Chapter 2 Synapse Quiz

Frederick is interested in using his diet to elevate his mood. He knows that dietary tryptophan is necessary for the synthesis of serotonin, which will, in turn, help his mood. What is the BEST way for him to increase the amount of tryptophan available to his brain?

Decrease consumption of phenylalanine-containing foods

Sherrington inferred the presence of a gap between neurons based on ____.

a slower-than-predicted speed of conduction

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are produced in the ____.

adrenal medulla

Nearly all neurotransmitters are synthesized from _____,

amino acids

Lawrence says he really enjoys smoking and thinks he may even be addicted to cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes feels rewarding in part because it triggers the release of ____.

dopamine

The temporary hyperpolarization of a membrane is a(n) ____.

inhibitory postsynaptic potential

____ is thought to help control appetite by decreasing it.

leptin

Which researcher is credited with demonstrating the existence of chemical synapses?

loewi

Gordon is having trouble sleeping and decides to take a supplement containing a hormone that is manufactured in the pineal. What is he most likely taking?

melatonin

Which neurotransmitter is a gas that is released by local neurons and has the effect of dilating nearby blood vessels and thus increasing blood flow to the brain?

nitric oxide

Nicola just burned her finger on a hot pan. What is the circuit from sensory neurons to muscle response called that transmitted the message that she should remove her finger from the pan?

reflex arc

Consider a wiring arrangement of neurons in which the two neurons (A and B) stimulate a third neuron (X). Neither neuron A nor B can stimulate neuron X on its own, but, in combination, they can excite neuron X. This demonstrates ____.

spatial summation

What term describes periodic production of action potentials, even without synaptic input?

spontaneous firing

Which class of drugs decreases reuptake and prolongs the effects of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine?

stimulants

Which type of effect is particularly important for sensations like taste and long-lasting aspects of arousal and motivation?

Metabotropic

Neuropeptides are characterized by ____.

being released mostly from dendrites

Bursts of neurotransmitters are released from the presynaptic neuron in _____.

exocytosis

Most of the brain's excitatory ionotropic synapses use the neurotransmitter ____.

glutamate

Many hallucinogenic drugs are chemically similar to ____.

serotonin

What term is used for the cumulative effect of repeated stimulation over a brief period?

temporal summation