Campbell- Practice Quiz: Nervous, Endocrine, Limbic System

In order for a neuron to generate an action potential, which of the following must be true?

Excitatory impulses must outnumber inhibitory impulses.

Which of the following communicates with the pituitary, which in turn controls the endocrine system?

Hypothalamus

Damage to which of the following puts a person's life in the most danger because it may cause breathing to stop?

Medulla

Which of the following is a disease in which the immune system attacks the myelin of neurons in the central nervous system?

Multiple sclerosis

Joel's pupils become dilated, his digestion is reduced, and his skin becomes cold. Which system is controlling his bodily changes?

Sympathetic

Which of the following are NOT part of a neuron?

Synapses

Hormones are the chemical messengers of the

endocrine system.

The ovaries in females and the testes in males are part of the

endocrine system.

Which chemical is most closely associated with sleep?

melatonin

For you to be able to run, ________ must relay messages from your central nervous system to your leg muscles.

motor neurons

Multiple sclerosis is a result of degeneration in the

myelin sheath

The speed at which a neural impulse travels is increased when the axon is encased by a(n)

myelin sheath

The pituitary gland is controlled by the

hypothalamus

The area of the brain stem that is important in controlling breathing is the

medulla

An axon is

the extension of a neuron that carries messages away from the cell body.

During neuronal firing, the part of the neuron that acts as an insulator and conductor to speed the electrical impulse as it travels down the axon is

the myelin sheath

The time shortly after a neuron fires is referred to as

the refractory period

Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system results in which of the following?

A decrease in heart rate

Stimulation of the amygdala is most likely to have which of the following effects?

Aggression

Morphine is similar to the body's endorphins in that both elevate mood and ease pain. In this instance, morphine is considered to be a(n)

Agonist

Opiate drugs such as morphine are classified as what?

Agonists, because they mimic other neurotransmitters' pain-diminishing effects

Damage to which of the following brain structures may cause the inability to detect the emotional significance of facial expressions, especially those demonstrating fear?

Amygdala

Which of the following brain structures is most associated with the emotion of fear?

Amygdala

A gymnast falls and hits her head on the floor. She attempts to continue practicing but has trouble maintaining balance. What part of her brain has probably been affected?

Cerebellum

Difficulty in typing smoothly on a keyboard would most likely result from damage to the

Cerebellum

During the high-wire act, Grace walks along a rope suspended 30 feet above the circus floor. Which of the following is most involved in helping Grace coordinate her movements and maintain her balance during the performance?

Cerebellum

Which of the following neurotransmitters has been linked to Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia?

Dopamine

Sleep researchers who are interested in brain wave activity are likely to use which kind of brain scan?

EEG

Most glands in the human body are a part of which system?

Endocrine

After a car swerves in front of you on the highway, you notice that your heart is still racing, even though you know you are no longer in danger. Why do the physical symptoms of fear linger even after we cognitively realize the danger has passed?

Endocrine messages tend to outlast the effects of neural messages.

The diagram above depicts the human body's

Endocrine system

Which of the following systems produces, circulates, and regulates levels of hormones in the body?

Endocrine system

An undersupply of the major inhibitory neurotransmitter known as ________ is linked to seizures.

GABA

Nerve cells in the brain receive life-supporting nutrients and insulating myelin from

Glial cells

Damage to which of following brain structures would affect the processing of new explicit memories?

Hippocampus

Which of the following brain areas is responsible for regulating hunger and thirst?

Hypothalamus

After an electrode implanted in a cat's brain stimulates the cat's amygdala, the cat will most likely do which of the following?

Immediately withdraw in fear

Which of the following is true about the pons?

It is the region of the brain that is most closely associated with sleep and arousal.

Which of the following is true of the reticular activating system?

It regulates levels of arousal.

Juana accidentally touched a hot iron. She immediately drew back her hand. Which of the following is true about the withdrawal of her hand?

It was initiated in the spinal cord.

What is the main difference between an MRI scan and an fMRI scan?

MRI scans show structural details of the brain, fMRI scans show structure and activity levels.

Which division of the autonomic nervous system calms a person down once a stressful event has passed?

Parasympathetic

Which of the following endocrine glands may explain unusually tall height in a 12-year-old?

Pituitary

Which is the most influential of the endocrine glands?

Pituitary gland

In which of the following techniques do researchers inject a harmless, radioactive substance into the living human brain to examine activity?

Positron-emission tomography (PET)

Which of the following is the correct sequence of the neural chain of events set in motion by an environmental stimulus?

Receptors, afferent neurons, interneurons, efferent neurons, effectors

The drugs that block the reabsorption of neurotransmitters in the synapse during neural transmission are Selected:

SSRIs

Which neurotransmitters are most likely in undersupply in someone who is depressed?

Serotonin and norepinephrine

Which division of the nervous system enables a person to move the muscles necessary to walk down the street?

Somatic

What is the purpose of the myelin sheath?

Speed up the transmission of information within a neuron

Which of the following is true of a neuron in the resting state?

The inside of the cell membrane is negative compared to the outside.

Which of the following biological systems is most likely responsible for an increase in heart rate while experiencing anxiety?

The sympathetic nervous system

The part of the neuron that is responsible for receiving signals from other neurons is called

a dendrite

A person accidentally touches a hand to a hot stove and quickly pulls the hand away, even before sensory information about the hot stove reaches the brain. The person's reaction is most directly enabled by

a spinal reflex

Reuptake of a neurotransmitter refers to

absorption of the neurotransmitter into the terminal buttons of sending neuron.

Transferring messages from a motor neuron to a leg muscle requires the neurotransmitter known as

acetylcholine.

A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron is called the

action potential.

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are released by the

adrenal glands.

Information is relayed to the spinal cord or the brain by

afferent neurons

A drug that has the effect of intensifying or mimicking a particular neurotransmitter can be characterized as

an agonist, because it intensifies the effects of a particular neurotransmitter

Increasing excitatory signals above the threshold for neural activation will not affect the intensity of an action potential. This indicates that a neuron's reaction is

an all-or-none response.

Activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system results in

an increase in respiratory rate

Curare blocks action at acetylcholine synapses and causes paralysis. This drug is an example of an

antagonist

A person with schizophrenia may have an overactive dopamine system. Drugs used to treat this disorder prevent the action of dopamine by keeping it from binding to its receptors. These drugs are

antagonists.

The longest part of a neuron is likely to be the

axon

The area labeled X in the drawing above denotes which of the following structures?

axon terminals

Which type of psychologist most directly investigates the links between biological activity and our thinking and behaviors?

biological psychologist

The medulla is to the control of ________ as the cerebellum is to the control of ________.

breathing; walking

The "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem is called the

cerebellum.

In transmitting sensory information to the brain, an electrical signal travels from the ________ of a single neuron.

dendrites to the cell body to the axon

A brain lesion refers to ________ of brain tissue.

destruction

Schizophrenia is most closely linked with excess receptor activity for the neurotransmitter

dopamine

Treating a patient for Parkinson's disease includes administering a chemical that will lead to increases in the patient's

dopamine

A participant in a study of music perception listens to music with electrodes attached to her scalp while data are collected on the activity of her brain. This technique is called

electroencephalography (EEG)

The limbic system is closely associated with

emotions

Painkilling substances produced by the brain are known as

endorphins

The role of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is to

establish homeostasis after a fight-or-flight response

The brain scans of people with amnesia are most likely to show damage to the

hippocampus

The part of the endocrine system that is responsible for overseeing and regulating the release of hormones across the entire body is the

hypothalamus

Thinking about sex (in your brain's cerebral cortex) can stimulate a region of the limbic system to secrete hormones. These hormones trigger the pituitary gland to influence hormones released by other glands in the body. Which brain region influences the endocrine system?

hypothalamus

The primary effect of the myelin sheath is to

increase the velocity of conduction of the action potential along the axon

Mary participates in an exercise program because she experiences an increase in energy and feelings of well-being at the end of each exercise session. The best explanation for Mary's perseverance in the program is that exercise

increases her level of endorphins

If you accidentally touch a hot stove, which of the following is responsible for moving your hand away before you even realize what you have done?

interneuron

The peripheral nervous system is to sensory neurons as the central nervous system is to

interneurons

Which of the following are located exclusively within the brain and spinal cord?

interneurons

The peripheral nervous system

is the part of the nervous system that does not include the brain and the spinal cord.

A synapse is a(n)

junction between a sending neuron and a receiving neuron.

Severing a cat's reticular formation from higher brain regions causes the cat to

lapse into a coma.

The neural system located at the border between the brainstem and the cerebral hemispheres is known as the

limbic system

The body's speedy, electrochemical information system is called the

nervous system.

Dendrites are branching extensions of

neurons

The chemical messengers released into the spatial junctions between neurons are called

neurotransmitters

Dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine are all

neurotransmitters that excite or inhibit a neural signal across a synapse

The somatic nervous system is a component of the ________ nervous system.

peripheral

The master gland of the endocrine system is the

pituitary gland.

Resting potential is to action potential as ________ is to ________.

polarization; depolarization

Which of the following structures in the brainstem helps coordinate movements and lies above the medulla?

pons

Which of the following techniques would surgeons use in mapping the areas of the brain responsible for specific activities, such as movement or speech?

positron emission tomography (PET)

Reuptake refers to the

reabsorption of excess neurotransmitter molecules by a sending neuron.

The function of dendrites is to

receive incoming signals from other neurons.

Significant damage to which of the following parts of the brain will most likely cause a person to fall into a deep coma from which the person will be unable to awaken?

reticular formation

Which region of your brainstem plays a role in arousing you to a state of alertness when someone nearby mentions your name?

reticular formation

The process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the neuron after it fires is called

reuptake

When there is a negative charge inside an axon and a positive charge outside of it, the neuron is

said to have a resting potential

As you are reading this question, the cells in your eyes are firing in response to the light coming from this paper. Which type of neuron is carrying this message to the brain?

sensory

For you to experience the pain of a sprained ankle, ________ must first relay messages from your ankle to your central nervous system.

sensory neurons

The knee-jerk reflex is controlled by interneurons in the

spinal cord

When Mr. Valdez thought his 1-year-old daughter had fallen down the stairs, his heartbeat accelerated, his blood pressure rose, and he began to perspire heavily. Mr. Valdez's state of arousal was activated by his ________ nervous system.

sympathetic

When the cat's amygdala is electrically stimulated the cat prepares to attack by hissing and arching its back. Which division of the autonomic nervous system is activated by such stimulation?

sympathetic

Ben was enjoying a walk in the woods on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. As he went around a curve, he noticed a bear walking toward him. Immediately his pupils dilated, he began to perspire, and his heart accelerated. These changes are most closely related to the function of the

sympathetic nervous system

Nervousness can result in faster and more shallow breathing as well as a racing heart. This is due to activation of the

sympathetic nervous system

While you are hiking in the mountains, a rattlesnake slithers across your trail. Which of the following triggers the "fight-or-flight" response, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure, as you run away?

sympathetic nervous system

Messages are transmitted from your spinal cord to your digestive system's stomach muscles by the

sympathetic nervous system.

An accelerated heartbeat is to a slowed heartbeat as the ________ nervous system is to the ________ nervous system.

sympathetic; parasympathetic

Psychoactive drugs interfere with normal neural transmission. Where does this interference take place?

synapse

Neurotransmitters cross the ______________ to carry information to the next neuron.

synaptic gap

Which brain structure relays information from the eyes to the visual cortex?

thalamus

Your ability to experience physical sensations is most likely to be disrupted by damage to your

thalamus.

Immediately after firing, a neuron is incapable of responding to stimulation. This condition is referred to as

the absolute refractory phase

Endocrine glands secrete hormones directly into

the bloodstream.