Key Concept Quiz

Question 3.1

Which of the following is NOT a function of a neuron?

  1. processing information
  2. communicating with other neurons
  3. nutritional provision
  4. sending messages to body organs and muscles

c

Question 3.2

Signals from other neurons are received and relayed to the cell body by

  1. the nucleus.
  2. dendrites.
  3. axons.
  4. glands.

b

Question 3.3

Signals are transmitted from one neuron to another

  1. across a synapse.
  2. through a glial cell.
  3. by the myelin sheath.
  4. in the cell body.

a

Question 3.4

Which type of neuron receives information from the external world and conveys this information to the brain via the spinal cord?

  1. sensory neuron
  2. motor neuron
  3. interneuron
  4. axon

a

Question 3.5

An electric signal that is conducted along the length of a neuron’s axon to the synapse is called

  1. a resting potential.
  2. an action potential.
  3. a node of Ranvier.
  4. an ion.

b

Question 3.6

The chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron’s dendrites are called

  1. vesicles.
  2. terminal buttons.
  3. postsynaptic neurons.
  4. neurotransmitters.

d

Question 3.7

The ______ automatically controls the organs of the body.

  1. autonomic nervous system
  2. parasympathetic nervous system
  3. sympathetic nervous system
  4. somatic nervous system

a

Question 3.8

Which part of the hindbrain coordinates fine motor skills?

  1. the medulla
  2. the cerebellum
  3. the pons
  4. the tegmentum

b

Question 3.9

What part of the brain is involved in movement and arousal?

  1. the hindbrain
  2. the midbrain
  3. the forebrain
  4. the reticular formation

b

Question 3.10

The ______ regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior.

  1. cerebral cortex
  2. pituitary gland
  3. hypothalamus
  4. hippocampus

c

Question 3.11

What explains the apparent beneficial effects of cardiovascular exercise on aspects of brain function and cognitive performance?

  1. the different sizes of the somatosensory cortices
  2. the position of the cerebral cortex
  3. specialization of association areas
  4. neuron plasticity

d

Question 3.12

During the course of embryonic brain growth, the ______ undergoes the greatest development.

  1. cerebral cortex
  2. cerebellum
  3. tectum
  4. thalamus

a

Question 3.13

The first true central nervous system appeared in

  1. flatworms.
  2. jellyfish.
  3. protozoa.
  4. early primates.

a

Question 3.14

Genes set the ____ in populations within a given environment.

  1. individual characteristics
  2. range of variation
  3. environmental possibilities
  4. behavioral standards

b

Question 3.15

Identifying the brain areas that are involved in specific types of motor, cognitive, or emotional processing is best achieved through

  1. recording patterns of electrical activity.
  2. observing psychological disorders.
  3. psychosurgery.
  4. brain imaging.

d

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