a.     physical and chemical    b.         naturalistic        c.         social and physical  d.   cognitive

2. A biological psychologist would be most likely to research

a. how you learn a list of words.       b. the developmental process that leads to your ability to learn.

c.     the physical and chemical changes that occur when you learn.    d. why learning deficits occur.

3. If the myelin sheathing on neurons is absent or removed in a given individual, they will exhibit difficulties in speaking, vision, and balance because without myelin the

a.     quantity of neurotransmitters released into synapses will be reduced.

b.    quantity of neurotransmitters released into synapses will be increased.

c.     speed of neural conduction along critical paths will be too fast.

d.    speed of neural conduction along critical paths will be too slow.

4. The two major types of cells in the nervous system are

a.     Schwann cells and glial cells.     b.         Schwann cells and mitochondria.           c.         neurons and glial cells.

d.    mitochondria and neurons.

5. Neurons have some similarities with other cells in the human body. Which of the following characteristics is seen in neurons, but not in most other cells?

a.     An outer membrane      b.         A cell body       c.         The ability to transmit signals to other cells         d.      Mitochondria

6. Dr. Wozniak is examining a cell from the nervous system of an animal. He notices that at one end of the cell body is a long, fibrous strand of tissue. He immediately recognizes this as an axon that is responsible for

a.     carrying signals away from the cell body.

b.    receiving signals from other cells and carrying them toward the cell body.

c      .determining the speed at which an action potential will travel.

d.    determining whether the cell inhibits or excites neighboring neurons.

7. Mimi is sitting in her biology lab, trying to figure out what kind of a cell she has on the slide under her microscope. “Aha,” she cries. “It’s a neuron!” One thing that might have tipped Mimi off is the fact that the cell has

a.     an outer membrane.

b.    an axon.          

c.     mitochondria.

d.    sulci.

8. Eycine operated the telephone switchboard at a large company, answering calls and directing them to the appropriate extensions. Remembering her introductory psychology class, she decided that her situation was much like the ______________ of neurons, because numerous people could call her at one time, but she could only send out one call at a time.

a.     sodium and potassium

b.    dendrites and axons

c.     myelin and mitochondria

d.    synapses and neurotransmitters

9. Kawanna notices that her reaction time is much slower than many of her friends’ time on various tasks and she believes this is because the action potentials fired by the cells in her nervous system slow down as they reach the end of the axons. This statement is incorrect because action potentials

a.     are fired by cells outside of the nervous system.

b.    speed up as they reach the end of the axon.

c.     neither speed up nor slow down as they travel down the axon.

d.    shoot down the dendrite, not the axon

10. Ivan has discovered how to tame neurons and keep them as pets. When he’s bored, he sometimes starts an action potential going down the axon of each of his four pet neurons, just to see which one will “win” by releasing neurotransmitters first. All of his neurons have axons of the exact same length. Ivan’s game got old fast, though, because one neuron always wins. The winner is always

a.     Sue, the neuron with the most dendrites.

b.    Harry, the neuron with the fattest axon.

c.     Elspeth, the neuron with the largest axon hillock.

d.    Johann, the neuron with the most potassium channels.

11. A neuron cell body reaches threshold and depolarizes.  The depolarization propagates down the length of the ______, is chemically transmitted across the ______, and directly affects the electrical potential in the ______ of the successive neuron.

a.     axon; synapse; dendrites

b.    dendrites; synapse; axon

c.     myelin; synapse; dendrites

d.    dendrites; receptor; axon

12. An action potential has just sped down one of your efferent neurons in order to jerk your hand off the hot stove. Before an action potential will speed through this neuron again, the membrane of the neuron must become repolarized. The time between the action potentials is called the ______________ period.

a.     refractory

b.    polarization

c.     self-propagating

d.    repolarization

13. Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system mistakenly destroys some of the myelin wrapped around nerve cell fibers. Which nerve cell fibers are being attacked by this process?

a.     Synapses

b.    Axons

c.     Dendrites

d.    Mitochondria

14. After a freak accident involving a falling piano, Dr. Diart informs you that you have sustained damage to your limbic system.  Which of the following functions will be most affected?

a.     Emotion

b.    Vision

c.     Intelligence

d.    Perception

15. Neurotransmitters are ______________ that travel across the ______________ to another cell.

a.     electrical signals; receptors

b.    electrical signals; synapse

c.     chemicals; receptors

d.    chemicals; synaps

16. Once a neurotransmitter is released into a neuronal synapse, it is most like a(n)

a.     accident waiting to happen.

b.    rolling stone.

c.     lock waiting for a key.

d.    size 10 foot looking for a size 10 shoe.

17. Andre was in a terrible car accident and had a serious head injury, resulting in him being in a permanent coma.  Andre most likely has damage to his

a.     cerebellum.

b.    hypothalamus.

c.     corpus callosum.

d.   reticularformation.

18 Carlos was in a car accident and received a head injury that resulted in a decreased ability to produce speech. Carlos has more than likely damaged his ______________ nervous system.

a.     sympathetic

b.    peripheral

c.     central

d.    sensory

19. After a back injury, Riamsalat has no feeling below his waist, though he can still move his legs and feet. Riamsalat has probably damaged his ______________ system.

a.     motor

b.    output

c.     processing

d.    sensory

20. Which nervous system is involved in allowing you to shoot a basketball, smell freshly baked bread, and push the keys on a piano?

a.     Sympathetic branch of the automatic nervous system (ANS)

b.    Parasympathetic branch of the ANS

c.     Both branches of the ANS

d.    Somatic nervous system

21. The digestion of last night’s dinner is most directly controlled by the ______________ system.

a.     autonomic nervous

b.   central nervous

c.   somatic nervous

d.   endocrine

22. Nilam accidentally touches the hot burner on the stove.  Sensory information about the pain and heat will be carried to her brain by the ______ nervous system, her heart rate will increase as a result of activation by the ______ nervous system, and when she calms down the ______ nervous system will slow her heart rate down.

a.   peripheral; central; autonomic

b.   somatic; autonomic; central

c.   central; sympathetic; parasympathetic

d.   somatic; sympathetic; parasympathetic

23. Connections in Chiara’s autonomic nervous system have been harmed by a mysterious infection. From which of the following areas is Chiara most unlikely to receive the usual communication?

a.   Eyes

b.   Muscles

c.   Lungs

d.   Pain receptors

24. The two major divisions of the nervous system are the

a.   brain and spinal cord.

b.   central and somatic nervous systems.

c.   sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

d.   peripheral and central nervous systems.

25. The main divisions of the peripheral nervous system are the ______________ and the ______________.

a.   somatic; autonomic

b.   sympathetic; parasympathetic

c.   afferent; efferent

d.   reticular; limbic

26. Rashaun saw something terrifying. His muscles tensed, he began breathing more rapidly, and he began to sweat. Having taken introductory psychology, Rashaun knew that the ______________ division of his ______________ nervous system had been activated.

a.   sympathetic; limbic

b.   parasympathetic; somatic

c.   peripheral; central

d.   sympathetic; autonomic

27. Fiber tracts are

a.   sections of the limbic system involved in emotion.

b.   collections of cell bodies.

c.   collections of axons that travel together in bundles.

d.   collections of dendrites that travel together in bundles

28. Phan heard a joke that was so funny he literally slapped his knee. The slap caused his leg to reflexively kick forward and knock down his table. The command telling Phan’s leg to kick forward was carried from the ______________ to the muscles controlling leg movement through ______________ neurons.

a.   brain; afferent

b.   spinal cord; afferent

c.   spinal cord; efferent

d.   brain; efferent

29. All of the following statements are true about reflexes except that they

a.   take place in the spinal cord.

b.   occur without instructions from the brain.

c.   are not voluntary.

d.   do not send signals to the brain.

30. Chirag’s spinal cord was completely severed at the neck in an auto accident.  He would still be able to

a.   wiggle his toes.

b.   exhibit the ‘knee-jerk’ reflex in response to a tap on the knee.

c.   feel the pain of a pin prick on his foot.

d.   snap his fingers.

31. Athea was a subject in a study in which the glucose in her brain was marked with a radioactive substance. Then radiation detectors identified especially active brain areas. Athea participated in a study that employed

a.   electroencephalograms (EEGs).

b.   magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

c.   psychophysical radiograms (PPRs).

d.   positron emission tomography (PET).

32. Alfred the brain was in a car accident, and the doctor suspects that Alfred may have suffered structural damage. Which of the following tests would be the most appropriate to find out whether there is structural damage?

a.   Electrical stimulation

b.   Electroencephalogram (EEG)

c.   Positron emission tomography (PET)

d.   Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

33. Latoria is horseback riding when she falls and hits her head. After the accident she has difficulty performing finely coordinated movements. Latoria has most likely damaged her

a.   medulla.

b.   recticular formation.

c.   cerebellum.

d.   locus coeruleus.

34. You are a morning person who loves to get up early and enjoy the new day.  Your roommate is a night person who only begins to wake up in the early afternoon.  The part of the brain that regulates each of your biological clocks is the

a.   thalamus.

b.   suprachiasmatic nucleus.

c.   hippocampus.

d.   striatum.

35. After an accident, Stella was left with brain damage.  Now Stella has trouble judging the emotions of others, even when she can see their facial expressions.  Stella has most likely damaged her

a.   cerebellum.

b.   amygdala.

c.   hypothalamus.

d.   thalamus.

36. Jerry is playing a video game.  He sees a bad guy on the screen that he is supposed to zap by pushing button A and B simultaneously.  Jerry is able to coordinate vision with his hand movements due to his ______ cortex.

a.   sensory

b.   temporal

c.   motor

d.  association

37. Trisha is gradually developing an impairment in her ability to perform finely coordinated movements, such as cutting a clove of garlic into very small pieces. Doctors will probably discover a problem in her

a.   medulla.

b.   hypothalamus.

c.   cerebellum.

d.   amygdala

38. After a freak boating accident, Arlo’s hippocampus was lost at sea.  Although he has recovered in all other respects, Arlo will have difficulty

a.   forming new memories of events after the accident.

b.   speaking fluently in his native language.

c.   making controlled, purposeful movements.

d.   smiling.

39. Bobby, Peter, and Greg were working outside on their bikes when their father, Mike, accidentally slipped on some axle grease and pulled the trigger of the nail gun he was carrying several times as he fell. All four survived, but Bobby’s hippocampus, Peter’s amygdala, Greg’s striatum, and Mike’s hypothalamus were destroyed. Who will no longer be able to dance?

a.   Bobby

b.   Peter

c.   Greg

d.   Mike

40. Travis’s hypothalamus was injured in an accident. Travis will have trouble regulating all of the following except his

a.   sex drive.

b.   weight.

c.   breathing.

d.   biological rhythms

41. After an evil scientist destroys part of Patrick’s brain, Patrick finds that he is constantly hungry and he eats much more than before. The scientist destroyed Patrick’s

a.   amygdala.

b.   hypothalamus.

c.   thalamus.

d.   hippocampus

42. Recent animal studies have shown that removal of the hippocampus several days after a mildly painful experience will not erase the memory of the experience.  This evidence suggests that

a.   the hippocampus is necessary only for long‑term memory.

b.   the hippocampus is NOT necessary for forming new memories.

c.   memories are transferred and stored somewhere other than the hippocampus.

d.   memories of pain are stored in different areas of the brain than other memories.

43. Suppose that you have just been abducted by aliens from the planet Zeebo. The Zeeboians are very interested in life on Earth, and one of them asks you how humans are different from other species. In terms of brain anatomy, which of the following structures would you say best differentiates humans from the so-called lower species?

a.   Reticular formation

b.   Cerebral cortex

c.   Cerebellum

d.   Medulla

44. The human brain appears extremely wrinkled when closely examined. These wrinkles

a.   are purely cosmetic and have no actual purpose.

b.   are byproducts of old age; normal adults’ brains are smooth.

c.   act as a shock-absorption device, preventing neural damage.

d.   allow a greater surface area of cortex to be included in the skull.

45. When Cade was tackled during a football game, he hit the back of his head on the turf, which resulted in a concussion.  Cade now has trouble with his vision.  Cade most likely injured his ______ lobe.

a.   frontal

b.   parietal

c.   temporal

d.   occipital

46. Veronica bent over in her garden to pick a squash but bumped her head on a fence post and passed out. When she came to, she could not let go of the squash in her left hand; the hand would not open or close. She most likely injured cells in her ___ lobe.

a.   right frontal

b.   left frontal

c.   right parietal

d.   left parietal

47. After a stroke, Juanita has great difficulty with speech.  Words come slowly and haltingly and her speech is often grammatically incorrect. The stroke probably damaged

a.   Wernicke’s area.

b.   Broca’s area.

c.   the cerebellum.

d.   the hippocampus.

48. Voshon is programming a computer to “think” like humans. His big challenge is to get the computer to integrate information from a variety of sources and relate this information (words and images) to abstract concepts. What area of the cerebral cortex accomplishes these tasks for humans?

a.   Association cortex

b.   Sensory cortex

c.   Somatosensory cortex

d.   Integrative cortex

49. Jacelyn is wandering through a national park when she sees a bear lumbering toward her.  As her flight-or-fight reflexes are triggered, what hormones are being released in her body in response to the perceived threat?

a.   Melatonin and progesterone

b.   ACTH and cortisol

c.   Estradiol and testosterone

d.   Insulin and corticosteroids

50. Riley has a cold.  His temperature is two degrees above normal and he feels sleepy.  Riley’s fever and sleepiness result from the action of

a.   androgens.

b.   serotonin.

c.   norepinephrine.

d.   cytokines.

51. Belinda has been depressed lately and is having suicidal thoughts. We assume that her brain has low levels of

a.   endorphins.

b.   serotonin.

c.   glutamate.

d.   adrenaline