Psych1101: Chapter 2 The Biological Perspective

The spinal cord's outer section is made up of _______ and the inner section is made up of _______.

axons and nerves; cell bodies of neurons

A branch of the life sciences that deals with the structure and functioning of the nervous system is

neuroscience

The specialized cell that sends and receives messages in the nervous system is called a(n)

neuron.

A functional MRI (fMRI) and a PET scan both

provide a way to measure the functioning of the brain.

_________ carry messages from the senses to the spinal cord.

Afferent neurons

__________ involves mapping "slices" of the brain by computer, and it is the imaging method of choice when there is metal in the body.

Computed tomography

________ promotes the release of glucose, which provides energy for the brain during stress.

Cortisol

Endocrine glands differ from other glands, in that they release ______ which flow directly into the bloodstream to affect target organs.

Hormones

Which of the following is TRUE about deep lesioning?

It is only done on animals.

Which of the following is TRUE about an agonist?

It mimics or enhances the effects of a neurotransmitter.

Which of the following diagnostic tools involves injecting a person with radioactive glucose to map brain function?

PET scan

Which statement most accurately explains the difference in functioning between the right hemisphere of the brain and the left hemisphere?

The right processes information all at once, whereas the left breaks things down into parts.

Why is the cortex so wrinkled?

The wrinkles allow it to fit inside the skull.

Cassie's mother suffered a stroke. Since then, she sometimes says strange things, such as, "I need to go to the store to buy some canaries," when she means to say that she needs groceries. Cassie's mother seems to be suffering from

Wernicke's aphasia

The neurotransmitter ______ does not go through the reuptake process.

acetylcholine

The first identified neurotransmitter was

acetylcholine.

The venom of a black widow spider is an example of a(n) __________ , which mimics or enhances the effects of neurotransmitters.

agonist

The peripheral nervous system is made up of

all the nerves and neurons that are not contained in the brain and spinal cord.

If the neurotransmitter affected by an antagonist is inhibitory itself, the result will be _______ in the activity of the cell.

an increase

The involuntary muscles

are not under deliberate control.

The ______ is composed of the brain and the spinal cord.

central nervous system

Endorphins help the body

control pain.

The venom of a black widow spider causes neurons to release a flood of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This can cause

convulsions and possible death.

Messages from other cells are received by the

dendrites.

If the pancreas secretes too little insulin, it results in

diabetes.

The adrenal glands are located right above

each kidney.

The neurons that carry messages from the central nervous system to the muscles of the body are the

efferent neurons.

Neurons fire

either full strength or not at all.

A(n) _____ is used to record the activity of large groups of cortical neurons just below the skull.

electroencephalograph

The ______ lobes are responsible for higher mental processes such as decision making.

frontal

The job of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is to

get the body ready to deal with stress.

The endocrine glands secrete

hormones.

If the pancreas secretes too much insulin, it results in a condition known as

hypoglycemia.

The part of the brain that controls life-sustaining functions, such as heartbeat, breathing, and swallowing, is the

medulla.

Special types of glial cells generate a protective fatty substance called

myelin.

When a neuron is at rest, the ions inside the cell are mostly_______ and the ions outside the cell are mostly _______

negatively charged; positively charged

The ____ is a network of cells that carries information to and from all parts of the body.

nervous system

Which of the following is most closely related to the functioning of the parasympathetic division?

normal breathing

The visual centers of the brain area are contained in the

occipital lobe

The part of the autonomic nervous system known as the eat-drink-and-rest system is the

parasympathetic division.

The ________ allows the brain and spinal cord to communicate with the sensory systems.

peripheral nervous system

One part of the ________ controls production of milk for nursing infants and the onset of labor.

pituitary gland

The "master gland" that controls or influences all of the other endocrine glands is the

pituitary gland.

Which area of the brain influences sleep and dreaming?

pons

According to the text, scientists are investigating the use of stem cells to

repair damaged or diseased brain tissue.

Unlike other glands, such as salivary or sweat glands, endocrine glands

secrete chemicals directly into the bloodstream.

What is the primary role of the adrenal glands?

secreting hormones that affect a variety of functions

Melissa is walking around barefoot and suddenly steps on a sharp nail. She feels the pain and immediately pulls her foot off the ground away from the nail. Which neurons were involved in her response?

sensory, motor, and interneurons

Which sense is the only one that is NOT processed through the thalamus?

smell

The ______ is the cell body, which contains the nucleus.

soma

Natalie sees a beautiful flower, so she walks over to touch and smell it. She is using the

somatic nervous system

The ______ is the division of the peripheral nervous system that carries information from the senses to the central nervous system (CNS) and from the CNS to the voluntary muscles of the body.

somatic nervous system

When people are walking, raising their hands in class or smelling a flower, they are using the

somatic nervous system.

A work-related accident left Bob with a paralyzed left arm and an inability to recognize the left side of his visual field. Bob's condition is called

spatial neglect.

The _____ serves two vital functions. The outer part transmits messages to and from the brain, and the inner part controls lifesaving reflexes.

spinal cord

Scientists have learned a great deal about the specialization of the left and right hemispheres of the brain by studying

split-brain patients

Recent research has shown that some types of glial cells have properties similar to

stem cells.

The _____ division of the autonomic nervous system is also called the fight-or-flight system.

sympathetic

The saclike structures that are found at the end of a neuron's axon and that contain neurotransmitters are called

synaptic vesicles.

Which brain structure serves as a relay station for sensory information?

thalamus

Neuroplasticity is

the brain's ability to change both the structure and function of many cells in response to experience and trauma.

When the action potential gets to the end of the axon,

the message gets transmitted to another cell.

Which endocrine gland is located in the neck and regulates metabolism?

thyroid gland

Dorothy has spinocerebellar degeneration, a condition that is likely to cause her to have difficulty with

walking, speaking, and/or standing.

Without the spinal cord, the brain

would be useless.