Study Guide

Chapter Key Terms

You should know the definitions of the following key terms from the chapter. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the chapter. For those you do not know, return to the relevant section of the chapter to learn them. When you think that you know all of the terms, complete the matching exercise based on these key terms.

neurons

glial cells (glia)

dendrites

cell body

axon

myelin sheath

neurotransmitter

synaptic gap (synapse)

positron emission tomography (PET) scan

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

agonist

antagonist

acetylcholine (ACh)

dopamine

Parkinson's disease

blood-brain barrier

L-dopa

serotonin

norepinephrine

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs)

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

glutamate

endorphins

central nervous system (CNS)

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

interneurons

sensory neurons

motor neurons

spinal cord

spinal reflex

somatic (skeletal) nervous system

autonomic nervous system

sympathetic nervous system

parasympathetic nervous system

endocrine glandular system

hormone

pituitary gland

emotion

James-Lange theory

Cannon-Bard theory

Schachter-Singer two-factor theory

medulla

pons

reticular formation

cerebellum

thalamus

basal ganglia

limbic system

hypothalamus

hippocampus

amygdala

cerebral cortex

corpus callosum

frontal lobe

parietal lobe

temporal lobe

occipital lobe

motor cortex

somatosensory cortex

association cortex

Broca's area

Wernicke's area

consciousness

REM (rapid eye movement) sleep

Key Terms Exercise

Identify the correct key term for each of the following definitions.

Question 2.1

1. A chemical messenger that is produced by an endocrine gland and carried by the bloodstream to target sites throughout the body.

hormone

Question 2.2

2. The part of the brain involved in the coordination of our movements, sense of balance, and motor learning.

cerebellum

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Question 2.3

3. An insulating layer of a white fatty substance on an axon that allows for faster neural impulses.

myelin sheath

Question 2.4

4. A visual display that shows the activity of various areas in the brain by detecting the level of positron emission arising from radioactive glucose being metabolized in each area.

PET scan

Question 2.5

5. A naturally occurring chemical within the nervous system that specializes in transmitting information between neurons.

neurotransmitter

Question 2.6

6. The areas in the cerebral cortex not devoted to primary sensory processing or motor processing.

association cortex

Question 2.7

7. A drug or poison that decreases the activity of one or more neurotransmitters.

antagonist

Question 2.8

8. The part of the peripheral nervous system that carries sensory input from receptors to the CNS and relays commands from the CNS to skeletal muscles to control their movement.

somatic (skeletal) nervous system

Question 2.9

9. The bridge of neurons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

corpus callosum

Question 2.10

10. The major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system.

GABA

Question 2.11

11. Cells in the nervous system that comprise the support system for the neurons.

glial cells (glia)

Question 2.12

12. Drugs that achieve their agonistic effect on serotonin by selectively blocking its reuptake.

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Question 2.13

13. A group of neurotransmitters that are involved in pain relief and feelings of pleasure.

endorphins

Question 2.14

14. A brain stem structure involved in many essential body functions, such as heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, digestion, and swallowing.

medulla

Question 2.15

15. The area in each cerebral hemisphere in back of the central fissure and above the lateral fissure. The somatosensory cortex is in this lobe.

parietal lobe

Practice Test Questions

The following are practice multiple-choice test questions on some of the chapter content. If you guessed or incorrectly answered a question, restudy the relevant section of the chapter.

Question 2.16

1. The main function of the ______ is to receive information from other neurons.
  1. dendrites
  2. cell body
  3. axon
  4. axon terminals

a; dendrites

Question 2.17

2. Which of the following is an agonist?
  1. curare
  2. GABA
  3. botulinum poison
  4. amphetamine

d; amphetamine

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Question 2.18

3. An SSRI works by blocking the reuptake of ______.
  1. dopamine
  2. serotonin
  3. norepinephrine
  4. GABA

b; serotonin

Question 2.19

4. Which type of neuron carries information from the CNS to the PNS?
  1. sensory neuron
  2. motor neuron
  3. interneuron
  4. glial

b; motor neuron

Question 2.20

5. Which of the following is an action of the parasympathetic nervous system?
  1. pupil dilation
  2. stimulation of digestion
  3. accelerated heartbeat
  4. raised blood sugar levels

b; stimulation of digestion

Question 2.21

6. The actions of the pituitary gland are controlled by the ______.
  1. hippocampus
  2. amygdala
  3. hypothalamus
  4. medulla

c; hypothalamus

Question 2.22

7. The limbic system consists of the ______.
  1. thalamus, hypothalamus, and amygdala
  2. hypothalamus, medulla, and reticular formation
  3. amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus
  4. basal ganglia, amygdala, and cerebellum

c; amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus

Question 2.23

8. In the majority of people, Broca’s area is located in the ______ hemisphere, and Wernicke’s area is located in the ______ hemisphere.
  1. right; right
  2. right; left
  3. left; right
  4. left; left

d; left; left

Question 2.24

9. Information in a person’s left visual field goes to the ______ half of each eye and then to the ______ hemisphere.
  1. left; left
  2. left; right
  3. right; right
  4. right; left

c; right; right

Question 2.25

10. Which of the following stages of sleep is referred to as paradoxical sleep?
  1. Stage 2
  2. Stage 3
  3. Stage 4
  4. REM sleep

d; REM sleep

Question 2.26

11. The ______ theory of emotion proposes that the physiological arousal and behavioral responses and the emotional feeling all occur simultaneously but independently.
  1. Schachter-Singer two-factor
  2. Cannon-Bard
  3. James-Lange
  4. “commonsense”

b; Cannon-Bard

Question 2.27

12. At dinner, when John picks up his fork, his ______ nervous system controls the movement of his fingers. His ______ nervous system regulates his stomach and controls the digestion of food.
  1. autonomic; autonomic
  2. autonomic; somatic
  3. somatic; autonomic
  4. somatic; somatic

c; somatic; autonomic

Question 2.28

13. Damage to the right hemisphere will most likely disrupt a person’s ability to ______.
  1. balance a checkbook
  2. recognize faces
  3. do logic problems
  4. give speeches

b; recognize faces

Question 2.29

14. Botulinum poisoning (food poisoning) causes paralysis by blocking the release of ______, and curare paralyzes by occupying the receptor sites for ______.

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  1. acetylcholine; acetylcholine
  2. acetylcholine; GABA
  3. GABA; acetylcholine
  4. GABA; GABA

a; acetylcholine; acetylcholine

Question 2.30

15. The amount of space devoted to each part of the body in the motor cortex is ______.
  1. proportional to the actual size of that part of the body
  2. proportional to the complexity and precision of movement of which that part of the body is capable
  3. the same for all body parts
  4. greater for your torso than for your hands

b; proportional to the complexity and precision of motor movement of which that part of the body is capable