ap psych chapter 2
The medulla oblongata is a part of the
brain stem
Which of the following best describes a major role of the thalamus?
It relays most sensory signals to the cortex.
An adult with a healthy sleep cycle is most likely to enter REM sleep
after cycling through the NREM sleep stages
what event causes the release of chemicals into the synaptic gap?
an action potential reaching the axon terminal
The fatty casing that helps speed up the neural transmissions of a neuron is called the
myelin sheath
Eating, drinking, sexual behavior, sleeping, and temperature control are most strongly influenced by the ________.
hypothalamus
The right hemisphere is most associated with
nonverbal and perception based tasks
which of the following is a common misconception about the brain?
older brains can't make new cells
Darla was in an automobile accident that resulted in an injury to her brain. Her sense of touch has been affected. Which part of the brain is the most likely site of the damage?
pariental lobes
Which hormone is released when a person is under stress?
Cortisol
Damage to what area of the brain would result in an inability to comprehend language?
Wernicke's area
Sara has been experiencing a serious memory problem. An interdisciplinary team has ruled out a range of causes and believes that a neurotransmitter is involved. Which neurotransmitter is most likely involved in this problem?
acetylcholine
The hormone released by the pineal gland that reduces body temperature and prepares you for sleep is _________________
melatonin
Which endocrine gland regulates your body's response to stress?
adrenal gland
inhibitory synapse
neurotransmitter that turns cell off
The phenomenon of declining physiological effects of taking a drug after sustained use is referred to as
tolerance
what role do neurotransmitters play?
transmit a message
which method would a researcher select if he or she wanted to determine of his or her patient's right hemisphere was the same size of his or her left hemisphere
CT scan
Madeline has previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. She has an identical twin sister, Josephine, and a nonidentical sister, Abigail. Neither of Madeline's sisters have previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Which of the following statements is true of Madeline's sisters?
Josephine is more likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder than Abigail in response to a stressful or traumatic event.
The idea that there is a part of the mind that is not directly accessible to awareness but still drives a person's thinking and behavior is most directly attributable to
Sigmund Freud
Which of the following describes what happens when a neuron sends a signal?
The neuron goes from being negatively charged to briefly being positively charged, and finally returns to being negatively charged again. The magnitude of the negative charge is fixed regardless of the strength of the input signal it receives.
If a body does not have enough potassium, how might that affect neuronal firing?
The neurons will struggle to fire because there will not be enough positively charged ions to trigger the firing of the neuron.
At a synapse, neurotransmitters released by the sending neuron do which of the following?
They bind to receptors at the receiving neuron, which opens ion channels.
What effect do agonists have?
They increase the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire.
A neuron releases neurotransmitters into the synaptic gap that reduce the frequency of action potential in the neighboring cell. The neuron most likely released is_______________
an inhibitor neurotransmitter
The psychodynamic theory of dreaming would postulate that
dreams fulfill unconscious wishes
what type of signal is used to relay a message from one end of neuron to the other end?
electrical
Which of the following responses would occur if your sympathetic nervous system has been activated?
increased heart rate
Carl Wernicke discovered the region of the brain that is responsible for
language comprehension
If Darren's brain is like that of most people, then language will be handled by his ________.
left hemisphere
the function of the ________________ is to carry information to and from all parts of the body.
nervous system
A specialized cell that makes up the nervous system that receives and sends messages within that system is called a ___________
neuron
The brain's ability to modify its structure or function is known as
neuroplasticity
A chemical found in synaptic vesicles which, when released, has an effect on the next cell called a ____________
neurotransmitter
excitatory synapse
neurotransmitters turn cell on
The parietal lobe is most involved in
processing sensory information
What do neurons do?
receive and send messages in the nervous system
which of the following is responsible for the ability to selectively attend to certain kinds of information in one's surroundings and become alert to change in information?
reticular formation
The central nervous system is made of which two components
the brain and spinal cord
what did Santiago Ramon y Cajal theorize?
the nervous system was made up of individual cells.
After a brain operation, a laboratory rat no longer displays any fear when placed into a cage with a snake. Which part of the rat's brain was most likely damaged during the operation?
amygdala
Antagonists function by
blocking receptors to prevent other neurotransmitters from binding to the neural receptors
Which part of the nervous system takes the information received from the senses, makes sense out of it, make decisions, and sends commands out of the muscles and the rest of the body?
brain
what a professional baseball player swings a bat and hits a home run, he or she is relying on his or her ________________ to coordinate the practiced movements of his or her body
cerebellum
Johnny often hits his brother even though his brother does not do anything to antagonize him. Johnny's aggression is most likely due to a combination of
his genetic makeup, the environment he grew up in, and the fact that aggression can be evolutionarily adaptive
what system is called the fight or flight
sympathetic division
A drug that is used to treat seizures functions by preventing inhibitory neurotransmitters from returning to the presynaptic neuron. This slows the rate of neurons firing by increasing the amount of the inhibitory neurotransmitter in the synapse. The drug is most likely to be classified as a
GABA reuptake inhibitor (GRI)
small metal disks are pasted onto Miranda's scalp, and they are connected by wire to a machine that translates the electric energy from her brain into wavy lines on a moving piece of paper. From this description, it is evident that Miranda's brain is being studied through the use of_______________
an electroencephalograph
Involuntary muscles are controlled by the _________________ nervous system
autonomic
A neuron sends a signal along its
axon
The hormone most associated with the fight or flight response is
epinephrine
A person whose body is not producing enough testosterone is most likely to exhibit
fatigue
Ruth and Debbie are identical twins who were raised by the same family. Vince and Frankie are identical twins who were separated at birth and raised by different families. According to research on the heritability of personality traits, Ruth's and Debbie's personalities are statistically
likely to be as similar and dissimilar to one another as are Vince's and Frankie's personalities
if a person damages her or her occidental nerve lobes, which would be the most likely problem her or she would report to his or her doctor?
problems with his or her vision
Waking up frequently, loud snoring, silent pauses in breathing, and sleepiness during the day are symptoms of
sleep apnea
every deliberate action you make, such as pedaling a bike, walking, scratching, or smelling a flower, involves neurons in the __________ nervous system
somatic
Michael Gazzaniga is best known for
studying split-brain patients
the aspect of attention individuals with ADHD do have a problem with what?
vigilance