Psychology Chap. 2 Online Practice Questions

what is the process whereby the structure and function of brain cells change in response to trauma, damage, or even learning?

neuroplasticity

A branch of the life sciences that deals with the structure and functioning of the nervous system is called

neuroscience

what part of the neuron carries messages to other cells?

axon

For which of the following reasons would a researcher prefer to study the brain through brain stimulation over lesioning?

Brain stimulation is a less harmful technique

Which of the following neuroimaging techniques would be best used for investigating conditions such as dementia and schizophrenia?

DTI

if you were suffering from neurological problems and your neurologist wanted to have a study done of your brain and its electrical functioning, which technique would involve placing metal or sponge-like electrodes directly onto your scalp?

EEG

____ was the founder of the field of research concerning stress and its effects on the human body

Hans Selye

Broca's aphasia is the inability to____ language, whereas Wernicke's aphasia is the inability to ____ language.

Produce/undertand

A work related accident left Bob with a paralyzed left arm and an inability to recognize the left side of his visual field. Bob's condition is called:

Spatial neglect

Damage to the medulla could likely cause problems with which of the following functions?

Swallowing

Felicia is recovering from a brain injury. she is able to speak fluently but often uses incorrect words in a sentence. In one instance at a friend's birthday party, she said "I would like something to drink, can I have some battery?" Felicia's problem is known as

Wernicke's aphasia

You have a dream in which you wake up to find that people around you are using words that make no sense. What's more, your friends don't seem to understand you when you speak. At one point in your dream, your mom tell syou that you almost forgot your tree limb today. When you give her a puzzled look, she hold up your lunchbox and repeats, "You know, your tree limb". Your predicament in your dream is most like which disorder?

Wernicke's aphasia

Which neurotransmitter stimulates muscle cells to contract but slows contractions in the heart?

acetylcholine (ACh)

the neurons of the sensory pathway contain

afferent neurons

Heroin mimics the actions of endorphins, inhibiting pain signals and creating a high feeling. Heroin is an example of an:

agonist

The venom of a black widow spider is an example of an ____, which mimics or enhances the effects of neurotransmitters

agonist

the venom of a black widow spider acts like a(n)____ by mimicking the effects of the acetylcholine

agonist

If you were to develop a rare condition in which you were not able to remember to be afraid of certain situations, animals, or events, which part of the brain would most likely be damaged?

amygdala

Involuntary muscles are controlled by the____ nervous system

automatic

Alexis and Theresa are synchronized swimmers for their college swim team. They often work long hours to ensure the movements in their routine are perfectly timed. What part of their brains must Alexis and Theresa rely most upon?

cerebellum

Handedness is generally associated with functions of the

cerebral hemispheres

ADHD is most commonly diagnosed in

children

If your roommate has a problem paying attention, it may be due to damage to this part of the limbic system

cingulate cortex

Most pictures of the brain simply display the outermost covering. This part of the brain is called the___

cortex

What part of the brain can sometimes be referred to as the "rind" or outer covering?

cortex

In the structure of the neuron, the _____ receives messages from other cells

dendrite

Dr. Roll is conducting a research study. She wants to measure the connectivity in the research participants' brains by imaging their white matter. Which method will she use?

diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Neurons fire

either full strength or not at all

Which technique involves passing a mild current through the brain to activate certain structures without damaging them, and has become an important technique in psychology?

electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)

which of the following is associated with pain relief?

endorphins

In which of Selye's stages is death a possible outcome? (alarm, resistance, reaction, exhaustion)

exhausion

which technique analyzes blood oxygen levels to examine the functioning of the brain? (EEG, CT, fMRI, PET)

fMRI

Following his involvement in a car accident, Kendall was told that he may experience problems performing mental or motor tasks as result of damage to his brain. Which area of Kendall's brain was most likely damaged?

frontal lobes

what is not a function of glial cells?

generating action potentials (they do: get nutrients to the neurons, clean up the remains of dead neurons, and provide insulation)

Which part of the brain is involved in the creation of memories and is often linked to Alzheimers disease?

hippocampus

If the pancreas secretes too much insulin, it results in a condition known as

hypoglycemia

Greater amounts of corticalization (wrinkling) in the cortex is associated with

increases in brain size and complexity

When a neuron is in the resting state, the neuron is negatively charged on the____ and positively charged on the ____.

inside, outside.

Jaime's grandfather recently suffered a stroke and has had difficulty with language production ever since. Most likely, he has experienced damage to the ____ area of his brain.

left frontal

The thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and cingulate cortex are all part of the

limbic system

Yvonne's ability to reach for and pick up her book is largely due to the functions of the _____ pathway of the _____ nervous system.

motor, somatic;

Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells generate a fatty substance known as

myelin

Special types of glial cells generate a protective fatty substance called

myelin

Which of the following may surround a neuron's axon, as well as help to speed along electrical impulses?

myelin sheath

part of the human immune system is the presence of _____ cells, whose primary function is to suppress viruses and destroy tumor cells. natural killer (NK)

natural killer (NK)

when a neuron's resting potential is occurring, the neuron is _____ charged on the inside.

negatively

When a neuron is at rest, the ions inside the cell are mostly___and the ions outside the cell are mostly__

negatively charged/positively charged

Which gland in your endocrine system is responsible for regulating blood sugar?

pancreas

As you take notes, your heart beats at a normal rate. Your breathing is normal and your stomach slowly digests your earlier meal. What division of the peripheral nervous system is currently in action?

parasympathetic

The ability to detect changes in temperature, pressure, and body position is due in part to the functions of the ____ lobe.

parietal

Robert has had difficulty sleeping for the past 6 months and his body seemingly no longer differentiates between night and day. His doctor believes that the problem lies with Robert's endocrine system.

pineal

which gland (s) is/are known to influence all other glands within the endocrine system.

pituary gland

According to the textbook, scientists are investigating the use of stem cells to

repair damaged or diseased brain tissue

Maria often sleeps soundly and rarely awakens to any outside noise. However the cries of Maria's baby can awaken her immediately. What part of the brain is responsible for this reaction?

reticular formation

Which part of the brain tends to process information globally?

right hemisphere

Although the brain works largely as a whole, which of the following is not a correct pairing of hemisphere and function?

right, control of right handed motor functions

When people are walking, raising their hands in class, or smelling a flower, they are using the:

somatic nervous system

which of the following would be active if you have just had an automobile accident? (sympathetic division, parasympathetic division, somatic division, motor division?)

sympathetic division

neurotransmitters must pass from an axon terminal to the next dendrite by crossing a fluid-filled space called the:

synaptic gap

The sac-like structures that are found at the end of a neuron's axon and that contain neurotransmitters are called

synaptic vesticles

your psychology professor refers to this as the great sensory relay station of the brain. What part is he or she referring to?

thalamus

when the action potential gets to the end of the axon

the message gets transmitted to another cell

which of the three primary divisions of the brain is responsible for sensory and motor functions?

the midbrain

If you touch a hot stove, your spinal cord can prompt you to withdraw your hand without having to send the message all the way to the brain. This is due to what scientists call:

the reflex arch

Peter was in a coma for several days after falling from a ladder. the doctor indicated that he suffered damage to an area of his brain. which area of peter's brain was most likely damaged?

the reticular formation

Which statement most accurately explains the difference in functioning between the right hemisphere of the brain and the left hemisphere?

the right processes information all at once, whereas the left breaks things down into parts.

andrew has always been thin. In fact, he often seems to be able to eat whatever he wants without gaining weight. The doctor told his parents that Andrew's _____ gland is the cause of his fast metabolism,

thyroid

Jessica has suffered a severe blow to the back of the head when she was thrown from her horse. Subsequently, her occipital lobe has been injured. which of her senses has the highest chance of being affected?

vision