Psych Chapter 2
What is the purpose of a split-brain operation?
To confine epileptic seizures to one hemisphere of the cerebral cortex
What is the purpose of a split-brain operation?
To enhance aesthetic and emotional responses
Among lower animals, stimulation of various areas of the__________can trigger instinctual behaviors such as fighting, mating, or nest building.
hypothalamus
Messages from the brain or spinal cord are transmitted to muscles or glands through _____.
motor neurons
__________intensifies most emotions and is central to the experience of fear and anxiety.
Epinephrine
Which of the following is a function of the reticular formation?
It is vital in the functions of attention, sleep, and arousal.
Which of the following is a function of the medulla of the brain?
It plays roles in sleeping, sneezing, and coughing.
Which of these is a function of prolactin?
It regulates maternal behavior in lower mammals.
Which of the following represents an interaction of one's nature and nurture?
Phenotype
Which of the following causes Down syndrome?
The presence of an extra chromosome on the 21st pair
Thyroxin deficiency in children can lead to__________, which is a condition characterized by stunted growth and mental retardation.
cretinism
Derek is working on a thesis on the changes in social behavior in the context of finding partners. An important part of his study concerns the various practices followed by males and females over the course of generations and how they have gradually transformed into our current social norms. Derek can be called a(n) _____ psychologist.
evolutionary
Dr. Kennett is a neurologist who is conducting research using brain scans. He wants to study pictures of his subjects' brains while they are speaking or using a language. These pictures will help Dr. Kennett understand the parts of the brain that are being used to speak and the other processes that occur simultaneously in the brain. Based on the nature of study, it would be most suitable for Dr. Kennett to use _____.
functional magnetic resonance imaging
Shana is a young girl who was in a bus accident a few years ago. Since her accident, Shana is only able to remember people she had met before the accident and instances from her childhood. However, she is unable to remember people she met recently or events that are currently happening in her life. She reads the same newspaper for several days without realizing that she has read it before. The accident has disabled Shana's ability to permanently store new information because she sustained an injury to her _____.
hippocampus
The__________minimizes leakage of the electrical current being carried along the axon, thereby allowing messages to be conducted more efficiently.
myelin sheath
The__________is a bulge in the hindbrain that lies forward of the medulla and transmits information about body movement.
pons
Some researchers consider the__________to be the "executive center" of the brain, where decisions are made to keep information in working memory and to solve problems.
prefrontal cortex
During puberty,__________stokes the growth of muscle and bone and the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics in a male body.
testosterone
Which of the following refers to a time during which a neuron is insensitive to messages from other neurons and does not fire?
A refractory period
Which of the following pituitary hormones regulates the adrenal cortex?
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone
__________is best defined as a sudden variation in an inheritable characteristic, as distinguished from a variation that results from generations of gradual selection.
Mutation
In the context of the brain's language functions, identify the correct statement.
People with Wernicke's aphasia usually speak freely and with proper syntax.
The__________is a group of structures involved in memory, motivation, and emotion that forms a fringe along the inner edge of the cerebrum.
limbic system
Which of the following best describes association areas?
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not primarily involved in sensation or motor activity
Which of the following is a feature of gray matter?
It consists of non-myelinated neurons.
Which of the following techniques relies on subtle shifts in blood flow to create a brain scan?
Magnetic resonance imaging
A neuron relays its message to another neuron across a junction called a__________.
synapse
Axons end in small, bulb-shaped structures called _____.
terminal buttons