain structures is most associated with the emotion of fear?

Amygdala

Which of the following parts of the brain is most active in decision-making?

Cerebral cortex

Juana accidentally touched a hot iron. She immediately drew back her hand. Which of the following is true about the withdrawal of her hand?

It was initiated in the spinal cord.

Stimulation of which of the following brain areas will lead a person to eat?

Lateral Hypothalamus

The pituitary gland is controlled by the

hypothalamus

In right-handed individuals, which of the following abilities is predominantly a function of the right hemisphere of the brain?

spatial reasoning

Immediately after firing, a neuron is incapable of responding to stimulation. This condition is referred to as

the absolute refractory phase

The network of structures involved in emotion, motivation, and memory is the

the limbic system

During neuronal firing, the part of the neuron that acts as an insulator and conductor to speed the electrical impulse as it travels down the axon is

the myelin sheath

The time shortly after a neuron fires is referred to as

the refractory period

Damage to Wernicke's area is most likely to be associated with difficulty in

understanding language

Damage to the occipital lobe would most likely affect a person's

vision

Which division of the autonomic nervous system calms a person down once a stressful event has passed?

Parasympathetic

Which of the following is a disease in which the immune system attacks the myelin of neurons in the central nervous system?

Parkinson's disease

Most glands in the human body are a part of which system?

Endocrine

In extreme cases, surgically severing the corpus callosum is a treatment for which of the following conditions?

Epilepsy

Which of the following surround and support neurons and provides insulation between cells?

Glial cells

Which of the following brain structures has the strongest influence on hunger and satiety?

Hypothalamus

After an electrode implanted in a cat's brain stimulates the cat's amygdala, the cat will most likely do which of the following?

Immediately withdraw in fear

For most people, which of the following is an activity based in the right hemisphere of the brain?

Multiple sclerosis

Significant damage to which of the following parts of the brain will most likely cause a person to fall into a deep coma from which the person will be unable to awaken?

Reticular formation

A deficiency in which neurotransmitter is linked with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder?

Serotonin

Which division of the nervous system enables a person to move the muscles necessary to walk down the street?

Somatic

If you accidentally touch a hot stove, which of the following is responsible for moving your hand away before you even realize what you have done?

Spinal flex

Which part of the nervous system is most immediately activated by sudden fear?

Sympathetic

Which part of the neuron contains neurotransmitters?

Terminal buttons

Which of the following occurs when a neuron is stimulated to its threshold?

The movements of sodium and potassium ions across the membrane creates an action potential.

Following the release of neurotransmitters across the synapse, and an action potential, which of the following is most likely to take place?

The sending neuron reabsorbs the neurotransmitter for reuse.

Item 3 Which of the following biological systems is most likely responsible for an increase in heart rate while experiencing anxiety?

The sympathetic nervous system

A person will most likely develop aphasia as a result of damage to which of the following parts of the brain?

Wernicke's area

An individual was admitted to the hospital after experiencing a mild tingling on the right side of the face and a sudden inability to speak. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a doctor would likely find

an abnormality in the brain tissue of the left hemisphere

A drug that has the effect of intensifying or mimicking a particular neurotransmitter can be characterized as

an agonist, because it intensifies the effects of a particular neurotransmitter

Activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system results in

an increase in respiratory rate

Curare blocks action at acetylcholine synapses and causes paralysis. This drug is an example of an

antagonist

Hormones are _____________ released into the bloodstream

chemical messengers

An individual with damage to Wernicke's area is most likely to have difficulty

comprehending a spoken request for information

Parkinson's disease is most closely associated with

decreases in levels of dopamine

The autonomic nervous system is most directly involved in

digesting food

A person with a severe head injury subsequently acts irresponsibly, does not seem to be able to plan effectively, and is easy to anger. Which of the following brain areas is most likely injured?

frontal lobe

Stimulation of portions of the left temporal lobe of the brain during surgery will cause the patient to

hear sounds

The brain scans of people with amnesia are most likely to show damage to the

hippocampus

The part of the endocrine system that is responsible for overseeing and regulating the release of hormones across the entire body is the

hypothalamus

For most people, speech functions are primarily localized in the

left cerebral hemisphere

Damage to which of the following puts a person's life in the most danger because it may cause the heart to stop beating?

medulla

The area of the brain stem that is important in controlling breathing is the

medulla

Stimulation of which of the following may cause a person to involuntarily move their arm?

motor cortex

Female sex hormones are released by the

ovaries

Which of the following endocrine glands may explain unusually tall height in a 12-year-old?

pituitary gland

The brain's ability to adapt after it is damaged is known as

plasticity

An image projected to the left visual field of a split-brained person will be processed in the

right visual cortex

When there is a negative charge inside an axon and a positive charge outside of it, the neuron is

said to have a resting potential

The division of the nervous system that most directly allows voluntary muscle movement is the

somatic

Damage to the occipital lobe would most likely affect a person's...

vision

Damage to a small part of the occipital lobe would most likely result in a

visual deficit