Biological Foundations of Behavior Test questions

Which of the following is classified as an antagonist? A) Cocaine, because it floods the brain with dopamine. B) Mescaline, because it floods the brain with dopamine. C) An amphetamine, because they lead to increased central nervous system activity. D) A tricyclic antidepressant, because they block serotonin and norepinephrine transporters. E) Prozac®, because it blocks the reuptake of serotonin.

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

The autonomic nervous system is most directly involved in A) driving a car B) reading a textbook C) sensing painful stimuli D) digesting food E) experiencing pain

D) digesting food

Which of the following allows the examination of living brain tissue visually without performing surgery? A) Computerized axial tomography B) Stereotaxic examination C) Retrograde degeneration D) Biofeedback E) Ablation

A) Computerized axial tomography

Which of the following is the correct sequence of the neural chain of events set in motion by an environmental stimulus? A) Receptors, afferent neurons, interneurons, efferent neurons, effectors B) Receptors, efferent neurons, interneurons, afferent neurons, effectors C) Interneurons, effectors, receptors, afferent neurons, efferent neurons D) Effectors, interneurons, receptors, afferent neurons, efferent neurons E) Effectors, receptors, afferent neurons, efferent neurons, interneurons

A) Receptors, afferent neurons, interneurons, efferent neurons, effectors

The drugs that block the reabsorption of neurotransmitters in the synapse during neural transmission are A) SSRIs B) benzodiazepines C) antipsychotics D) antihistamines E) stimulants

A) SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)

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 A) electroencephalography (EEG) B) computed tomography (CT) C) positron-emission tomography (PET) D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) E) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A) electroencephalography (EEG)

The primary effect of the myelin sheath is to A) increase the velocity of conduction of the action potential along the axon B) increase the velocity of conduction of the action potential across the synapse C) facilitate the incoming stimulus signals at sensory receptors D) reduce the amount of unused neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft E) protect the terminal buttons of the neuron from destruction by enzymes

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

The function of dendrites is to A) receive information from other neurons B) secrete neurotransmitters to the postsynaptic neuron C) provide energy for the synthesis of acetylcholine D) connect the cell body with the terminal branches E) speed up transmission of synaptic neurotransmitters

A) receive information from other neurons

The depletion of which of the following neurotransmitters is most closely associated with the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease? A) Dopamine B) Acetylcholine C) Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) D) Serotonin E) Norepinephrine

B) Acetylcholine

Which of the following is brain-imaging technique that produces the most detailed picture of brain structure? A) Electroencephalography (EEG) B) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) C) Positron emission tomography (PET) D) Computerized axial tomography (CAT) E) Electromyography (EMG)

B) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Professor Janeja is studying which brain regions are involved in learning to correctly navigate a maze task. She randomly assigns half of a group of mice to get a lesion in one area of the brain. The other half does not get a lesion. Based on the following graph, where in the brain is the most likely site of the lesion? A) The amygdala B) The hippocampus C) Wernicke's area D) The thalamus E) The pons

B) The hippocampus

Which of the following biological systems is most likely responsible for an increase in heart rate while experiencing anxiety? A) The central nervous system B) The sympathetic nervous system C) The parasympathetic nervous system D) The endocrine system E) The vestibular system

B) The sympathetic nervous system

Which of the following biological systems is most likely responsible for an increase in heart rate while experiencing anxiety? A)The central nervous system B) The sympathetic nervous system C) The parasympathetic nervous system D) The endocrine system E) The vestibular system

B) The sympathetic nervous system

The part of the neuron that is responsible for receiving signals from other neurons is called A) the axon B) a dendrite C) a neurotransmitter D) the synaptic cleft E) the soma

B) a dendrite

Based on its effects on the central nervous system, alcohol can be classified as A) a hallucinogen B) a depressant C) a neurotransmitter D) an antagonist E) an agonist

B) a depressant

A drug that has the effect of intensifying or mimicking a particular neurotransmitter can be characterized as A) a hallucinogen, because it has the reverse effect of an agonist B) an agonist, because it intensifies the effects of a particular neurotransmitter C) an antagonist, because it intensifies the effects of a particular neurotransmitter D) a reuptake inhibitor, because it increases activity of the central nervous system E) a stimulant, because it increases activity of the central nervous system

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

A polygraph machine is often called a "lie detector," although it does not detect lies. Instead, it responds to changes in A) cognitive states B) autonomic arousal C) parasympathetic functioning D) motivational level E) neurotransmitter level

B) autonomic arousal

The part of the endocrine system that is responsible for overseeing and regulating the release of hormones across the entire body is the A) pancreas B) hypothalamus C) adrenal glands D) pineal gland E) thyroid

B) 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 A) the terminal button B) the myelin sheath C) a dendrite D) the soma E) the synaptic cleft

B) the myelin sheath

The time shortly after a neuron fires is referred to as A) the latent stage B) the refractory period C) the reticular formation D) depolarization E) the neurotransmitter

B) the refractory period

Getting a headache from not having a morning coffee after substantial daily coffee consumption for several months is most likely due to A) tolerance B) withdrawal C) consolidation D) dependence E) accommodation

B) withdrawal

Which chemical is most closely associated with sleep? A) Cortisol B) Oxytocin C) Melatonin D) Testosterone E) Estrogen

C) Melatonin

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for helping A) David become aware of his thirst while running a marathon B) Tamara transfer sensory information into the other parts of her brain C) Riaesha get ready to fight or flee when seeing a bear D) Anthony calm down after watching a scary movie E) Jamika pull her hand back when she touches a hot stove

C) Riaesha get ready to fight or flee when seeing a bear

Metabolic activity in different areas of the brain can best be visualized by means of A) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) B) computed tomography (CT) C) positron emission tomography (PET) D) electroencephalography (EEG) E) electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)

C) positron emission tomography (PET)

Dr. Frishkoff is studying how participants' brain activity changes when they read sentences in which the last word is either expected ("The pizza was too hot to eat") or unexpected ("The pizza was too hot to cry"). While participants are reading, Dr. Frishkoff measures their brain activity. The results of her experiment are shown below. Dr. Frishkoff could accurately describe the results of her study by saying that participants A) showed increased blood flow to the brain in response to the unexpected word B) showed longer reaction times to sentences in which the last word was unexpected than to sentences in which the last word was expected C) showed a negative-going peak in brain wave activity approximately 400 milliseconds after the unexpected word was presented that the participants did not show in response to the expected word D) showed a positive-going peak in brain wave activity approximately 400 milliseconds after the unexpected word was presented that the participants did not show in response to the expected word E) showed an increase in brain activity approximately 400 milliseconds after seeing the unexpected word that the participants did not show in response to seeing the expected word

C) showed a negative-going peak in brain wave activity approximately 400 milliseconds after the unexpected word was presented that the participants did not show in response to the expected word

Abnormalities in calcium regulation are most likely to arise from problems with A) the gonads B) the thymus C) the parathyroid gland D) the hypothalamus E) the pineal gland

C) the parathyroid gland

Lucid dreaming occurs when people A) do not experience REM sleep B) experience night terrors C) eat large meals immediately before going to sleep D) have dreams in which they are aware that they are dreaming E) hallucinate

D) have dreams in which they are aware that they are dreaming

Dr. Naum is studying the function of the medial temporal lobe of the brain by examining the case study of J.S., an individual who incurred damage in this area during a motor vehicle accident. Dr. Naum administers a battery of tasks multiple times over the course of several weeks to assess J.S.'s cognitive abilities. The graph below shows J.S.'s performance on three different tasks. The bar on the left shows his accuracy forming new memories in a lab context, the middle bar shows his accuracy on a driving course, and the bar on the right shows his accuracy on a third task. Based on the scores on the three tasks, Task 3 most likely involves A) recalling the names of all his cousins B) matching photos of his aunts and uncles with their siblings C) riding his favorite mountain bike D) remembering events that occurred shortly before his accident E) holding a random string of numbers in memory for several seconds

D) remembering events that occurred shortly before his accident

The process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the neuron after it fires is called A) depolarization B) lateral inhibition C) long-term potentiation D) reuptake E) synaptic transmission

D) reuptake

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 A) angular gyrus B) hippocampus C) parasympathetic nervous system D) sympathetic nervous system E) ventricular system

D) sympathetic nervous system

Researchers looking to create a drug to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease would most likely focus their efforts on which of the following neurotransmitters? A) Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) B) Serotonin C) Norepinephrine D) Dopamine E) Acetylcholine

E) Acetylcholine

Which of the following is true about the pons? A) It is closely associated with judgment, higher-order cognition, and personality. B) It functions as a bridge between the two hemispheres. C) It is associated with hormones and the endocrine system. D) It is associated with visual processing. E) It is the region of the brain that is most closely associated with sleep and arousal.

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

The person most strongly associated with identifying deficits in the motor speech area and in the ability to produce speech is A) Noam Chomsky B) Wilhelm Wundt C) Edward Thorndike D) Carl Wernicke E) Paul Broca

E) Paul Broca

Brain lateralization refers to the A) ability of the brain to process multisensory information B) capacity of the brain to control basic motor movements C) aptitude of the brain to produce speech D) ability of the brain to control basic functions such as respiration and blood circulation E) inclination for certain cognitive processes to be specialized to one hemisphere of the brain or the other

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