PSYC 220 Exam 1

The sodium-potassium pump ______.

B. moves sodium and potassium to different locations.

What occurs when a stimulus shifts the potential inside a neuron from the resting potential to a more negative potential?

A. Hyperpolarization

Which terms refers to a chemical that binds to another chemical?

A. Ligand

Which part of the nervous system prepares the body for "fight or flight" activities?

A. Sympathetic

Which stimulant drug inhibits reuptake of dopamine serotonin, and norepinephrine?

A. cocaine

In which way(s) do drugs affect the dopamine and norepinephrine systems?

A. drugs can increase the release of these neurotransmitters B. drugs can block the reuptake of these neurotransmitters C. drugs can activate receptors on the postsynaptic neuron D. all of the above

The two basic kinds of cells in the nervous system are ______.

A. neurons and glia

Ionotropic effects are characterized by ______.

A. rapid and short-lived effects

The spinal cord communicates with ______.

A. sense organs and muscles below the level of the head

Even at rest, most neurons have periodic production of action potentials, known as the ______.

A. spontaneous firing rate

In order to produce an action potential, the collective amount of depolarization must exceed the ______.

A. threshold of excitation

Which type of glia remove waste material in the nervous system?

Astrocytes

What is the main source of nutrition for vertebrate neurons?

B. Glucose

A temporary hyperpolarization is known as an ______.

B. IPSP

After neurotransmitters have an effect on the postsynaptic neuron, what happens?

B. Some neurotransmitters are taken back up into the presynaptic neuron

Which of the following is not part of the hindbrain?

B. Thalamus

Which of the following is TRUE about the spinal cord?

B. The gray matter consists of cell bodies and dendrites.

What do dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine share in common?

B. They are all synthesized from the same amino acids.

Why is there a blood-brain barrier?

B. To prevent viruses, bacteria, and toxins from entering the brain.

Neurons typically have one ______, but many ______.

B. axon; dendrites

The tree-like branches of a neuron that receive information from other neurons are called ______.

B. dendrites

A neuron excretes neurotransmitters through its membrane by a process called ______.

B. exocytosis

Which drug is often prescribed for people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder?

B. methylphenidate

The primary feature of a neuron that prevents the action potential from traveling back from where it just passed is the ______.

B. refractory period

Neurons differ most strongly from other body cells in their ______.

B. shape

Which of the following ions is NOT key to an action potential?

C. Ca++

What term describes the difference in voltage that typically exists between the inside and the outside of a neuron?

C. Membrane potential

What happens when a neurotransmitter is released by a presynaptic cell?

C. The neurotransmitter passively spreads across the synaptic cleft.

Neuropeptides are synthesized in the ______.

C. cell body

The concentration gradient refers to the ______.

C. difference in distribution for various ions between the inside and outside of the membrane

Spatial summation refers to ______.

C. multiple weak stimulations that occur at the same time

In terms of anatomical direction, your head is ______ to your neck.

C. superior

When an action potential reaches the end of an axon, the depolarization causes what ionic movement in the presynaptic cell?

D. Calcium into the cell

Sympathetic is to ______ as parasympathetic is to ______.

D. norepinephrine; acetylcholine

Small, charged molecules can cross the cell membrane through ______.

D. protein channels

The "decision" for a neuron to fire is determined by the ______.

D. ratio of EPSPs to IPSPs