Chapter 2 Practice Questions

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

neuroplasticity

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 scientist call

the reflex arc

Andrew has always been thin. In fact, he often seems to b 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

The neurons of the sensory pathway contain

afferent neurons

Your friend Melissa has suffered from diabetes for her entire life. She regularly tests her blood to make sure her sugar levels are not too high or low. Which gland in her endocrine system is responsible for regulating her blood sugar?

pancreas

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

parietal

Which part of the brain tends to process information globally?

right hemisphere

Which would be active if you have just had an automobile accident?

sympathetic division

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

synaptic gap

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

EEG

You have a dream in which you wake up to find that people around you are using worlds 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 tells you that you almost forgot your tree limb today. When you give a puzzled look, she holds up your lunchbox and "You know, your tree limb." Your predicament in your dream is most like which of the following disorder?

Wernicke's aphasia

The venom of a black widow spider acts like a(n) ________ by mimicking the effects of 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

1. Which part of the neuron carries messages to other cells?

axon

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

cingulate cortex

Of the following, which is NOT one of the stages of the general adaptation syndrome?

compensation

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

cortex

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

diffusion tensor imagine (DTI)

Which of the following techniques 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

Which of the following techniques analyzes blood oxygen levels to examine the functioning of the brain?

fMRI

Which one of the following is NOT a function of glial cells?

generating action potentials

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

motor; somatic

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)

When a neuron's resting potential is occurring, the neuron is ____________ charged on the inside.

negatively