Psychology Chapter 3
A typical adult brain contains somewhere around 85 to 100 billion neurons.
True
Although fMRI is used to study brain activity, it can only indirectly measure whether neurons in any given area are active.
True
Match each adult brain structure to the correct developmental division.
neocortex-parietal lobe hindbrain - cerebellum midbrain- tegmentum subcortex - thalamus
Place the biological structures in order of increasing size and complexity, from smallest and least complex to largest and most complex.
neurons nerves spinal cord nervous system
Kouame is teaching a psychology course and administers a personality test to his students. He observes that they vary significantly on the "argumentativeness" personality construct. Assuming that argumentativeness is a typical human behavioral trait, how much of the variation in Kouame's students is likely a result of genetic factors?
30 to 60 percent
Genevieve is thrown from her bicycle in an accident and suffers a traumatic brain injury to her frontal lobe. In which of the following functions might she experience some impairment?
Correct Answer(s) executive functions inhibitory control Incorrect Answer(s) language comprehension breathing
Without a myelin sheath, impulses travel down the axon of a neuron slower than a normal person's running speed.
True
Identify the type of neuron that is characterized by each example.
motor neuron a nerve that makes your leg kick during a knee-jerk reflex, interneuron a bundle of nerves connecting the brain's motor cortex to the spinal cord, sensory neuron a nerve that is sensitive to changes in temperature,
Place the events in order of what happens when a neuron fires an action potential.
Ions rush into the cell via ion channels along its dendrites. The voltage inside the neuron transitions from negative to positive, triggering an action potential to fire down the axon. The neuron begins to repolarize. The cell reaches an even more negative charge than when it started, briefly making another action potential impossible. As the charge returns to the resting potential, the refractory period ends.
Which of the following conditions might arise from damage to the prefrontal cortex?
Correct Answer(s) impaired impulse control acquired sociopathy Incorrect Answer(s) difficulty understanding language, disrupted sense of touch
Some patients who have received head injuries are unable to articulate language verbally but can still both hear and comprehend what they hear. Identify the brain regions that are likely to have been damaged in such patients.
Correct Answer(s) motor cortex Broca's area Incorrect Answer(s) auditory cortex Wernicke's area
Phrenology is another name for neuropsychology.
False
Heredity and Plasticity Heritability is defined in terms of what proportion of an individual person's characteristics are the result of their genes.
False
Which statement best describes the relationship between neuroscience and modern psychological science?
Neuroscience is essential in psychology
Match each substructure to the most specific brain structure to which it belongs.
Brainstem. pons medulla oblongata reticular formation Midbrain. ventral tegmental area tegmentum substantia nigra
Bertie sees a cartoon and immediately recognizes the characters as a series of former U.S. presidents. Which type of cortex is responsible for this recognition?
Association Cortex
Which component of the nervous system is mainly dedicated to involuntary signals, such as telling your heart to beat?
Autonomic nervous system
Serge is an accomplished violin player, able both to play complex solos from memory and to play at a much faster tempo than most other violinists. Which brain structure gives him the precision and accurate timing required to play with such skill?
Cerebellum
Ekon volunteers to participate in an experiment that temporarily and harmlessly disables parts of the brain using a noninvasive procedure. During the experiment, large portions of his left cerebral cortex are disabled. Which of the following events are consequences that might arise from this procedure?
Correct Answer(s) Ekon will struggle to make sense of spoken language. Ekon will be unable to draw with his right hand. Incorrect Answer(s) Ekon will lose vision in his right eye. Ekon will become much more emotional and less rational.
After being born prematurely, Ethan initially seems unresponsive to sound. However, based on recordings of his brain made using EEG, doctors assure his parents that he is registering sound. In addition, they say, the recordings show that he is paying particularly close attention to the sound of people's voices. Identify the observations that would be consistent with this diagnosis.
Correct Answer(s) Ethan's brain activity shows an event-related potential to sounds. Ethan's brain activity shows more coordination when presented with speech. Incorrect Answer(s) Ethan only displays brain waves when presented with speech.
Which of the following statements are consequences of repeated exposure to opioids?
Correct Answer(s) Failure to take the drug results in aches, tremors, and nausea. Over time, larger and larger doses are needed to have the same effect. Incorrect Answer(s) Users become violent and delusional, even displaying superhuman strength. Addicts remain awake for days at a time.
Which of the following things is Phineas Gage famous for?
Correct Answer(s) Gage's situation revealed a connection between the prefrontal cortex and the sense of self. Gage survived having a rod over a yard long shot all the way through his skull. Gage received brain damage that caused a sudden shift in his personality. Incorrect Answer(s) Gage advocated on behalf of the theory of phrenology. Gage lost the ability to form long-term memories.
Which of the following statements are reasons that traditional brain imaging is insufficient in determining where a particular type of information processing occurs in the brain?
Correct Answer(s) The region of the brain that is most active is not necessarily where the key processing occurs. Areas may become active for reasons correlated with information processing but not caused by it. Incorrect Answer(s) The entire brain is involved in all mental activities. Brain imaging lacks sufficient resolution to say anything definitive about brain activity. Because imaging uses indirect measures, we can't be sure that the brain is even active in those places.
Which of the following are benefits of using "replacement" drugs like methadone and buprenorphine for people dependent on opioids?
Correct Answer(s) These drugs bind with and activate opiate receptors. Incorrect Answer(s) These drugs block the opiate receptors, rendering them ineffective. These drugs reset brain chemistry to its original, pre-addiction state. These drugs produce the same high as standard opiates.
Julia is a somewhat forgetful person in general, but some of her memories are extremely vivid because they are so emotionally moving. Identify the brain structures that work together to make these memories unforgettable.
Correct Answer(s) amygdala hippocampus Incorrect Answer(s) basal ganglia hypothalamus
Ksenia is born with a gene that is considered a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease later in life. Which of the following factors can influence whether or not this gene is expressed?
Correct Answer(s) chronic stress during adulthood, early childhood nutrition, whether the risky allele is dominant or recessive. Incorrect Answer(s) whether or not Ksenia's great grandparents developed Alzheimer's disease.
Which of the following behaviors are examples of executive functions?
Correct Answer(s) deciding not to take any free candy, despite the temptation to do so. planning what you are going to say in a conversation. choosing to think about an argument from another person's perspective Incorrect Answer(s) hearing your name spoken by someone at a crowded party. reflexively catching a ball that's been tossed to you.
Kazuo is preparing a research grant and wishes to study brain activity in healthy individuals. It is important that he use technology that is both noninvasive and that poses minimal risks to his participants. Identify the research methods that have these characteristics.
Correct Answer(s) functional magnetic resonance imaging magnetoencephalography electroencephalography Incorrect Answer(s) single-cell recording computerized tomography
In which of the following kinds of mental activity does the limbic system play a central role?
Correct Answer(s) memory emotion voluntary movement hunger Incorrect Answer(s) reflexes, breathing
The gene for eye color comes in many different variants, or alleles. The allele for brown eyes (denoted by B) is dominant, while the allele for blue eyes (denoted by b) is recessive. Identify the cases in which a person would be expected to have brown eyes.
Correct Answer(s) mother's allele: B / father's allele: B, mother's allele: B / father's allele: b, mother's allele: b / father's allele: B Incorrect Answer(s) mother's allele: b / father's allele: b
Anatomical and Functional Divisions of the Nervous System Which of the following systems are components of the autonomic nervous system?
Correct Answer(s) parasympathetic nervous system sympathetic nervous system Incorrect Answer(s) central nervous system. peripheral nervous system. somatic nervous system
Which of the following portions of the nervous system are involved in our response to threatening situations, from identifying the threat, to preparing us for a fight-or-flight response, to helping restore our body afterward?
Correct Answer(s) sympathetic nervous system parasympathetic nervous system central nervous system Incorrect Answer(s) somatic nervous system
MRI scanners expose patients to dangerous radiation.
False
Neurons receive messages by forming physical connections to the terminal branches of other neurons. These connections act like pipes that carry neurotransmitters between neurons.
False
Ugolina began losing weight rapidly and feeling very faint. Doctors determined that her brain function appeared normal, but when questioned she realized that she had completely forgotten to eat for several days in a row. Which part of the endocrine system is likely responsible for the symptoms she is experiencing?
Hypothalamus
Which of the following neurons are examples of interneurons?
Interneuron(s) a neuron connecting your amygdala to your hippocampus. a neuron connecting your spinal cord to your brainstem Not Interneuron(s) a neuron connecting a pain receptor in your skin to a nerve in your arm. a neuron connecting your spinal cord to your heart
The Human Brain From the Top Down Which of the following neurons are examples of interneurons?
Interneuron(s) a neuron connecting your spinal cord to your brainstem. a neuron connecting your amygdala to your hippocampus. Not Interneuron(s) a neuron connecting a pain receptor in your skin to a nerve in your arm. a neuron connecting your spinal cord to your heart.
A patient who is believed to be experiencing a heroin overdose is administered naloxone in the emergency room. How do doctors hope this drug might save the patient's life?
Naloxone is an antagonist; it blocks the agonist effect of heroin
Identify whether each instance of brain plasticity is an example of neurogenesis or synaptogenesis.
Neurogenesis. During a child's first year of life, the number of cells in the brain doubles. New neurons in the hippocampus play a role in memory formation. Synaptogenesis. A frightening film strengthens the association between clowns and a fear response. Two neurons are already connected but form additional connections between themselves.
A neurotransmitter is released into the synapse between two neurons, which opens channels that cause a flood of negatively-charged chloride (Cl-) ions to pour into the postsynaptic neuron. They change the voltage in the cell body of the neuron. What happens next in the postsynaptic neuron?
Nothing. The cell does not fire an action potential
Match each neuroscientific technique to the main advantage it offers doctors and scientists.
PET can reveal altered brain chemistry, MRI lets us study large-scale brain anatomy. DTI reveals long-distance connections. fMRI good spatial resolution. EEG good temporal resolution.
When Ulf can't breathe through his nose because of a cold, his food tastes different than usual. However, perfume always smells the same to him, whether or not he is eating as he smells it. What does Ulf's experience indicate about the relationship between smell and taste?
Smell can be dissociated from taste
Which of the following topics would be studied by neuroscientists, and which would be studied by psychologists?
Studied by Neuroscientists Identifying which brain regions are associated with fear. Using computer simulations to study how networks of virtual neurons behave. Examining the effects of drugs on individual neurons. Studied by Psychologists Assessing the accuracy of vivid long-term memories. Comparing beliefs about social norms across cultures.
Following a life-threatening viral infection, Gustavo finds he is no longer able to make sense of how what he sees relates to what he hears. Although he retains some sense of hearing and vision, the two senses feel disconnected. Which brain region likely suffered damage as a result of his infection?
Thalamus
Patients who have undergone a split-brain procedure, which prevents the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex from talking to one another, can still engage in most normal day-to-day activities.
True
Paulo is an engineer who is hired to design and build equipment for a neuroscience lab that would like to directly record the action potentials of individual neurons. His initial proposal allows for the detection of multiple simultaneous action potentials from the same neuron. A second engineer, Erica, who is reviewing his plans tells him, "You don't need to worry about that. It can't happen." Is Erica's statement true or false?
True
Heredity and Plasticity Identify the true and false statements about stem cells.
True Statement(s) A single stem cell could potentially become any kind of cell in the body. They are ordinarily found in human embryos. They have not yet undergone gene expression. False Statement(s) Each stem cell can only become one of a handful of cell types. They only have limited potential for medical therapy.
Identify the true and false statements about glia.
True Statement(s) The myelin sheaths around axons are made of glia. Glia provide a kind of glue-like cushion for neurons. Glial cells are responsible for cleaning debris from the brain. False Statement(s) Glia play no major role in information processing.
Identify the true and false statements about stem cells.
True Statement(s) They are ordinarily found in human embryos. A single stem cell could potentially become any kind of cell in the body. They have not yet undergone gene expression. False Statement(s) They only have limited potential for medical therapy. Each stem cell can only become one of a handful of cell types.
Identify each component of the nervous system as belonging to the central or peripheral nervous system.
central nervous system. spinal cord brain peripheral nervous system. somatic nervous system sympathetic nervous system parasympathetic nervous system
Great strides have been made in brain imaging since ___scans, which rely on dangerous X-rays and produce low-resolution images, were introduced in the 1970s. Most modern imaging relies on ___ scanners, which use magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the brain. This includes the structural imaging technique of ___, which reveals the white matter tracts that form connections between brain regions. Science's ambition to understand the brain continues to advance, with ambitious undertakings such as the ___ setting lofty goals for mapping the brain.
computerized tomography (CT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) Brain Connectome Project
Match each term about communication between the hemispheres to the correct definition.
contralateral the organization of the brain in which each side of the body is controlled by the opposite hemisphere, split-brain procedure a rare medical procedure, designed to prevent seizures from spreading through the brain, that severs the corpus callosum Wernicke's area the region of the left temporal lobe that is involved in comprehending speech Broca's area the region of the left frontal lobe that is involved in producing speech lateralization the tendency of one hemisphere or the other to specialize in certain cognitive abilities
Match each scenario to the corresponding type of neural plasticity.
critical period, Robin was exposed to the Croatian language from birth, so he could speak it even before going to school. Chandra was born with cataracts in her eyes. They were removed at age 25, restoring her vision, but now she cannot recognize faces. damage plasticity After losing two fingers in a car accident, Aleena feels pain and discomfort where the fingers used to be. Following an eye injury at age 30, Zeb became completely blind. After 10 years, some areas of his brain that used to process vision are now active when he uses other senses. adult plasticity When Hirohiko first learned the French language, only a small part of his temporal cortex was active while speaking. Now, after a decade of effort, he can speak without an accent, and a much larger region of the cortex is active when he speaks. Albert has been a London cab driver for 20 years. Like many in his profession, he has an enlarged hippocampus.
Match each term to the most appropriate description of the role it plays.
endocrine system coordinate(s) signals between the brain and the body to regulate bodily activities, adrenal glands involved in the fight-or-flight response hormones circulate(s) in the bloodstream as a chemical signal pituitary gland regulate(s) other glands throughout the body. ovaries and testes secrete(s) hormones that influence growth and sexual development
Place the relatives in order from most to least likely to share genes with you.
monozygotic twin fraternal twin grandparent first cousin
Match each mental activity to the region of the cerebral cortex that is primarily responsible for it.
occipital lobe. Dinis searches the page for a figure hidden in a children's puzzle book. temporal lobe. Shanice understands five languages and can switch between them with ease. parietal lobe. Taalay feels around in the dark with her hand to find her phone. insular cortex. Darius feels queasy and bloated after eating some questionable leftovers. frontal lobe. Amka reaches carefully into the oven to retrieve a pan without burning herself.
Match each neurotransmitter to its corresponding description.
serotonin contributes to feelings of happiness and well-being, glutamate helps to form long-term memories. dopamine associated with reward circuits and pleasurable experiences. norepinephrin involved in the fight-or-flight response. acetylcholine important for heart, skeletal muscle, and cognitive function, GABA the body's major inhibitory neurotransmitter,
Place the regions of the brainstem in order from top to bottom.
ventral tegmental area pons medulla oblongata
