INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY
Some friends get a new video game in which they have to remember the locations of many hidden enemies and weapons. They each spend about three hours playing the game. Which statement is TRUE? - There will be no brain changes, since this is not enough experience to change a brain. - Structural changes will take place only in those who perform well. - All of them will have at least tiny structural changes in their brains. - Some areas of their brains will take on new functions.
All of them will have at least tiny structural changes in their brains
Suzie is talking to her doctor while she is getting a brain scan with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Which area of her brain is MOST likely active?
Broca's area
In an effort to relax after a stress-filled week, Joanne has a couple of glasses of wine. Alcohol increases the activity of the neurotransmitter _____, which inhibits action potentials and slows brain activity.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Jaquan suffers from epilepsy because of too much glutamate. His doctor may prescribe a drug containing _____ because this type of neurotransmitter inhibits information transmission.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Which statement is NOT a characteristic of the spinal reflex? - It involves a simple pathway of communication from sensory neurons through interneurons in the spinal cord back out through motor neurons. - It is an automatic response to a sensory stimulus. - While the spinal reflex occurs, sensory neurons also send messages to the brain, letting it know what happened. - It overstimulates and damages the functioning of neurons in the brain's reward circuit.
It overstimulates and damages the functioning of neurons in the brain's reward circuit
A child touches his index finger to a hot pan. He pulls his finger away quickly, and a few seconds later begins to scream. Why is his screaming delayed in comparison to pulling away his finger?
The hand-withdrawal reflex involves only the spinal cord, but it takes time for the information about pain to reach the brain and produce an emotional response
Emily floats a note across a river to Dylan instead of directly passing it from her hand to Dylan's hand. If, in this scenario, the river represents the synapse, which component of the scenario represents the neurotransmitter?
The note
There is a dance event going on with students attending from two different elementary schools. Students from one school are wearing purple shirts and students from the other school are wearing silver shirts. Imagine that the students in the purple represent potassium ions and the students in silver represent sodium ions, while the gymnasium represents the neuron. If their distribution is similar to what occurs during the resting potential for a neuron, which students would be more highly concentrated inside the building?
The students in the purple shirts would be more highly concentrated
Which statement BEST characterizes neurons?
They are the building blocks of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves
In which part of the brain would a lesion MOST likely result in a disruption of language comprehension and intelligible expression?
Wernicke's area
A neuron in your body is exposed to an excitatory message. What will likely happen?
Your neuron is more likely to generate an action potential
Jane's grandmother was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Jane did some research so that she could help her grandmother better understand this disease. In her research, Jane found that Alzheimer's disease involves the deterioration of neurons that produce:
acetylcholine
Milton has been having considerable trouble with his short-term memory. His family has noticed that Milton has been making a number of mistakes (e.g., leaving doors unlocked, getting lost in the neighborhood, forgetting family member's names). It appears that he may be suffering from depletion of _____ in his brain.
acetylcholine
A hunter in a South American jungle uses the poisonous drug curare on the tip of his arrow. When the arrow strikes an animal, the animal becomes almost instantly limp and quickly suffocates because its respiratory system has become paralyzed. The drug has blocked the receptors for the neurotransmitter:
acteylcholine
Carrying too many things in a grocery store leads to a jar of pickles being dropped on the floor. As the glass breaks, the fear response is activated, the _____ gland has pumped epinephrine through the bloodstream.
adrenal
As a firefighter awakens in the middle of the night to the sound of an alarm, her _____ have released epinephrine and norepinephrine.
adrenal glands
Patrick's parents have left him at home by himself for the first time. Just after he goes to bed, he hears the doorbell ring. He is not expecting a visitor. His first thought is whether all the doors are locked. His heart is beating fast. Patrick's sympathetic nervous system has now stimulated his _____, which will produce hormones involved in his stress response.
adrenal glands
When Mike was faced with a final exam worth 80 percent of his grade in his graduate statistics class, he was totally stressed out. The particular gland(s) in his endocrine system MOST likely to be stimulated in response to this stress is/are his:
adrenal glands
When Zeke was faced with taking his medical board exams he was totally stressed out. The particular gland(s) in his endocrine system likely to be stimulated in response to this stress is/are his:
adrenal glands
Donna has been suffering from depression. Her psychiatrist prescribes Prozac, which works by blocking the reuptake of serotonin, thus increasing the amount of serotonin in her brain. Prozac works as a(n):
agonist
Harry has been having problems eating lately and his doctor thinks it is likely because the neurotransmitter that regulates this behavior is probably not performing properly. If the doctor wants to increase the activity of this neurotransmitter, he will MOST likely prescribe Harry a drug that acts as a(n):
agonist
Since a snake is a monkey's natural predator, if a snake is introduced into the monkey's cage, but the monkey does not exhibit any fear, there is a good chance the monkey has experienced damage to or loss of its:
amygdala
Mark has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. His psychiatrist suspects that his condition is caused by an excessive amount of dopamine in various regions of the brain. He prescribes an antipsychotic drug that will reduce his symptoms by reducing the amount of dopamine in his brain. This drug is likely a(n) _____ for dopamine.
antagonist
Bob does NOT have voluntary control over the _____; he does have voluntary control over the _____.
autonomic nervous system; somatic nervous system
Katie has a rare neurological disease in which her neurons can receive new information and process it, but some of them just cannot pass the information along. This disease likely affects the _____ of the neuron.
axon
Uma and a classmate are studying the parts of a typical neuron. She is trying to memorize the terminology but is having trouble with the axon. Her classmate reminds her that the end of the axon looks like branches, and that is where the _____ is/are located.
axon terminals
Dr. Soto has been studying neurons for many years. He is most interested in the transmission speeds of action potentials, and so he carefully studies _____, which are the tube-like extensions of the cell body.
axons
If a picture of a hammer is flashed to the left of the midpoint during an experiment with a split-brain patient, and the patient is asked to describe in words what they saw, the patient will:
be unable to verbally report what they saw
A hunter in a South American jungle uses the poisonous drug curare on the tip of his arrow. When the arrow strikes an animal, the animal becomes almost instantly limp and quickly suffocates because its respiratory system has become paralyzed. The drug has _____ the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
blocked the receptors for
A champion athlete loses his medal after officials discover that he has taken anabolic steroids, a synthetic version of the male sex hormone testosterone. Anabolic steroids, like other hormones, circulate through the _____ and act as chemical messengers in the ____.
bloodstream; endocrine system
Niels is trying to imagine what the human nervous system looks like. He knows that the body has neurons that run up and down the spine and branch throughout the body. And these neurons provide the connection between the:
brain and body
Firing a gun can be compared with an action potential because both events:
can be described as all-or-none events
One afternoon, a man stumbles into the emergency department, having great difficulty coordinating his movements. A physician performs a toxicology test and "rules out" intoxication. This leaves the physician to conclude that this man may have experienced damage to his:
cerebellum
Dr. Hauser is a neurosurgeon working with patients who have major epileptic seizures. If no medication helps them, which part of the brain might Dr. Hauser sever to help reduce her patients' seizures?
corpus callosum
Fritz has an uncle with Parkinson's disease. His uncle shows many of the symptoms of Parkinson's, including trembling hands and legs, and difficulty with balance. Fritz has learned in his psychology class that Parkinson's disease is an incurable disorder that is linked to:
deterioration of neurons that produce dopamine
Hector has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. His doctor believes that Hector's tremors and poor balance may be caused in part by _____ amounts of the neurotransmitter _____.
diminished; dopamine
Dr. Torres studies the fight-or-flight response. Her focus is on the _____, which is involved in the response to imminent danger. It releases stress hormones, such as norepinephrine, which prompt the physiological changes associated with crises.
endocrine system
Abdul is running a marathon, and after 15 miles he doesn't think he can take it anymore. Just as he is about to give up, the pain suddenly subsides, and he feels much better and motivated to run the rest of the race. Abdul is MOST likely feeling the effects of which neurotransmitter?
endorphins
Azeeza has just finished running a very tough marathon, and she feels elated. One cause of her "runner's high" may be abnormally high levels of chemical substances in her brain called:
endorphins
Francine has tried everything to relieve her back pain, from changing her sleeping positions to prescription pain relievers. She recently started acupuncture and has noticed that it relieves her symptoms. The positive effects of acupuncture are likely due to the release of:
endorphins
In his medical practice, Dr. Cheng uses acupuncture, an ancient Chinese procedure, which involves inserting needles at various points in the body. This painkilling technique is assumed to involve the production of _____ by the brain.
endorphins
In his medical practice, Dr. Setiadi uses acupuncture, an ancient Chinese procedure, which involves inserting needles at various points in the body. This painkilling technique is assumed to involve the production of _____ by the brain.
endorphins
Terry is riding his bicycle across a crosswalk when a car races toward him. Realizing that the car is not going to stop, Terry hits his brakes just in time. His heart is racing, and it takes him about 15 minutes to fully recover from the experience. His response demonstrates the importance of the hormones _____ and _____ in the nervous system.
epinephrine; norepinephrine
Manny has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. His psychologist believes that Manny's hallucinations and perceptual distortions may be caused in part by _____ amounts of the neurotransmitter _____.
excessive; glutamate
Henry is extremely skilled at mathematics and can perform very complex calculations in his head. His _____ is the area of the brain that allows Henry to do this.
forebrain
Waleed is examining a model of the brain. He is looking at the largest part of the brain, which includes the cerebral cortex and the limbic system. Which part of the brain is Waleed examining?
forebrain
Adana has an uncle who had a hemispherectomy when he was a young child. She is always amazed that most people don't know he is missing one of his hemispheres. She has been reading in her psychology book about _____ and the brain's ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged brain areas in order to adapt to the environment.
functional plasticity
Nicole went to the doctor because she suffered a seizure while she was at work. She was happy to hear the doctor tell her that the seizure came from too much of the neurotransmitter(s) _____ and not from a particular brain area.
glutamate
Benjamin and Sam are quizzing each other before their psychology exam on the physiology of the brain. Sam asks Benjamin to name the two parts of the brainstem. He correctly names the ____ and the midbrain.
hindbrain
Tyler has been diagnosed with a disease that involves deterioration of the myelin sheath. As the disease progresses, he begins to have trouble with his coordination. This is caused by:
his neurons communicating slowly and inefficiently
A boss tells an employee some disturbing news. This is followed by a meeting that distracts the employee from the disturbing news. After the meeting, the employee has a vague feeling that something is not quite right, but cannot pinpoint what it is. It is likely a reaction to the continued effect of:
hormones
The main link between the endocrine system and the nervous system, which regulates the release of hormones by the pituitary gland, is the part of the brain known as the:
hypothalamus
Carla has been given an antidepressant medication known as Prozac. A medication such as Prozac is effective because it _____ of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
inhibits reuptake
Neurotransmitter is to _____ as neural receptor site is to _____
key; lock
Presynaptic neuron is to postsynaptic neuron as:
message-sending neuron is to message-receiving neuron
Meghan is taking an introductory psychology class. Today, her instructor was discussing how dead or damaged cells are removed when the brain is subjected to trauma. Meghan learned that _____ are a type of glial cell that handles this task.
microglia
Randall is experiencing muscle weakness, loss of coordination and speech, and visual disturbances that result from the slowdown or interruption of neural transmission. The cause of these symptoms probably involves the degeneration of his myelin sheath. Randall likely has:
multiple schlerosis
Carol has multiple sclerosis (MS). She experiences muscle weakness, loss of coordination and speech, and visual disturbances that result from the slowdown or interruption of neural transmission. The cause of these symptoms probably involves the degeneration of her:
myelin sheath
Marlee has just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As the disease progresses, communication to some of her muscles may slow down, and she could lose some muscle control as a result of the degeneration of the:
myelin sheath
Wesley is studying for his final exam in psychology. The chapter on biology and behavior has a lot of terms to remember. He thinks he can remember the nodes of Ranvier because he has a clear mental image of the gaps between the segments of the _____ on axons.
myelin sheath
Bobby is studying for a psychology exam. Using his brain's 90 billion nerve cells, or _____, and roughly 100 trillion points of communication, he looks out the window and is able to see birds flying around outside.
neurons
Dr. Stack studies the function and structure of the brain. Dr. Stack's area of research is:
neuroscience
Dr. Gadhuri studies the physiology of the brain but spends little time looking at behavior. Dr. Gadhuri is MOST likely a:
neuroscientist
Dr. Reynolds is studying how memories are stored in the brain. Dr. Reynolds is MOST likely a:
neuroscientist
Toby's specialty in his graduate program is the study of the nervous system. Toby is likely training to be a(n):
neuroscientist
Receptors are located on the dendrites of the neuron receiving a signal and allow the binding of:
neurotransmitters
Natalie gets nervous when she is home alone and always feels as though she is hearing things in the apartment. Natalie's increased awareness of her immediate environment is likely caused by the neurotransmitter:
norepinephrine
Rada is working as a teaching assistant this semester. She has been helping students prepare for the final by going over the structure of neurons. She tells the students that the neuron has the standard elements found in most human cells, including a(n) _____ containing DNA.
nucleus
Ralph was involved in a bar fight and sustained a blow to the back of the head from a beer bottle. He was dazed and could not see for about two minutes. Which of his lobes was affected?
occipital
After a police car with flashing lights and a blaring siren passes him and pulls over another driver for speeding, Jerry's heartbeat soon slows down, his blood pressure decreases, and he stops sweating so much. These calming physical reactions are MOST directly regulated by his:
parasympathetic nervous system
Tyree is startled awake in the middle of the night by a loud noise. He sees that his cat has knocked over his bedside lamp. Knowing that, he begins to calm down and his heart stops racing. Which nervous system has been activated?
parasympathetic nervous system
While hiking in the woods, Marcy encountered a rattlesnake. After the snake scurried away Marcy's heart rate slowed down and her blood pressure decreased and she stopped sweating. These calming physical reactions are MOST directly regulated by his:
parasympathetic nervous system
Following a horrific accident, Phineas Gage suffered extensive damage to his left and right frontal lobes. According to people who knew him, this damage led to extreme changes in his _____, which is associated with the function of the frontal lobes.
personality
The importance of the _____ gland is demonstrated through its role in skeletal growth, pain reduction, and breast-feeding.
pituitary
Samantha has just given birth to her first baby and has started breast-feeding. Samantha has her _____ to thank for producing prolactin and oxytocin to stimulate her milk production and for the let-down reflex.
pituitary gland
Ten-year-old Leticia has grown three inches in the past year. Leticia has her _____ to thank for producing the growth hormone that triggered her jump in height.
pituitary gland
Although only 13, Diego had a stroke in the left hemisphere in the motor cortex, which controls his right hand. After rehabilitation and exercise, he was able to control his right hand again. Brain scans revealed that Diego's motor control of the right hand was now being controlled by the motor cortex in the right hemisphere. This change demonstrates the _____ of the brain.
plasticity
Jayden damaged his motor cortex during a car accident, but over time, part of the frontal lobe nearby began to coordinate some muscle movements. This example illustrates brain:
plasticity
If a neuron was compared with a prison, the sodium ions could be compared with the _____ when the neuron is repolarizing.
prisoners
In order for a neurotransmitter to affect surrounding neurons, the molecular structure of the neurotransmitter must fit into the _____ like a key fits into a lock.
receptor sites
Many researchers believe that the original reason for the large number of neurons in the gut is to:
regulate digestion as part of the fight-or-flight response
Brooke notices that her little finger can feel pain, which is due to her _____; however, she cannot move it due to damage to her motor neurons.
sensory neurons
Jorge cannot feel his left leg after being struck by a car, but he can still move it and walk on it. It is MOST likely that he damaged his _____, but his motor neurons are still intact.
sensory neurons
Hannah is suffering from depression and has received a prescription for an antidepressant. It is likely that she needs more of the neurotransmitter known as:
serotonin
Chen is trying to remember the three different types of neurons for a test. Which of these is NOT one of the three types? - interneurons - signal neurons -motor neurons - sensory neurons
signal neurons
Nina was almost hit by a bus. However, she is okay and her parasympathetic system is responding accordingly. It is:
slowing her heart rate and activating her digestion
If a neuron was compared with a prison, the _____ could be compared with the prisoners when the neuron is at the resting potential.
sodium ions
When someone turns the pages of a book, uses a pen to take notes, or lifts an arm, these actions are possible because of the:
somatic nervous system
Dr. Hoffmann studies the central nervous system. His work focuses on the brain and the other component of the central nervous system, which is the:
spinal cord
Sarah just learned to juggle. Before and after images of her brain showed a 3 percent increase in the size of a few specific brain regions. This is known as:
structural plasticity
Luke's dad is playing hide-and-seek with him. As Luke is searching for his dad, his heart is racing and he feels nervous. When Luke finds his dad's hiding spot, his dad jumps out and looks scary, stimulating the _____ part of Luke's nervous system.
sympathetic
Mason sees a large dog running toward him and is frightened. The division of his nervous system MOST likely activated is the _____ nervous system.
sympathetic
Rochelle has to walk down a dark alley to get to her house. One night, a cat knocks over a trash can as Rochelle walks by, startling her. Which division of her nervous system is MOST likely activated?
sympathetic
A child staying with his grandparents wakes them up to say he heard a loud noise. As the grandparents investigate, they experience dry mouth, sweating, and racing hearts. Which nervous system has been activated?
sympathetic nervous system
A medical equipment company is thinking of expanding by developing lie detection machines, which measure perspiration, cardiovascular, and respiration changes. On which system should their research focus?
sympathetic nervous system
Five-year-old Theresa is Christmas shopping with her mother and siblings. She looks around and realizes her mother is nowhere to be found. Theresa's _____ nervous system activates the fight-or-flight response. Theresa's mother finally comes around the corner, and Theresa is filled with relief, the result of the activation of the _____ part of her nervous system.
sympathetic; parasympathetic
Devan is studying for his midterm and is quizzing himself on the topic of neurons. He is trying to figure out the name for that "tiny space" where neurons connect, which is the:
synaptic gap
Dr. Render is a neuropsychologist who works with patients who have had their corpus callosum surgically severed to reduce severe seizures. When she presents the word "SAL-TED" to one patient, "SAL" transmits to his left visual field and "TED" to his right visual field. She then asks him to tell her what he saw. What does this patient say?
ted
In response to an exam question, Leilani accurately draws a picture of a neuron and indicates the sequence of events that are typically involved when a neuron communicates. She notes that information is carried from:
the dendrites to the cell body and then along the axon to the axon terminals and the synapse
Betty's metabolism has been irregular, and she has been moody, tired, and weak. There is likely an abnormality with her _____ gland.
thyroid
