Drugs that, in some cases, have reduced the frequency of sexual offenders work by:
a. reducing testosterone levels.
b. increasing estrogen levels.
c. inducing high but equal levels of testosterone and estrogen.
d. mimicking the effects of alpha-fetoprotein.
Which type of glia remove waste material in the nervous system?
a. astrocytes
b. Schwann cells
c. oligodendrocytes
d. radial glia
Activation of autoreceptors tends to:
a. increase further neurotransmitter release.
b. stimulate GABA release.
c. increase sodium-potassium pump activity.
d. decrease further neurotransmitter release.
Which of the following is true of androgens and estrogens?
a. Only males have androgens.
b. Both sexes have both types of hormones.
c. They are produced by the pituitary.
d. They have opposite effects in males and females.
Myelination in the human brain:
a. is complete upon birth.
b. is complete around the second birthday.
c. is complete sometime shortly after adolescence.
d. continues well into the adult years.
In the lateral hypothalamus, cell bodies are to ____ as axons passing through are to
____.
a. feeding; overall activity
b. feeding; drinking
c. overall arousal; feeding
d. drinking; feeding
Several patients have had their corpus callosum cut surgically as a treatment for severe
cases of:
a. schizophrenia.
b. obsessive-compulsive disorder.
c. epilepsy.
d. dyslexia.
The tree-like branches of a neuron that receive information from other neurons are
called:
a. axons.
b. dendrites.
c. soma.
d. myelin.
Which of the following people would be most alert when watching a late-night movie?
a. 40 year old
b. 20 year old
c. 16 month baby
d. a morning person
When mechanical pressure bends the membrane of a Pacinian corpuscle:
a. the membrane’s resistance to the flow of sodium ions increases.
b. the membrane’s resistance to the flow of sodium ions decreases.
c. the membrane becomes hyperpolarized.
d. there is a sustained, long-term response to this pressure.
Which behaviors would most likely be impaired by damage to the lateral tract?
a. Writing a check
b. Walking
c. Standing
d. Digesting food
Why did some experimenters in the 1960’s and 1970’s grind up the brains of some rats
and inject extracts into other rats?
a. It was believed that the extra neurotransmitter would speed up learning.
b. It was believed that memories could be transferred in this way.
c. They were interested in brain transplants, and wanted to see if the material would be
rejected.
d. Studies of human cannibals had found extraordinary memory abilities.
Which of the following would most strongly excite a simple cell in the primary visual
cortex?
a. loud sound
b. donut
c. diffuse light throughout the visual field
d. square picture frame
How do sound waves ultimately result in the production of receptor potentials?
a. The tectorial membrane squeezes the auditory nerve.
b. The basilar membrane releases neurotransmitters.
c. Hair cells in the cochlea vibrate, causing ion channels to open in their membrane.
d. The scala vestibuli has receptors that create action potentials.
Explaining differences in running speed as a function of differences in muscle fiber
types is an example of a(n) ____ explanation.
a. ontogenetic
b. physiological
c. evolutionary
d. functional
Phencyclidine (PCP), which can produce psychotic symptoms resembling
schizophrenia, has which effect at synapses?
a. It interferes with transmission at dopamine synapses.
b. It interferes with transmission at glutamate synapses.
c. It prolongs or increases activity at serotonin synapses.
d. It directly stimulates acetylcholine receptors.
Difficulty distinguishing between ____ and ____ is the most common form of color
vision deficiency.
a. blue; yellow
b. green; blue
c. red; green
d. red; blue
What is curious about the psychotic effects of phencyclidine (angel dust)?
a. The hallucinations tend to be auditory.
b. The hallucinations are more intense in females.
c. Consuming alcohol lessens the psychotic experiences.
d. The effects are minor or absent in preadolescents.
Diaschisis refers to the:
a. increase in activity of neurons surrounding a damaged area.
b. decreased activity of surviving neurons after other neurons are damaged.
c. increased activity in the cerebral cortex after damage to any part of the brain.
d. increased activity in the hypothalamus after damage to any part of the brain.
Our ability to see a wide range of colors, despite the presence of only three types of
receptors, indicates that color vision depends on which type of coding?
a. across-fiber pattern
b. reciprocal-inhibitory
c. labeled-line
d. hierarchical
The primary visual cortex is also known as the:
a. lateral geniculate nucleus.
b. striate cortex.
c. area V2.
d. parvocellular area.
One of the main differences between natural killer cells and T cells is that natural killer
cells:
a. attack normal tissue.
b. attack several kinds of intruders.
c. are cancer cells.
d. are more specific in their targets.
The amygdala is part of the:
a. pyramidal system.
b. sympathetic nervous system.
c. parasympathetic nervous system.
d. limbic system.
Which of the following is NOT a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease?
a. Drugs that directly stimulate dopamine receptors
b. MPTP
c. Neurotrophins
d. Antioxidant drugs
After isolating a neuron from the rest of the brain, you find that it has a moderately
stable circadian rhythm. The most likely home of this neuron is in the:
a. optic nerve.
b. MPOA.
c. SCN.
d. pineal gland.
The gene for Huntington’s disease codes for a protein called:
a. huntingtin.
b. chorea.
c. protein #4.
d. C-A-G.
When the neuronal membrane is at rest, the potassium channels:
a. permit potassium ions to pass quickly and easily.
b. permit potassium ions to pass slowly.
c. prohibit any movement of potassium ions.
d. help to open up the sodium channels.
Apoptosis:
a. is a programmed mechanism of cell death.
b. promotes the survival and growth of the axon.
c. promotes the survival and growth of dendrites.
d. promotes the activity of neurons.
A typical split-brain patient who stares straight ahead CANNOT name something seen:
a. in the right visual field.
b. in the left visual field.
c. with the right eye.
d. with the left eye.
The differences between ordinary and major depression depend on:
a. when they occur in one’s lifetime.
b. intensity and duration.
c. geographic location and gender.
d. society and diet.