Exam 1 Biopsych

There are many misconceptions about evolution. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

"Evolution doesn't benefit the individual for the species because it benefits the genes."

The nervous system will begin to form when the human embryo is about ____ old.

2 weeks

"Transporter" proteins transport neurotransmitters ____. a. back into the presynaptic neuron b. across the synapse to the postsynaptic neuron c. across the synapse back to the presynaptic neuron d. to the appropriate receptor sites

A

COMT and MAO are ____. a. enzymes that convert catecholamines into inactive chemicals b. enzymes that make catecholamines c. neurotransmitters in the same group as serotonin d. the inactive fragments of catecholamines

A

Dr. Edmonson is working in the lab with cultured neurons. He applies a drug that inhibits acetylcholinesterase. What does he expect to have occur? a. Acetylcholine will remain active in the synapse longer. b. Acetylcholine will be removed from the synapse faster. c. More acetylcholine will be released from the presynaptic cell. d. Acetylcholine will no longer be able to bind to post-synaptic receptors.

A

Hormones exert their effects ____. a. similarly to metabotropic neurotransmitters b. similarly to ionotropic neurotransmitters c. by attaching to special receptors on muscle fibers d. by being metabolized and converted via presynaptic cells

A

The anterior pituitary is composed of ____ and the posterior pituitary is composed of ____. a. glandular tissue; neural tissue b. neural tissue; glandular tissue c. neural tissue; neural tissue d. glandular tissue; glandular tissue

A

What happens to acetylcholine after it attaches to a receptor on the postsynaptic cell? a. It is broken down into two components. b. It is reabsorbed intact by the presynaptic cell. c. It is metabolized by the postsynaptic cell as a source of energy. d. It continues to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron until replaced by another neurotransmitter.

A

Ganglion

A cluster of nerve cell bodies, located outside CNS

Given what is known about facial expressions in people born blind, Peleg et al. (2006) suggest _____.

A genetic role in the ability to produce facial expressions

Damage to the basal ganglia would most likely result in ___.

A movement disorder

Edema

Accumulaton of fluid

Altruistic Behavior

Action that benefits someone other than the actor

Inhibition

An active brake that suppresses excitation

When a membrane is at rest, what attracts potassium ions to the inside of the cell?

An electrical gradient

Which type of glial cell wraps around the presynaptic terminals of a group of functionally related axons?

Astrocytes

Reflex

Automatic muscular responses to stimuli

Any gene other those on the X or Y chromosome

Autosomal gene

A ___ conveys an impulse toward other neurons, organ, or muscle

Axon

"Second messengers" carry their messages to ____. a. the presynaptic membrane b. areas within the postsynaptic cell c. areas within the presynaptic cell d. the surrounding glia

B

A hormone is a chemical that is ____. a. secreted by a gland to the outside world b. conveyed by the blood to other organs, whose activity it influences c. capable of activating or inhibiting muscle fibers d. a feedback message from the postsynaptic neuron to the presynaptic neuron

B

Releasing hormones are synthesized in the ____ and released in the ____. a. anterior pituitary; bloodstream b. hypothalamus; anterior pituitary c. hypothalamus; posterior pituitary d. posterior pituitary; hypothalamus

B

Reuptake is an alternative to which other process? a. Recycling of neurotransmitters b. Breaking down neurotransmitters via an enzymatic process c. Absorbing neurotransmitters by postsynaptic neurons d. Re-releasing neurotransmitters from postsynaptic neurons

B

Thiamine

B1 vitamin; necessary to use glucose

What structure(s) is/are implicated in movement disorders like Parkinson's and Huntington's?

Basal ganglia

The question of how various brain areas combine to produce integrated behavior and experience is referred to as the ____.

Binding problem

Enzymes serve as ___.

Biological catalysts that regulate chemical reactions in the body

Professor Godines is lecturing about the medulla, pons, the midbrain, and certain central structures of the forebrain. His lecture is about the __.

Brain Stem

Efferent Axon

Brings info away from structure

Affarent Axon

Brings info into structure

Corpus Callosum

Bundle of axons that connects the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex

A metabotropic synapse, by way of its second messenger, ____. a. has effects localized to one point on the membrane b. can influence activity in much of the presynaptic cell c. can influence activity in much or all of the postsynaptic cell d. has minimal effect on the postsynaptic cell

C

Autoreceptors monitor the ____. a. number of action potentials b. extracellular sodium concentration c. amount of neurotransmitter released d. amount of reuptake

C

Professor Leclair is giving a lecture on autoreceptors. She tells the class that _____. a. the activity of autoreceptors results in GABA being released into the synapse b. autoreceptors increase the amount of calcium that enters the axon terminal c. activated autoreceptors decrease neurotransmitter release d. the activity of autoreceptors results in glutamate being released into the synapse

C

Receptor molecules for neurotransmitters that exert metabotropic effects are proteins that bind to ____ outside the membrane, and attach to ____ inside the membrane. a. calcium; potassium b. neurotransmitters; nicotine c. neurotransmitters; G-proteins d. adenosine; nitric oxide

C

The primary method for disposal of peptide neurotransmitters is ____. a. inactivation b. reuptake by the presynaptic neuron c. diffusion d. reuptake by the postsynaptic neuron

C

Radial Glia

Cell that guides neuron migration/ axon and dendrite growth during embryological development

Sensory Neuron

Cell that is highly sensitive to a specific type fo stimulation

Motor Neuron

Cell that receives excitation from other neurons/ conducts impulses to a muscle

Neuron

Cell that receives info and transmits it to other cells

Highly folded hindbrain structure that is important for behaviors that depend on accurate timing

Cerebellum

Evolution

Change over generations in the frequencies of various genes in a population

Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by cells called the ____.

Choroid plexus

The most likely form of brain damage in younger people is _____.

Closed head injury

Column

Collection of cells perpendicular to the surface of the cortex and its laminae

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) controls secretions of the ____. a. gonads b. mammary glands c. thyroid gland d. adrenal gland

D

Many neurons release neuropeptides mostly from the ____. a. vesicles b. nodes c. axons d. dendrites

D

What is the function of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase? a. It synthesizes acetylcholine from the diet. b. It increases the sensitivity of the postsynaptic cell to acetylcholine. c. It blocks further release of the transmitter acetylcholine. d. It breaks acetylcholine down into components for recycling.

D

Diaschisis

Decreased activity of surviving brain neurons after damage to other neurons

A motor neuron, with its soma in the spinal cord, receives excitation through its

Dendrites

After the migrating neuron reaches its destination, ______ begin to form

Dendrites

The surfaces of ___ are lined with presynaptic receptors that receive information from other. neurons

Dendrites

Intrinsic

Dendrites/ axons are contained within structure

One of the classic studies to demonstrate synaptic organization and change related to experience was done by looking at __________ in animal models. The more stimulating the environment, the more change that was seen.

Dendritic branching

Heightened sensitivity to a neurotransmitter after the destruction of an incoming axon is known as ____.

Denervation supersensitivity

Actions potentials are always what?

Depolarizations

Ontogenetic Explanations

Describes how a structure or behavior develops

Functional Explanations

Describes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did

Stereotaxic Instrument

Device for precise placement of electrodes in the brain

MEG

Device that measures the faint magnetic fields generated by brain activity

EEG

Device that records activity of the brain through electrodes attached to the scalp

A(n) _____ gene shows a strong effect in either the homozygous or heterozygous condition.

Dominant

Gene that shows a strong effect in either the homozygous or heterozygous condition

Dominant gene

Descriptor for located toward the back

Dorsal

The cell bodies of the sensory neurons are in clusters of neurons outside the spinal cord called ____.

Dorsal root ganglia

Cluster of sensory neurons outside the spinal cord

Dorsal root of ganglion

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

Double-stranded molecule that is part of the chromosomes

Local Anesthetic

Drug that attaches to the Na channels of the membrane, stopping AP's

Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA)

Drug that breaks up blood clots

Refractory Period

During depolarization, another stimulus cannot respond; can respond during repolarization with only strong stimulus

Graded depolarization is known as

EPSP

Nerve Impulse

Electrical message that is transmitted down the axon of a neuron. Doesn't travel directly down the axon; speed of nerve impulses range from less than 1m/s to 100m/s

Evoked potential

Electrical recording on the scalp from brain activity in response to a stimulus

Lenore Aberle was born in a small town during the middle of a civil war. Scientists have found that many babies born during that time have health and weight issues not seen in other babies born outside of the war zone. Lenore's situation is best explained by the study of _____.

Epigenetics

Heritability

Estimate of the degree to which variation in a characteristic depends on genetic variations

The branch of psychology that studies how behavior has evolved over time is known as _____ psychology.

Evolutionary

A reflex arc contains specialized motor neurons that detect and execute the reflex

False

At synapses, the cell that receives the message is called the presynaptic neuron

False

Neurons communicate with both electrical and chemical signals. Scientists have shown that chemical communication is the preferred form as it is faster

False

Transmission of information between neurons occurs in the same way as transmission along an axon

False

Lipophilic Molecules

Fat soluble molecules

Epigenetics

Field that deals with changes in gene expression without modification of the DNA sequence

Research indicates that the behavioral events of the cerebellum may be due to its role in ___.

Focusing attention and organizing sensory inputs

Nucleus Basalis

Forebrain structure that receives input from the hypothalamus and basal ganglia

The primary motor cortex is in the ____ lobe of the cerebral cortex.

Frontal

Prefrontal Cortex

Frontal lobe portion which responds to sensory stimuli that signal the need for a movement

According to many neuroscientists, even slight disruption during _____ (one of the initial stages of embryological development where the nervous system begins to form) will result in long-term developmental and neurological problems.

Gastrulation

Phenylkentonuria (PKU)

Genetic inability to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine

Oligodendrocyte

Glia cell in brain/ spinal cord that builds myelin sheaths

Schwann Cells

Glia cell in periphery of body that builds myelin sheaths

Area of the NS that is densely packed with cell bodies and dendrites

Gray matter

Sulcus

Groove that separates one gyrus from another

Basal Ganglia

Group of subcortical forebrain structures lateral to the thalamus

Homozygous

Having two identical genes for a given characteristic

Heterozygous

Having two unlike genes for a given trait

Ion Channels

Help maintain electrical gradient

Mutation

Heritable change in a DNA molecule

An individual has difficulty remembering certain things after brain damage, but all memories stored are intact. The brain area most likely damages is the ___.

Hippocampus

Following a stroke, Mr. Smith suffered damage to his ____. His doctors warned his family that he might now have alterations in motivated behaviors like hunger, thirst, and sex.

Hypothalamus

Lamarckian Evolution

Hypothesis that use of some body part will change its size in the next generation

Dualism

Idea that our minds are one type of substance and matter is another

Monism

Idea that the universe consists of only one type of being (most philosophers believe in this)

Why is it that all neurons in a healthy adult brain have made appropriate connections?

If an axon does not make the appropriate connections by a certain age, it dies

Far Transfer

Improvement of a skill due to practice at a dissimilar skill

Kind selection as an explanation for altruistic behavior would argue that ___.

Individuals spread their genes by helping their relatives

Tegmentum

Intermediate level of midbrain

Which of the following is not commonly used to study genetic contributions to behavior?

International migrants

Node of Raniver

Interruptions in myelin sheath of vertebrate axons

The most common type of stroke is ______ (which results from a blood clot or other obstruction to the blood vessels).

Ischemic

Saltatory Conduction

Jumping of AP from node to node

Professor Case studies how drugs of abuse change the amount of chemical release from the presynaptic terminal into the ___

Junction between neurons

The cerebral cortex is organized in six layers of cell bodies called ____, which are parallel to the surface of the cortex.

Laminae

Laminae

Layer of cell bodies that are parallel to the surface of the cerebral cortex and separated by layers of fibers

Deafferent

Loss of sensory input

What technique measures the faint magnetic fields generated by brain activity?

MEG

Recent studies have shown that exposure to THC, the active chemical in _____, can reduce some of the effects of a stroke in laboratory animals.

Marijuana

Kat is studying altruistic behavior and how it benefits the species. Which of the following should Kat NOT use as an example to support this relationship?

Mate selection

Hindbrain structure located just above the spinal cord

Medulla

The ____ controls vital reflexes including breathing, heart rate, vomiting, salivation, coughing, and sneezing.

Medulla

The hippocampus plays a major roll in ___.

Memory

RP of Neuron

Messages in neuron develop disturbances of the RP. At rest= polarization difference in electrical charge in/outside of the cell

PET

Method of mapping activity in a living brain by recording the emission of radioactivity

Substantia Nigra

Midbrain structure that gives rise to a pathway releasing dopamine

Research using contemporary imaging methods have shown that people with a larger amygdala tend to have ____.

More social contacts

In a leg flexion reflex, a sensory neuron excites a second neuron, which in turn excites a ___, which excites a muscle

Motor Neuron

Migrate

Movement of brain neurons or glia

When forming connections with muscles, an axon that doesn't receive _____ will degenerate and the cell body will die.

Nerve growth factor (NGF)

The concept that neurons refine their many connections based on which ones are most successful is known as ____.​

Neural Darwinism

Presynaptic Neuron

Neuron that delivers transmission

Postsynaptic Neuron

Neuron that receives transmission

What is the difference between a hormone and a neurotransmitter?

Neurotransmitters are chemicals used by the nervous system that allow individual neurons to send messages. Hormones are secreted by the endocrine system and travel (usually via the bloodstream) to other parts of the body to exert their effects.

Collateral Sprout

Newly formed branch of an axon

Primary visual cortex is located in the ____ lobe.

Occipital

Dot is a cat with a huge brown spot on her dorsal side. The rest of her fur is white. Where is the spot located?

On Dot's back

Central Sulcus

One of the deepest grooves in the surface of the cerebral cortex

Dr. Kerr's lab uses a procedure called ____ that uses light to control a small population of neurons.

Optogenetics

If damaged, axons in the _____ can grow back slowly if allowed to follow the original myelin sheath. However, axons in the _____ have a harder time growing back in part because the astrocytes produce a lot of scarring.

PNS; CNS

The ____ system consists of the cranial nerves and nerves from the sacral spinal cord.

Parasympathetic

Dr. Chiarella's lab studies the primary somatosensory cortex, located in the ____ lobe.

Parietal

Spontaneous Firing Rate

Periodic production of action potentials even without synaptic input

Unfortunately, Nakita had to have a leg amputated after a serious injury. Later during recovery, she noticed that it still felt like her leg was present. This is likely due to ________.

Phantom limb experience

Prior to Mendel's work with genetics, it was thought that if two colored flowers (one red and one white) were mated, the resulting flower would be _____.

Pink because mixing red and white blend to make pink

Presynaptic Terminal

Point where an axon releases chemicals

Hindbrain structure that lies anterior/ ventral to the medulla

Pons

Precentral Cortex

Posterior portion of the frontal lobe of the cortex, specialized for control of movement

Professor Micheals is explaining to his students that, when the neuron is at rest, ___ is mostly responsible for the movement of potassium ions out of the cell

Potassium's concentration gradient

An axon has many branches, each of which swells at its tip. These are known as ___

Presynaptic terminals

Postcentral Gyrus

Primary receptor site for touch and other body sensations

Neural Darwinism

Principle of competition among axons

Myelinaiton

Process by which glia produce insulating fatty sheaths that accelerate transmission in many vertebrate axons

Phrenology

Process of attempting to relate skull anatomy to behavior

Artificial Selection

Process of selecting plants/animals for desired traits

Proliferation

Production of new cells

Apoptosis

Programmed mechanism of cell death

Chlamers

Proposes consciousness might be a fundamental property of matter (mass + weight)

Na/K pump

Protein complex

Histone

Protein that binds DNA into a shape that resembles a string wound around a ball

Nerve growth Factor (NGF)

Protein that promotes the survival of axons in certain axons in the brain

Tennille wants to know what eating proteins, which are rich in tyrosine, might do to neurotransmitter levels. What would you tell her?

Proteins are rich in tyrosine, which is the precursor to several neurotransmitters called the catecholamines. Dopamine is made from tyrosine and norepinephrine and epinephrine are made from dopamine. So, eating lots of proteins is likely to increase levels of the catecholamines.

Gyrus

Protuberance on the surface of the brain

AP

RP remains stable until neuron is stiumlated

___ guide the migration fo neurons and their axons and dendrites during embryonic development

Radial glia

Gene that shows effects only in the homozygous condition

Recessive gene

Evolutionary Explanations

Reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure or behavior

Physiological Explanations

Relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs

Ablation

Removal of brain area

Microglia

Remove waste material, viruses, and fungi. Also remove dead or damaged neurons

Soma

Responsible for metabolic work of neuron, covered in synapses

Cerebrovascular Accident

Result of interrupted blood flow to the brain from blood clot or ruptured artery

EPSP

Results from a flow of sodium ions into the neuron

Tectum

Root of the midbrain

Dr.Weiss's famous studies on chemical pathfinding by axons was conducted using ______.

Salamanders and their legs

In the periphery of the body, ___ build the myelin sheaths that surround and insulate certain vertebrate axons

Schwann Cells

Nerve

Set of axons in the periphery, either from the CNS to a muscle or gland or from a sensory organ to the CNS

Tract

Set of axons within the CNS, aka projection

Cerebral Cortex

Set of layers of cells on the outer surface of the forebrain's cerebral hemisphere

Gene present in both sexes but that exerts its effects primarily in one sex

Sex- limited gene

Gene on either the X or the Y chromosome

Sex- linked gene

Dendritic Spine

Short outgrowth that increases surface area available for synapses

Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)

Single- strand chemical coded by DNA

Hypothalamus

Small area near the base of the brain, ventral to the thalamus

How are neurotransmitters removed from the synapse?

Some neurotransmitters like acetylcholine are broken down by enzymes into inactive components. Other neurotransmitters are taken back up through specialized membrane proteins called transporters. Finally, other neurotransmitters like the neuropeptides diffuse away from the synapse.

Fitness

Spreading of genes

Astrocyte

Star-shaped glia that synchronizes activity of axons

Chromosome

Strand of genes

Hippocampus

Structure located toward the posterior of the forebrain, between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex

The ____ is a part of the brain that is very important for vision.

Superior colliculus

BBB

Surrounds brain/ blocks most chemicals from entering

Superios Colliculus

Swelling on either side of the tectum which is important to visual processing

Superior Colliculus

Swelling on either side of the tectum; important to visual processing

Inferior Colliculus

Swelling on the surface of the tectum that contributes to hearing

On the Fourth of July, Charlie was startled by some loud fireworks. As such, his____ axons prepared his body for fight or flight.

Sympathetic

In the developing brain, the formation of synapses begins before birth and continues through life and is known as ______.

Synaptogenesis

The ____ lobe contributes to complex aspects of vision, including perception of movement and recognition of faces.

Temporal

Amygdala

Temporal lobe structure important for evaluating emotional information

IPSP

Temporary hyperpolarization of a membrane

TMS

Temporary inactivation of targeted neurons

Stroke

Temporary loss of normal blood flow to a brain area

Dr. Wellman is using an electroencephalograph on one of her patients to measure ___.

The average activity of the cells in a given region of the brain

Reflex Arc

The circuit from sensory neuron to muscle response

Temporal Summation

The combined effect of quickly repeated stimulation at a single synapse

Spatial Summation

The combined effect of several nearly simultaneous stimulations at several synapses onto one neuron

Ralph was born with red-green color blindness. His sister, Ana, was not. This makes sense, as men tend to have more trouble with red-green color blindness because _____.

The red-green gene is a sex-linked gene

Describe the sequence of events that occurs in synaptic transmission.

The sequence of events involves synthesis, storage, release, diffusion, activation of receptor, and inactivation/reuptake.

Phrenology (relating skull anatomy to behavior) is invalid for many reasons. Which of the following is NOT one of those reasons?

They based conclusions on large numbers of people with similar bumps on the skull.

Relative Refractory Period

Time that requires stronger stimulus to initiate an AP

Refractory Period

Time when the cell resists the production of further AP's

Absolute Refractory Period

Time when the membrane is unable to produce an AP

What procedure enables researchers to study behavior with some brain area active, then inactive, and then active again?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Propagation of AP

Transmission of an AP down on axon

Axon

Transmits nerve impulses

Although relatively small, the hypothalamus is very important for a large range of motivated behaviors.

True

Recent evidence suggests that adult vertebrate brains generate new neurons

True

Spatial summation is the result of synaptic inputs from different locations arriving at the same time

True

The amount of temporal summation depends on the rate of stimulation

True

Gene

Unit of heredity that maintains its structural identity from one generation to another

Which of the following cranial nerves does not play a role in the control of eye movements?

VIII

Descriptor for located toward the stomach

Ventral

Area of the NS consisting of myelinated axons

White matter

Electrical/ Concentration Gradients

Work to pull sodium ions into the cell; electrical gradient tends to pull out potassium ions into cells