Psychology Chapter 2
The brain makes up _____ percent of the body's weight.
2
A female patient comes into a doctor's office and cannot articulate words or create fluent sentences. Which brain disorder would the doctor think the woman has?
Broca's aphasia
A lesion in which part of the brain would MOST likely result in a disruption of language expression?
Broca's area
also called the soma, contains structures that manufacture proteins and process nutrients, providing the energy the neuron needs to function. (also contains the nucleus, which in turn contains the cell's genetic material—twisted strands of DNA called chromosomes.)
Cell Body
extend from the cell bodies of most neurons. receive messages from other neurons or specialized cells.
Dendrites
_____ is the neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal.
Dopamine
_____ complexity has been shown to affect the rate of neurogenesis in monkeys, rodents, and birds.
Environmental
_____ is/are an excitatory neurotransmitter(s) that enhance(s) transmission of information throughout the brain.
Glutamate
_____ is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, while _____ is a primary inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Glutamate; GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Which statement BEST characterizes the hindbrain?
It includes areas of the brain responsible for fundamental life-sustaining processes.
Which statement describes the function of Wernicke's area?
It is the brain's headquarters for language comprehension.
not structurally different from other motor neurons. They are a distinct type of motor neuron that becomes activated both when individuals perform a motor act and when they observe the same motor act done by another individual
Mirror neurons
also called efferent neurons, communicate information to the muscles and glands of the body. (blinking your eyes activates thousands of these)
Motor Neurons
If one wanted to send a message to the body in the fastest way possible, which system would you choose?
Nervous system
_____ and _____ are both kinds of gonads.
Ovaries; testes
also called afferent neurons, convey information about the environment, such as light or sound, from specialized receptor cells in the sense organs to the brain. (also carry information from the skin and internal organs to the brain)
Sensory neurons
Research has indicated that daily exercise has this effect on aging.
a delay in the onset of memory loss
A spike in electrical energy that passes through the axon of a neuron is called a(n):
action potential.
Patrick's parents have left him at home by himself for the first time. Just after he goes to bed, he hears the doorbell ring. He is not expecting a visitor. His first thought is whether all the doors are locked. His heart is beating fast. Patrick's sympathetic nervous system has now stimulated his _____, which will produce hormones involved in his stress response.
adrenal glands
Bob does NOT have voluntary control over the _____; he does have voluntary control over the _____.
autonomic nervous system; somatic nervous system
Responsible for carrying information from the neuron to other cells in the body (including other neurons), the _____ is a single, elongated tube that extends from the cell body in most neurons.
axon
single elongated tube that extends from the cell body in most, though not all, neurons
axon
the scientific study of the biological bases of behavior and mental processes.
biological psychology
Niels is trying to imagine what the human nervous system looks like. He knows that the body has neurons that run up and down the spine and branch throughout the body. And these neurons provide the connection between the:
brain and body.
The central nervous system is composed of the:
brain and spinal cord.
Ever since overcoming a brain disease, Kim has had trouble typing on the computer. Which of Kim's brain areas was MOST likely damaged?
cerebellum
The brain structure known as the _____ helps coordinate movement and enables one type of nonverbal learning.
cerebellum
The medulla is an extension of the spinal cord into the skull that:
controls heart rate, circulation, and respiration.
Although phrenology has been dismissed as a pseudoscience, it did spur scientific interest in the possibility of:
cortical localization.
Increasing the electric signal beyond the threshold that initiates the action potential:
does not increase the strength of the action potential.
Which neurotransmitter is associated with pleasure and plays a role in drug addiction?
dopamine
Abdul is running a marathon, and after 15 miles he doesn't think he can take it anymore. Just as he is about to give up, the pain suddenly subsides, and he feels much better and motivated to run the rest of the race. Abdul is MOST likely feeling the effects of which neurotransmitter?
endorphins
In his medical practice, Dr. Cheng uses acupuncture, an ancient Chinese procedure, which involves inserting needles at various points in the body. This painkilling technique is assumed to involve the production of _____ by the brain.
endorphins
Naturally occurring, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control are called:
endorphins
What part comprises 90 percent of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum?
forebrain
Which major area of the brain controls complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor functions?
forebrain
The lobes of the forebrain include the:
frontal, occipital, temporal, parietal
Which neuroimaging technique reveals brain structure as well as blood flow that indicates brain functioning?
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
The brain's ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged areas is called:
functional plasticity.
In addition to controlling other endocrine glands, the pituitary also has primary responsibility for regulating:
growth
The pons and medulla are positioned in the _____.
hindbrain
Which major area of the brain deals with information coming in from and going out through the spinal cord?
hindbrain
Studies in adult humans have shown that new neurons continue to be generated in the _____, a part of the brain that plays an important role in the ability to form new memories, even late in life.
hippocampus
Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system:
increases salivation and decreases blood pressure
communicate information between neurons. By far, most of the neurons in the human nervous system are these
interneurons
After a construction accident, Jared was left without the ability to comprehend and express language because of damage sustained in his:
left temporal lobe.
The _____ is responsible for heartbeat and breathing.
medulla
The neurotransmitter norepinephrine is involved in:
mood stimulating behavior and arousal.
When you blink your eyes, thousands of _____ fire.
motor neurons
Carol has multiple sclerosis (MS). She experiences muscle weakness, loss of coordination and speech, and visual disturbances that result from the slowdown or interruption of neural transmission. The cause of these symptoms probably involves the degeneration of her:
myelin sheath.
Information from the peripheral nervous system is carried to the central nervous system by neural "cables" called:
nerves.
The development of new neurons is known as:
neurogenesis.
Bobby is studying for a psychology exam. Using his brain's 90 billion nerve cells, or _____, and roughly 100 trillion points of communication, he looks out the window and is able to see birds flying around outside.
neurons
They are the building blocks of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
neurons
Victor is very cognitively inclined and loves to challenge his mind with new tasks. The components of his brain that process information in these tasks are his:
neurons
cells that are highly specialized to receive and transmit information from one part of the body to another
neurons
Dr. Stack studies the function and structure of the brain. Dr. Stack's area of research is:
neuroscience
the scientific study of the brain and the rest of the nervous system
neuroscience
Dr. Reynolds is studying how memories are stored in the brain. Dr. Reynolds is MOST likely a:
neuroscientist.
In synaptic transmission, the action potential stimulates the release of:
neurotransmitters by the synaptic vesicles.
If a neuron receives stimulation but this stimulation is just under the threshold for the neuron:
no action potential will occur.
Rather than forming a continuous coating of the axon, the myelin sheath occurs in segments that are separated by small gaps. The small gaps are called the:
nodes of Ranvier.
The benefit of using functional neuroimaging techniques is that they allow researchers to:
observe dynamic activity in the brain as it happens during specific tasks.
Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is MOST directly involved in vision?
occipital
After a police car with flashing lights and a blaring siren passes him and pulls over another driver for speeding, Jerry's heartbeat soon slows down, his blood pressure decreases, and he stops sweating so much. These calming physical reactions are MOST directly regulated by his:
parasympathetic nervous system.
The amygdala is a structure in the brain that is involved in:
perceiving and experiencing emotions and forming emotional memories.
Samantha has just given birth to her first baby and has started breast-feeding. Samantha has her _____ gland to thank for producing prolactin and oxytocin to stimulate her milk production and for the let-down reflex.
pituitary
Ten-year-old Leticia has grown three inches in the past year. Leticia has her _____ gland to thank for producing the growth hormone that triggered her jump in height.
pituitary
The importance of the _____ gland is demonstrated through its role in skeletal growth, pain reduction, and breast-feeding.
pituitary
The _____ coordinates movement between the right and left sides of the body.
pons
Every time a segment of an axon fires, the _____ flood in from the outside of the cell, while the prior segment returns to its resting potential.
positive sodium ions
The parietal lobe:
processes information about touch.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter involved in:
producing muscle contractions, learning, and memory.
The _____ is the difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's membrane.
resting potential
Jorge cannot feel his left leg after being struck by a car, but he can still move it and walk on it. It is MOST likely that he damaged his _____, but his motor neurons are still intact.
sensory neurons
What type of neurons receive information directly from the environment and convey this information to the brain for processing?
sensory neurons
Nina was almost hit by a bus. However, she is okay and her parasympathetic system is responding accordingly. It is:
slowing her heart rate and activating her digestion.
The relationship between the ions _____ and _____ in and around the axon is what activates polarization or depolarization of the neuron.
sodium; potassium
Dr. Hoffmann studies the central nervous system. His work focuses on the brain and the other component of the central nervous system, which is the:
spinal cord
Luke's dad is playing hide-and-seek with him. As Luke is searching for his dad, his heart is racing and he feels nervous. When Luke finds his dad's hiding spot, his dad jumps out and looks scary, stimulating the _____ part of Luke's nervous system.
sympathetic
Devan is studying for his midterm and is quizzing himself on the topic of neurons. He is trying to figure out the name for that "tiny space" where neurons connect, which is the:
synaptic gap.
Drugs that block the reuptake of serotonin will thereby increase the concentration of serotonin molecules in the:
synaptic gap.
A stroke or other damage to the _____ can result in deficits in hearing and language.
temporal lobe
Aphasia is:
the loss of language ability.
Information that is received on the left side of the body is processed in _____ of the brain.
the right hemisphere
The sac-like structures found inside the axon terminals containing neurotransmitters are called:
vesicles
How much of our brain do we use?
virtually 100 percent
