Chapter 2 Synapse Quiz
Frederick is interested in using his diet to elevate his mood. He knows that dietary tryptophan is necessary for the synthesis of serotonin, which will, in turn, help his mood. What is the BEST way for him to increase the amount of tryptophan available to his brain?
Decrease consumption of phenylalanine-containing foods
Sherrington inferred the presence of a gap between neurons based on ____.
a slower-than-predicted speed of conduction
Epinephrine and norepinephrine are produced in the ____.
adrenal medulla
Nearly all neurotransmitters are synthesized from _____,
amino acids
Lawrence says he really enjoys smoking and thinks he may even be addicted to cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes feels rewarding in part because it triggers the release of ____.
dopamine
The temporary hyperpolarization of a membrane is a(n) ____.
inhibitory postsynaptic potential
____ is thought to help control appetite by decreasing it.
leptin
Which researcher is credited with demonstrating the existence of chemical synapses?
loewi
Gordon is having trouble sleeping and decides to take a supplement containing a hormone that is manufactured in the pineal. What is he most likely taking?
melatonin
Which neurotransmitter is a gas that is released by local neurons and has the effect of dilating nearby blood vessels and thus increasing blood flow to the brain?
nitric oxide
Nicola just burned her finger on a hot pan. What is the circuit from sensory neurons to muscle response called that transmitted the message that she should remove her finger from the pan?
reflex arc
Consider a wiring arrangement of neurons in which the two neurons (A and B) stimulate a third neuron (X). Neither neuron A nor B can stimulate neuron X on its own, but, in combination, they can excite neuron X. This demonstrates ____.
spatial summation
What term describes periodic production of action potentials, even without synaptic input?
spontaneous firing
Which class of drugs decreases reuptake and prolongs the effects of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine?
stimulants
Which type of effect is particularly important for sensations like taste and long-lasting aspects of arousal and motivation?
Metabotropic
Neuropeptides are characterized by ____.
being released mostly from dendrites
Bursts of neurotransmitters are released from the presynaptic neuron in _____.
exocytosis
Most of the brain's excitatory ionotropic synapses use the neurotransmitter ____.
glutamate
Many hallucinogenic drugs are chemically similar to ____.
serotonin
What term is used for the cumulative effect of repeated stimulation over a brief period?
temporal summation
