In order to elicit movement, the motor cortex:
a. has direct connections to the muscles.
b. sends axons to the brainstem and spinal cord.
c. controls isolated movement in a single muscle.
d. relies on feedback from individual muscle fibers.
Under what circumstances do the criminal behaviors of monozygotic twins resemble
each other more than dizygotic twins?
a. when the monozygotic twins have been raised apart
b. when the dizygotic twins have been raised together
c. in adulthood
d. in childhood
A lesion is:
a. an area of brain next to a blood vessel.
b. a cell that lines the surface of a ventricle.
c. a fluid-filled space in the brain.
d. an area that has been damaged.
The enhancement of contrast at the edge of an object is primarily due to lateral
inhibition by the:
a. rods.
b. cones.
c. horizontal cells.
d. bipolar cells.
What are found in papillae?
a. olfactory receptors
b. clusters of neurons
c. hair cells
d. taste buds
In the human retina, messages go from receptors at the back of the eye to ____.
a. retina cells
b. bipolar cells
c. ganglion cells
d. spiny cells
Genes located on the sex chromosomes are called:
a. sex-linked.
b. sex-limited.
c. autosomal.
d. recombination.
What happens if people live in an environment in which the cycle of light and dark is
other than 24 hours?
a. Within a few days, they adjust to waking and sleeping on the new schedule, whatever
it is.
b. They adjust better if the cycle is some multiple of 24 (e.g., 48).
c. They adjust better if the cycle is close to 24 (e.g., 25).
d. They fail to adjust at all.
Once within the cerebral cortex, the magnocellular pathway continues, with a dorsal
branch important for:
a. details of shape.
b. color and brightness.
c. movement.
d. integrating vision with action.
Cannabinoid chemicals affect synapses by:
a. blocking the activity of second messengers.
b. decreasing the release of both glutamate and GABA.
c. stimulating endorphin receptors.
d. decreasing the synthesis of dopamine and norepinephrine.
In studies with mice, the antioxidant curcumin reduced:
a. blood pressure.
b. amyloid levels and plaques.
c. acetylcholine release.
d. glutamate levels.
How do reptiles control their body temperature, if at all?
a. They dilate or constrict blood vessels.
b. They move to different locations in their environment.
c. They shiver and sweat.
d. There is nothing they can do.
The most common form of color vision deficiency is due to:
a. poor eyesight.
b. malformation of area V4 in the brain.
c. complete absence of one of the types of cones.
d. long- and medium-wavelength cones making the same photopigment.
Ganglion cells near the fovea in humans and other primates are called ____ ganglion
cells.
a. midget
b. giant
c. reticulated
d. cone-shaped
A study with London taxi drivers found that answering ____ activated their
hippocampus more than answering ____.
a. nonspatial questions; spatial questions
b. spatial questions; nonspatial questions
c. long questions; short questions
d. short questions; long questions
The central nervous system is composed of:
a. the brain and spinal cord.
b. all the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.
c. the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
d. the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
Which part of the nervous system prepares the body for “fight or flight” activities?
a. Sympathetic
b. Somatic
c. Parasympathetic
d. Peripheral
In certain cases, it is possible to relieve depression by changing a person’s:
a. sleeping schedule.
b. eating schedule.
c. exercise schedule.
d. self-grooming habits.
Which of the following represents Lamarckian evolution?
a. “Survival of the fittest”
b. “Reproduction of the fittest”
c. “If you don’t use it, you lose it”
d. “Look out for number one”
Strong craving for salty tastes is known as:
a. potassium-specific thirst.
b. sodium-specific hunger.
c. sodium-specific thirst.
d. potassium-specific hunger.
Plaques and tangles in the cerebral cortex are characteristic of people with:
a. retrograde amnesia.
b. anterograde amnesia.
c. Korsakoff’s syndrome.
d. Alzheimer’s disease.
Sympathetic is to ____ as parasympathetic is to ____.
a. central nervous system; peripheral nervous system
b. voluntary behavior; involuntary behavior
c. arousal; relaxation
d. neurotransmitters; hormones
When the neuronal membrane is at rest, the sodium channels:
a. permit sodium ions to pass quickly and easily.
b. permit potassium ions to cross instead of sodium.
c. are closed.
d. fluctuate rapidly between open and closed.
Many people, including physicians, believe that eating ____ makes children
hyperactive.
a. salt
b. fatty foods
c. sugar
d. protein
Which structure is likely to be damaged in Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease,
and other conditions that impair movement?
a. Thalamus
b. Basal ganglia
c. Limbic system
d. Reticular formation
Research suggests that ____ levels correlate with several aspects of motherly attention
to an infant.
a. vasopressin
b. progesterone
c. oxytocin
d. estradiol
Differentiation is the:
a. production of new cells.
b. movement of primitive neurons and glia.
c. formation of dendrites and an axon.
d. insulation process that occurs on some axons.
An organizing effect differs from an activating effect of a hormone in that an organizing
effect:
a. inhibits the effects of another hormone.
b. lasts only briefly.
c. activates excitatory receptors.
d. produces more long-lasting effects.
Cerebellum is to ____ as basal ganglia are to ____.
a. clumsy; paralysis
b. initiation; stopping
c. gross muscle function; fine motor coordination
d. timing; voluntary movements
When do the secretions of melatonin begin?
a. just before a person awakens
b. when body temperature is at its lowest
c. when body temperature is at its highest
d. a couple of hours before a person naturally falls asleep
During an early sensitive period, a mammal is exposed to high levels of both androgens
(such as testosterone) and estrogens (such as estradiol). How will its external genital
anatomy appear?
a. about like that of a normal male
b. intermediate between male and female
c. about like that of a normal female
d. either, depending on the presence or absence of a Y chromosome
A cell that responds best to a bar of light throughout a large area of its receptive field,
without a strong inhibitory area at one end is most likely a:
a. simple cell.
b. hypercomplex cell.
c. complex cell.
d. rod.
What is the relationship between pain and itch?
a. Pain inhibits itch.
b. Itch is a mild form of pain.
c. Itch and pain are different, but both are reduced by opiate drugs.
d. Itch and pain are different, but both are increased by opiate drugs.
Which type of proprioceptor responds to increases in muscle tension?
a. Golgi tendon organ
b. fast-twitch fiber
c. muscle spindle
d. slow-twitch fiber
Lateral tract axons are responsible for movements in the:
a. arms, hands, and toes.
b. trunk.
c. face and head.
d. internal organs.