Biological Bases of Behavior
Neurotransmitters are typically stored in which of the following parts of a neuron?
The terminal buttons
Metabolic activity in different areas of the brain can best be visualized by means of
positron emission tomography (PET)
The function of dendrites is to
receive information from other neurons
Multiple sclerosis is a result of degeneration in the
myelin sheath
The person most strongly associated with identifying deficits in the motor speech area and in the ability to produce speech is
Paul Broca
Which of the following provides information regarding brain function by monitoring the brain at work through metabolism of glucose?
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system results in which of the following?
A decrease in heart rate
Brain damage that leaves a person capable of understanding speech but with an impaired ability to produce speech most likely indicates injury to which of the following?
Broca's area
Sam has shown some marked changes in the way he is able to communicate after having a stroke. He knows what he wants to say, but his speech is slow and labored. Sam's grammar is also quite poor. The part of Sam's brain that most likely sustained damage is
Broca's area
Growth of which part of the neuron is the neurological basis for learning?
Dendrites
Which part of the neuron receives information from other neurons?
Dendrites
Which of the following neurotransmitters has been linked to Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia?
Dopamine
Consistent with the concept of neural plasticity, neurons in mammals have been found to change the way they function as a result of repeated stimulation by doing which of the following?
Growing new dendritic spines
The part of the neuron that is responsible for receiving signals from other neurons is called
a dendrite
Morphine is similar to the body's endorphins in that both elevate mood and ease pain. In this instance, morphine is considered to be a
agonist
A gymnast falls and hits her head on the floor. She attempts to continue practicing but has trouble maintaining balance. What part of her brain has probably been affected?
cerebellum
Difficulty in typing smoothly on a keyboard would most likely result from damage to the
cerebellum
The limbic system is most closely associated with
emotions
The role of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is to
establish homeostasis after a fight-or-flight response
Damage to which of the following could interfere with the ability to plan for the future?
frontal lobe
Brain lateralization refers to the
inclination for certain cognitive processes to be specialized to one hemisphere of the brain or the other
Mary participates in an exercise program because she experiences an increase in energy and feelings of well-being at the end of each exercise session. The best explanation for Mary's perseverance in the program is that exercise
increase her level of endorphins
The primary effect of the myelin sheath is to
increase the velocity of conduction of the action potential along the axon
The process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the neuron after it fires is called
reuptake
The right occipital lobe receives visual information from the
right half of both retinas
Neurotransmitters cross the _____________ to carry information to the next neuron.
synaptic gap
Which of the following is sometimes referred to as the brain's sensory switchboard, because it directs incoming sensory messages (with the exception of smell) to their proper places in the brain?
thalamus
The sequence of shifts in the electrical charge of a neuron is called
the action potential
Which of the following would most likely result from an injury to the medulla?
A life-threatening disruption of heartbeat and breathing
Damage to the cerebellum would most likely result in which of the following problems?
A loss of motor coordination
Which of the following is classified as an antagonist?
A tricyclic antidepressant, because they block serotonin and norepinephrine transporters.
The depletion of which of the following neurotransmitters is most closely associated with the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?
Acetylcholine
Electrically stimulating a rat's amygdala would most likely produce which of the following?
Aggression
Damage to which of the following brain structures may cause the inability to detect the emotional significance of facial expressions, especially those demonstrating fear?
Amygdala
Which of the following brain structures is most associated with the emotion of fear?
Amygdala
Which of the following parts of the brain is most active in decision-making?
Cerebral cortex
Juana accidentally touched a hot iron. She immediately drew back her hand. Which of the following is true about the withdrawal of her hand?
It was initiated in the spinal cord.
Stimulation of which of the following brain areas will lead a person to eat?
Lateral Hypothalamus
The pituitary gland is controlled by the
hypothalamus
In right-handed individuals, which of the following abilities is predominantly a function of the right hemisphere of the brain?
spatial reasoning
Immediately after firing, a neuron is incapable of responding to stimulation. This condition is referred to as
the absolute refractory phase
The network of structures involved in emotion, motivation, and memory is the
the limbic system
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
the myelin sheath
The time shortly after a neuron fires is referred to as
the refractory period
Damage to Wernicke's area is most likely to be associated with difficulty in
understanding language
Damage to the occipital lobe would most likely affect a person's
vision
Which division of the autonomic nervous system calms a person down once a stressful event has passed?
Parasympathetic
Which of the following is a disease in which the immune system attacks the myelin of neurons in the central nervous system?
Parkinson's disease
Most glands in the human body are a part of which system?
Endocrine
In extreme cases, surgically severing the corpus callosum is a treatment for which of the following conditions?
Epilepsy
Which of the following surround and support neurons and provides insulation between cells?
Glial cells
Which of the following brain structures has the strongest influence on hunger and satiety?
Hypothalamus
After an electrode implanted in a cat's brain stimulates the cat's amygdala, the cat will most likely do which of the following?
Immediately withdraw in fear
For most people, which of the following is an activity based in the right hemisphere of the brain?
Multiple sclerosis
Significant damage to which of the following parts of the brain will most likely cause a person to fall into a deep coma from which the person will be unable to awaken?
Reticular formation
A deficiency in which neurotransmitter is linked with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder?
Serotonin
Which division of the nervous system enables a person to move the muscles necessary to walk down the street?
Somatic
If you accidentally touch a hot stove, which of the following is responsible for moving your hand away before you even realize what you have done?
Spinal flex
Which part of the nervous system is most immediately activated by sudden fear?
Sympathetic
Which part of the neuron contains neurotransmitters?
Terminal buttons
Which of the following occurs when a neuron is stimulated to its threshold?
The movements of sodium and potassium ions across the membrane creates an action potential.
Following the release of neurotransmitters across the synapse, and an action potential, which of the following is most likely to take place?
The sending neuron reabsorbs the neurotransmitter for reuse.
Item 3 Which of the following biological systems is most likely responsible for an increase in heart rate while experiencing anxiety?
The sympathetic nervous system
A person will most likely develop aphasia as a result of damage to which of the following parts of the brain?
Wernicke's area
An individual was admitted to the hospital after experiencing a mild tingling on the right side of the face and a sudden inability to speak. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a doctor would likely find
an abnormality in the brain tissue of the left hemisphere
A drug that has the effect of intensifying or mimicking a particular neurotransmitter can be characterized as
an agonist, because it intensifies the effects of a particular neurotransmitter
Activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system results in
an increase in respiratory rate
Curare blocks action at acetylcholine synapses and causes paralysis. This drug is an example of an
antagonist
Hormones are _____________ released into the bloodstream
chemical messengers
An individual with damage to Wernicke's area is most likely to have difficulty
comprehending a spoken request for information
Parkinson's disease is most closely associated with
decreases in levels of dopamine
The autonomic nervous system is most directly involved in
digesting food
A person with a severe head injury subsequently acts irresponsibly, does not seem to be able to plan effectively, and is easy to anger. Which of the following brain areas is most likely injured?
frontal lobe
Stimulation of portions of the left temporal lobe of the brain during surgery will cause the patient to
hear sounds
The brain scans of people with amnesia are most likely to show damage to the
hippocampus
The part of the endocrine system that is responsible for overseeing and regulating the release of hormones across the entire body is the
hypothalamus
For most people, speech functions are primarily localized in the
left cerebral hemisphere
Damage to which of the following puts a person's life in the most danger because it may cause the heart to stop beating?
medulla
The area of the brain stem that is important in controlling breathing is the
medulla
Stimulation of which of the following may cause a person to involuntarily move their arm?
motor cortex
Female sex hormones are released by the
ovaries
Which of the following endocrine glands may explain unusually tall height in a 12-year-old?
pituitary gland
The brain's ability to adapt after it is damaged is known as
plasticity
An image projected to the left visual field of a split-brained person will be processed in the
right visual cortex
When there is a negative charge inside an axon and a positive charge outside of it, the neuron is
said to have a resting potential
The division of the nervous system that most directly allows voluntary muscle movement is the
somatic
Damage to the occipital lobe would most likely affect a person's...
vision
Damage to a small part of the occipital lobe would most likely result in a
visual deficit