chapter 2 biology and psychology

Phoebe recently suffered a major fall in which she sustained brain injuries. Since then, she has had immense difficulty in communicating with others. She appears to understand what is said to her, but her responses are slow and laborious. Her sentences are always incomplete with important grammatical words missing. Which of the following conditions best reflects Phoebe's case?

Broca's aphasia

A(n)__________is a stereotyped pattern of behavior that is triggered in a specific situation.

instinct

Allen was adopted at an early age by a Japanese-American couple. As a result, he grew up speaking both Japanese and English fluently. In terms of genetics, this manifestation of Allen's ability to speak is called__________.

phenotype

In positron emission tomography, to trace the metabolism of glucose, a radioactive compound called a(n)__________is mixed with glucose and injected into the bloodstream.

tracer

Dizygotic twins are important in the study of the relative influences of nature and nurture because differences between dizygotic twins are the result of nurture.

FALSE

​_____ defines one's nature, which is based on biological structures and processes.

Heredity

In the context of behavioral genetics, identify the correct statement.

Heredity is apparently involved in psychological disorders ranging from anxiety and depression to personality disorders.

Which of the following is a function of the reticular formation?

It is vital in the functions of attention, sleep, and arousal.

Which of these is a function of the medulla of the brain?

It plays roles in sleeping, sneezing, and coughing.

Which of the following brain imaging techniques relies on subtle shifts in blood flow?

Magnetic resonance imaging

Emily suffers from insomnia. When she went to see a doctor, she was told that her sleeplessness was caused by the deficiency of a particular hormone. The doctor then gave her sleeping pills containing the same. Which is the hormone in question? Correct!

Melatonin

Which of the following terms is related to one's genotype?

Nature

Which of the following neurotransmitters is involved in emotional arousal and sleep?

Serotonin

According to the notion that the hemispheres of the brain are involved in very different kinds of intellectual and emotional functions and responses, left-brained people are primarily logical and intellectual.

TRUE

Psychologists are thinking in terms of behavioral genetics when they ask about the inborn reasons why individuals may differ in their behavior and mental processes.

TRUE

Sacs called synaptic vesicles in the axon terminals contain neurotransmitters.

TRUE

Which of the following is a bulb-shaped structure at the end of axons?

Terminal buttons

Which of the following represents an interaction of one's nature and nurture?

The phenotype

Which of the following causes Down syndrome?

The presence of an extra chromosome on the 21st pair

Which of the following is a likely consequence of low thyroxin secretion in adults?

They feel tired and sluggish and may put on weight.

Paul is a fifty-five-year-old man who has been having some difficulty recalling important details. On visiting a doctor, he was told that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The deficiency of__________is most likely to be linked to Paul's condition.

acetylcholine

Bobby was standing in line to purchase a movie ticket. All of a sudden, the man in front of him took a few steps back and stepped on Bobby's foot. Bobby had an immediate sensation of pain. This sensation was transmitted via the spinal cord to the brain through__________.

afferent-neurons

Peter took his bicycle for a ride one morning. He was not wearing a helmet and fell off a ridge, into a steep valley. Apart from fracturing his arm and acquiring several bruises, Peter severely injured his head. The doctor noticed a swelling on the right side of his head and suspected it to be a blood clot. He advised Peter to get a(n)__________done to further investigate his injuries.

computerized-axial-tomography-scan

__________is a neurotransmitter that controls muscle contractions.

dopamine

Which of the following refers to a time when a neuron is insensitive to messages from other neurons and does not fire?

A refractory period

Which of the following diseases stems from food poisoning and prevents the release of acetylcholine?

Botulism

Will was driving down a road one night. Suddenly, he noticed a man trying to cross the road just a little away from the car. Will felt an intense fear and immediately became alert and slammed the breaks down hard, missing the man by inches. Which hormone was responsible for this reaction?

Epinephrine

Instinctive behavior is absent when an individual is reared in isolation from others of its kind.

FALSE

Norepinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is manufactured exclusively by the adrenal glands.

FALSE

The pineal gland secretes a hormone called prolactin, which regulates maternal behavior in lower mammals such as rats and stimulates production of milk in women.

FALSE

The somatic nervous system controls activities such as heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and dilation of the pupils.

FALSE

__________remove dead neurons and waste products from the nervous system, nourish and insulate neurons, and form myelin.

Glial-cells

Which of the following is a function of norepinephrine?

It is involved in general arousal and learning and memory.

Which of the following is a function of oxytocin?

It stimulates labor in pregnant women.

In the context of the limbic system, which of the following statements is true?

People with hippocampal damage cannot permanently store new information.

Which of the following pituitary hormones regulates the adrenal cortex?

The Adrenocorticotrophic hormone

Which of the following structures in the brain is known to be connected with vigilance?

The amygdala

Which of the following terms best describes the nucleotides found along just one of the rungs of a molecular ladder?

The genetic code

Which of the following is a difference between the thalamus and the hypothalamus?

The thalamus serves as a relay station for sensory stimulation, whereas the hypothalamus controls the regulation of body temperature, concentration of fluids, storage of nutrients, and motivation and emotion.

What is the purpose of a split brain operation?

To confine seizures to one hemisphere of the cerebral cortex

John recently suffered a blow to the head. Since then, he has found it quite difficult to express his thoughts. Although his ability to think has not been impaired, he cannot find the right words to say what he wants to say. However, he speaks freely and with proper syntax. John most likely suffers from__________.

Wernicke-s-aphasia

The__________refers to the fact that a neuron fires an impulse of the same strength whenever its action potential is triggered.

all-or-none-principle

Nicotine, alcohol, and many other drugs are pleasurable because they heighten levels of__________.

dopamine

Being left-handed has been associated with an above average probability of having__________.

dyslexia

Dr. Kennett is a neurologist who is conducting research using brain imaging techniques. He wants to study pictures of his subjects' brain while they are speaking or using a language. The pictures will help Dr. Kennett understand the parts of the brain that are being used to speak and other processes that occur simultaneously in the brain. Based on the nature of study, the most suitable technique for Dr. Kennett's research would be to use__________.

functional-magnetic-resonance-imaging

Alicia recently had a bad car accident. Since then, she cannot recall events that occurred after the accident. However, she can recall events that took place before the accident. She recognizes her family and friends and important dates, such as her birthday and her marriage anniversary, but has to be constantly reintroduced to new people in her life. Alicia has most likely sustained damage 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

​Traits such as sociability and aggressiveness are thought to be _________.

polygenic

The__________is a bulge in the hindbrain that lies forward of the medulla and transmits information about body movement.

pons