Chapter 3

The auditory cortex is located in which lobe of the brain?

temporal

The ________ of a neuron contain ________ that house neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the nervous system.

terminal buttons; synaptic vesicles

________ is a midbrain structure critical to movement.

the ventral tegmental area

________ is a neurotransmitter involved in mood, reward, addiction, and motor behavior.

dopamine

The theory of ________ states that organisms that are better suited for their environment will survive and reproduce, while those that are poorly suited for their environment will die off.

evolution by natural selection

The central nervous system consists of the brain and the ________.

spinal cord

Jeremy has Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor skills. In addition to motor symptoms, Jeremy has noticed changes in his mood, and he feels the need to smoke more cigarettes than he used to. It is likely that Jeremy's ________ is producing less ________ than it needs to.

substantia nigra; dopamine

Parsons et al. are doing a study comparing differences in brain activity levels between patients with schizophrenia and controls with no psychological disorders. Their hypothesis requires a high level of detail and good detection of differences over time. Which of the following is the best brain imaging technique to use?

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Elaina has been diagnosed with a small brain tumor. She first went to see her doctor after experiencing symptoms such as feeling very cold, almost fainting, a reduced appetite, and reduced sexual desire. Which of the following structures is her tumor most likely affecting?

hypothalamus

The ________ is the deep groove that separates the brain into two halves.

longitudinal fissure

Hyperpolarization means that the ________.

membrane potential becomes slightly more negative than the resting potential

The ________ gland is often referred to as the master gland of the endocrine system.

pituitary

Ainsley is participating in a study that aims to determine whether the occipital cortex becomes more active in response to moving versus stationary stimuli. When she arrives at the lab, she ingests a "tracer" and then enters the scanning machine. What type of brain imaging is most likely being conducted in this study?

positron emission tomography (PET)

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of PET scanning?

An alternative diagnostic tool is fMRI.

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the case study of Phineas Gage's accident, which led to brain injury?

Injury to the brain causes changes in behavior, and specific brain areas are linked to particular behaviors.

Rosemary had a stroke about a year ago and now she cannot understand what people are saying to her. This is embarrassing for her, so she responds using vague language and tries to make it appear as though she understands. Which area of Rosemary's brain was likely damaged by the stroke?

Wernicke's area

________ is the electrical signal that typically moves from the cell body down the axon to the axon terminals.

action potential

During the fight or flight response, which of the following endocrine glands is most likely to increase activity?

adrenal

Which of the following senses is associated with the temporal lobe?

audition

A particular electrical signal being transmitted to a neuron is sufficient to generate an action potential. If the magnitude of the incoming electrical signal is doubled, the action potential will ________.

undergo no changes in strength, speed, or duration