unit 2 biological bases of behavior

The autonomic nervous system is most directly involved in

digesting food

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

dopamine

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

A decrease in heart rate

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

Acetylcholine

Which of the following is most accurate about a typical night's sleep?

As sleep progresses, NREM-3 sleep diminishes while REM sleep increases

During the high-wire act, Grace walks along a rope suspended 30 feet above the circus floor. Which of the following is most involved in helping Grace coordinate her movements and maintain her balance during the performance?

Cerebellum

A person with damage to Broca's area would most likely demonstrate which of the following symptoms?

Difficulty with speech production

In the figure above, where does the neurotransmitter dopamine have its effect?

E (on the bottom)

Which of the following is the best evidence that environment plays a role in intelligence?

Identical twins reared apart are more similar than fraternal twins reared together

How is the hypothalamus involved in sleep?

In response to decreasing light the hypothalamus' suprachiastmatic nucleus causes the pineal gland to increase production of melatonin, leading you to sleep

Which of the following is true about the pons?

It is the region of the brain that is most closely associated with sleep and arousal

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

Positron emmision tomography (PET)

The hypnagogic sensations of falling or floating are mostly likely to occur during which sleep stage?

REM

After Carlos had been asleep for about an hour and a half, his heart began to beat faster, his breathing became fast and irregular, and his closed eyes began to dart back and forth. Carlos was most likely experiencing

REM sleep

Based on its effects on the central nervous system, alcohol can be classified as

a depressant

Which scenario best exemplifies Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection?

a mutation in a species of lizards that allows themto better blend into their surroundings leads to greater survival and more offspring processing this mutation in a later generation

Which of the following is classified as an antagonist?

a tricyclic antidepressant, because they block serotonin and norepinephrine transporters

The explanation that holds that dreams are merely the brain's attempt to make sense of meaningless patterns of brain activity during sleep is called the

activation-synthesis theory

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

aggression

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

amygdala

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

antagonist

The area labeled X in the drawing above denotes which of the following structures?

axon terminals

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

cerebral cortex

The large, slow brain waves associated with NREM-3, deep sleep are called

delta waves

Drugs such as alcohol and opiates and barbiturate's that calm neural activity and slow body functions are called

depressants

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

endocrine

Which of the following regions of the body has the largest area of sensory cortex devoted to it?

face

LSD is most likely to produce

hallucinations

Lucid dreaming occurs when people

have dreams in which they are aware that they are dreaming

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 pituitary gland is controlled by the

hypothalamus

Brain lateralization refers to the

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

The primary effect of the myelin sheath is to

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

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

increases her level of endorphins

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

medulla

Which chemical is most closely associated with sleep?

melatonin

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

multiple sclerosis

Dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine are all

neurotransmitters that excite or inhibit a neural signal across a synapse

About three hours after he falls asleep, Bobby often sits up in bed screaming incoherently. His mother tries to awaken him, but with no success. His pulse races and he gasps for breath. The next morning, he remembers nothing. It appears that Bobby suffers from

night terrors

The hypothesis that intelligence is in part inherited is best supported by the fact that the IQ correlation for

pairs of identical twins is greater than for pairs of fraternal twins

joseph has blue eyes and brown hair and is tall. These characteristics are best described as

phenotypic traits

The time shortly after a neuron fires is referred to as

refractory period

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

reuptake

If an individual has lost the ability to feel pain in the left arm, there is most likely damage to what area of the brain?

right parietal lobe

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

right visual cortex

Which of the following neurotransmitters has been most associated with major depressive disorder?

serotonin

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

simple spatial reasoning

Ben was enjoying a walk in the woods on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. As he went around a curve, he noticed a bear walking toward him. Immediately his pupils dilated, he began to perspire, and his heart accelerated. These changes are most closely related to the function of the

sympathetic nervous system

What is most likely to occur when the brain is repeatedly flooded with artificial opiates like morphine?

the brain stops producing endorphins

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

the dendrite

Hunger and eating are primarily regulated by which of the following?

the hypothalamus

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 mylin sheath

REM rebound involves the

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

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

the terminal buttons

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

Nightmares are to ____________ as night terrors are to ____________.

REM sleep; NREM-3 sleep

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

an agonist

The nature-nurture issue is best exemplified by which of the following questions?

is level of intelligence the result of one's environment and specific learning, or is it a result of biological maturation?

A participant in a study of music perception listens to music with electrodes attached to her scalp while data are collected on the activity of her brain. This technique is called

electroencephalography (EEG)

Many common antidepressants ease symptoms of depression by

inhibiting serotonin reuptake, which makes serotonin more available

Which of the following is true of the reticular activating system?

it regulates levels of arousal

Josef, a high school student, tells his therapist that he has had a recurring dream in which he hunts and kills a ferocious tiger. The therapist explains that the dream reflects Josef's unresolved feelings of hostility toward his father. According to Freud, the therapist is revealing the possible____________ content of Josef's dream.

latent

For most people, speech functions are primarily localized in the

left cerebral hemisphere

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

limbic system

REM sleep, generally an "active" state of sleep, is accompanied by which of the following paradoxical characteristics?

lowered muscle tone

Which of the following is brain-imaging technique that produces the most detailed picture of brain structure?

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

THC, the active ingredient in____________________, is classified as a ________________.

marijuana; hallucinogen

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

plasticity

Which of the following brain regions is indicated by the arrow?

pons

During the night, Alicia stops breathing repeatedly, frequently gasps for air, and snores loudly at regular intervals. Alicia is most likely suffering from which of the following conditions?

sleep apnea

Which of the following is true of a neuron in the resting state?

the inside of the cell membrane is negative compared to the outside

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

the movement of sodium and potassium ions across the membrane creates an action potential

What do methamphetamine, caffeine, and cocaine have in common?

they excite neural activity and arouse body functions

Which of the following is an explanation of why travelers suffer from jet lag?

they experience an increase in REM rebound

The need to take larger and larger doses of a drug in order to experience its effects is an indication of

tolerance

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

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

wernicke's area

Getting a headache from not having a morning coffee after substantial daily coffee consumption for several months is most likely due to

withdrawal