Practice Quiz Exam 1
Chromosomes consist of large, double-stranded molecules of
DNA
Chemically, what is the route from genes to their expression?
DNA to RNA to proteins
Which method is dependent upon injecting a radioactive chemical into the blood to measure glucose metabolism?
PET
A strand of DNA serves as a template (model) for the synthesis of ____.
RNA
The mechanism of fetal alcohol syndrome probably relates to ____.
apoptosis
Why is it that every axon in a adult mammal has a target cell (muscle cell or other neuron) with which it makes synpatic contact?
axons that fail to find a target cell die
The areas of the cortex used by expert video game players are most likely to ____ than the same cortical areas of those who do not play video games.
be thicker
How does the method of transcranial magnetic stimulation of brain areas differ from magnetic inactivation?
brain activation results from mild, brief magnetic stimulation
A magnetoencephalography study of professional musicians listening to pure tones showed that the musicians has ____.
brain responses that were twice as strong as non-musicians
Myelination in the human brain ___.
continues well into the adult years
Diaschisis refers to the:
decreased activity of surviving neurons after other neurons are damaged
Heightened sensitivity to a neurotransmitter after the destruction of an incoming axon is known as
denervation supersensitivity
Immature neurons experimentally transplanted from one part of the developing cortex to another ____.
develop the properties characteristic of their new location
What is the process called when a primitive neuron begins to develop dendrites and an axon?
differentiation
Which factor appears to be particularly important for branching of neurons during brain development?
engaging in physical activity
Focal hand dystonia, sometimes called "musician's cramp", is caused by ____.
extreme overlap of cortical representation of the fingers
Which technique is dependent upon the amount of hemoglobin molecules with and without oxygen in the brain?
fMRI
Franz Josef Gall, the founder of phrenology, studied how the size of different structures within the brain related to behavior, talents and personality.
false
Optogenetics is a process for simulating a limited populations of neurons with electrical pulses delivered directly to tissue in the occipital lobe
false
Which statement most accurately describes embryonic development of the nervous system in humans?
far more neurons are produced than will ultimately survive
Many educators operate on the assumption that training children to do something difficult will enhance their intellect in general. The psychological term for this concept is ___.
far transfer
Units of heredity that maintain their structural identity from one generation to another are:
genes
Lola had a stroke several days ago. At this point, which treatment would be most to her?
giving stimulant drugs combined with physical therapy
Alcohol suppresses the release of ____, the brain's main excitatory transmitter.
glutamate
One way to relieve the pain associated with a phantom limb is to:
have the amputee learn to use an artificial limb
A person with two recessive genes is considered to be ____ for that trait.
homozygous
Chemicals known as ___ and ___ guide neuron migration
immunoglobulins; chemokines
Which event is the most common cause of stroke?
ischemia from an obstruction of an artery
The concept that neurons refine their many connections based on which ones are most successful is known as ____.
neural darwinism
Ischemia is to ___ as hemorrhage is to ____
obstruction; rupture
An autosomal gene is a gene ____
on any chromosome other than X or Y
A stereotaxic instrument would most likely be used for:
placing an electrode in the brain
In development, neurotrophins ____. During adulthood, they____.
preserve neurons; increase neuronal branching
A trait not expressed when combined with a dominant trait is called a(n) ___ trait
recessive
Research on laboratory animals indicates that cannabinoids are most effective if take ___
shortly before the stroke
A cortical cell originally responded to stimulation of the middle finger. After amputation of that finger, it begins responding to the second and fourth fingers. Which action most likely accounts for this?
synaptic reorganization
What is signaled by nerve growth factor (NGF) during development?
that a target cell has "accepted" a synapse with an axon
In general, biologists who speak of sex-linked genes are typically referring to genes on ____.
the X chromosome
An electroencephalogram (EEG) measures brain waves primarily generated by
the average electrical acitivity of the cells in a given region of the brain
Closed head injury is
the most common cause of brain damage in young adults
Which of the following best characterized how axons arrive at the correct target cells?
they follow chemical gradients from the target cell
Axons are usually formed before the dendrites
true
Genes become more prevalent in a population if they contribute to reproductive success.
true
Most research methods within biological psychology fall into the following 4 major categories: 1. examining the effects of brain damage 2. examining the effects of simulating a brain area 3. recording brain activity during behavior 4. correlating brain anatomy with behavior
true
Neurons and their dendrites can substantially change shape in response to experience
true
Early in development, the nervous system begins a a ____
tube surroinding a fluid filled cavit
After damage to a set of axons, neurotrophins induce nearby
uninjured axons to form new branches
Why do children with PKU develop intellectual disabilities?
unmetabolized amino acids accumulate and affect the brain
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) creates an image from
x-rays