ch 2

What keeps an action potential continuing down an axon?

At each successive segment of the axon, the action potential is regenerated by depolarization and the movement of ions across the axon's membrane.

_____ remove waste products from the nervous system, including dead and damaged neurons.

Microglia

Carlos had a stroke and although he has recovered many of his motor skills, he still has considerable difficulty with language. It is almost impossible for Carlos to produce speech, although he comprehends both written and spoken language quite well. Carlos is demonstrating characteristics of _____ aphasia.

brocas

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways discussed in the text that drugs can interfere with synaptic transmission?

by bonding with the neurotransmitter and changing its molecular weight and shape

Neuroplasticity, or simply plasticity, refers to the brain's ability to:

change function and structure.

The most common form of communication between neurons is:

chemical.

The analogy used in the book referred to the axon membrane as a gatekeeper. This means that the membrane:

controls the balance of positive and negative ions on the interior and exterior of the axon.

According to the Critical Thinking box "'His' and 'Her' Brains?", there are no functional or structural differences between male and female brains.

false

Alcohol makes people feel relaxed by enhancing glutamate release.

false

German neuroscientists used expert, professional jugglers as participants in a study to determine whether the jugglers' superior manual dexterity and sense of balance were the cause or the result of structural brain differences.

false

Neurons outnumber glial cells by about 10 to 1.

false

One of the key ways that drugs affect synaptic transmission is by changing an excitatory neurotransmitter to an inhibitory neurotransmitter and vice versa.

false

The neurotransmitter called acetylcholine plays a key role in sleep, moods, and emotional states, including the symptoms of major depressive disorder.

false

The psychograph machine provides detailed images of the brain's structures.

false

The sympathetic nervous system conserves and maintains your body's energy resources, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system activates your body and prepares the body for action.

false

Jake sustained a severe brain injury in a motorcycle accident and was partially paralyzed on the left side of his body. After several months of intensive physical therapy, he gradually regained the use of his left leg and arm. This example BEST illustrates the principle of:

functional plasticity

Which parts of the body have the greatest representation on the primary motor cortex?

hands and facial muscles

The main link between the nervous system and the endocrine system is the:

hypothalamus.

Over the course of several months and for no apparent reason, Jennifer became progressively more despondent, withdrawn, and listless. Her doctor accurately diagnosed the problem as major depressive disorder and started Jennifer on an antidepressant drug called Prozac. Three weeks later, Jennifer showed much improvement. Like some other antidepressant drugs, Prozac works by _____ the availability of _____ in the brain.

increasing; serotonin

Most of the neurons in the human nervous system are:

interneurons.

Randy exercises more than most people and continues to train even when he has a cold or an injury. His friends joke that Randy seems addicted to exercise. Randy's compulsive exercising:

may be due to the involvement of his brain's opioid system and the production of endorphins.

Based on research with split-brain patients, we know that the _____ hemisphere is specialized for _____.

right; visual perception tasks

An action potential occurs when:

sodium ions enter the axon's interior, causing a brief positive electrical impulse

Cortical localization refers to the idea that:

specific areas of the cerebral cortex are associated with specific behaviors or psychological processes.

In what area of the adult primate brain have researchers found evidence of the growth of new neurons?

the hippocampus

Which brain structure exerts considerable influence over the secretion of hormones throughout the body?

the hypothalamus

Why was the split-brain operation first performed?

to help control recurring epileptic seizures

Diffusion spectrum imaging can produce three-dimensional images of the neural pathways that connect one part of the brain to another. These neural pathways are sometimes called:

tracts.

"Runner's high" is the rush of euphoria that many people experience after sustained aerobic exercise.

true

According to the Critical Thinking box "'His' and 'Her' Brains?", not all structural differences found in male and female brains lead to differences in measurable behavior or abilities.

true

An action potential is produced by the movement of ions across the axon membrane.

true

As your body's emergency system, the sympathetic nervous system rapidly triggers the fight-or-flight response when a threat or danger is perceived.

true

Diminished brain levels of dopamine can produce symptoms of Parkinson's disease, while excess brain levels of dopamine can produce symptoms of schizophrenia

true

In general, the greater the level of aerobic fitness, the greater the increase of blood flow to the hippocampus and the birth of new neurons.

true

Roger Sperry's split-brain research in the twentieth century illustrated the independent functions of the two hemispheres.

true

The drug naloxone acts as an antagonist at opioid receptor sites and can reverse the effects of both endorphins and opiates.

true

Your metabolism, growth rate, digestion, and blood pressure are regulated by hormones.

true

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Synaptic vesicles are released into the synaptic gap, then "dock" with the adjoining neurons.

What is the result of sodium ions moving across the axon's membrane during an action potential?

The inside of the axon changes to a positive electrical charge.

The peripheral nervous system is made up of:

all the nerves lying outside the central nervous system.

While taking this test, you have probably paid little attention to ongoing body functions, such as breathing, heartbeat, and digestion. Such involuntary bodily functions are governed by the:

autonomic nervous system.

An agonist is a drug or other chemical that:

binds to a receptor site and triggers a response in the cell.

The branch of psychology that is focused on understanding the internal physical events and processes that correspond with our mental processes and behavior is called _____.

biological psychology

Because it is an opioid _____, naloxone prevents or reverses the effects of opioid drugs and can be used to treat an overdose of heroin or similar drugs.

Because it is an opioid _____, naloxone prevents or reverses the effects of opioid drugs and can be used to treat an overdose of heroin or similar drugs.

Synaptic vesicles contain:

neurotransmitters.

For the past year, 30-year-old Kendra has experienced difficulty falling and staying asleep, and she frequently complains that she has difficulty remembering certain things, such as where she put her keys or an upcoming dentist or doctor's appointment. Kendra says she's stressed and was recently diagnosed with depression. Kendra probably has a deficiency in the neurotransmitter:

norepinephrine.