UB Psy 351 Exam 1

• Dendrites are...

  the input zone of a nerve cell
• When you reach out for your pen and feel its shape in your hand, which type of neurons are conveying the sensation in your fingers to your spinal cord?

  unipolar
• An individual finds themselves in a situation that requires a fight-or-flight response, leading to an accelerated heartrate. Which neurotransmitter is directly responsible for the increased cardiac muscle activity?

  Norepinephrine
• Damage to the cingulate gyrus would most likely impair

  Attention
• Which cranial nerve is not involved in the control of eye movements?

  Trigeminal
• The human brain is essentially folded into the skull; about two-thirds of the of it is hidden within the folds (sulci), thereby allowing


  A larger surface area to fit into the cranial space
• The somatic nervous system includes the


  cranial nerves and spinal nerves
• In terms of its position on his body, the top of a dog's head is

  Dorsal
• List the structures of the midbrain.

  Tectum, tegmentum, super colliculi, inferior colliculi, substantia nigra, reticular formation, periaqueductal gray.
• During the relative refractory phase,

  the neuron is briefly hyperpolarized
• After the spike of an action potential, axons may exhibit small potential changes, called

  After-potentials
• Whether a synapse is excitatory or inhibitory is determined by the

  type of transmitter receptor in the postsynaptic neuron
• Axo-axonic synapses


  Often terminate near the axon terminal
• The equilibrium potential corresponds to

  The membrane potential at which the movement of ions across the membrane is balanced
• The overall amplitude of the action potential is about

  100 mV
• The "lock-and-key" analogy relates to the


  Action of transmitter molecules on receptor proteins
• A tap on the patellar tendon activates

  knee jerk reflex
• How is the absolute refractory period different from the relative refractory period?

  During the relative refractory period, only very strong stimulation can produce an action potential. However, during the absolute refractory period, no action potentials can be created.
• Which qualification is not a specific criterion for classifying a substance as a neurotransmitter?

  Ability of the substance to travel long distances between the site of the origin and target area
• Which chemical is not an amino acid neurotransmitter?

  Dopamine
• Damage to the _______ would impact projections using the neurotransmitter serotonin.

  Raphe nucleus
• Higher doses of a drug tend to increase the proportion of receptors that are bound and affected by the drug, thereby increasing the response. This relationship is called the


  dose-response curve
• Repeated exposure to a drug leading to a decrease in physiological response is called

  Tolerance
• Reduced gray matter, absence of the corpus callosum, abnormal brain organization, and characteristic deformities of the head and face are seen in

  Fetal alcohol syndrome
• Drugs that stimulate the _______ pathway provide powerful positive rewards that may eclipse the pleasures derived from other activities.

  dopaminergic
• The _______ is an area of the brain which, when lesioned, allows patients to quit smoking effortlessly.

  Insula
• What are hallucinogens? List at least two and the transmitter systems they affect.

  Hallucinogens alter sensory perception and produce unusual experiences through diverse neural actions. LSD and ecstasy are two hallucinogens. LSD strongly activates 5-HT 2A receptors in the visual cortex, and ecstasy stimulates visual cortical serotonin receptors but also changes levels of dopamine and prolactin.
• Optogenetics allows researchers to:


  Influence the activity of neurons with light
• Why is it common practice to conduct neurosurgery under a local anesthesia instead of general anesthesia?

  The brain itself has no pain reception, and it is useful for the neurosurgeon to be able to converse with a patient during a procedure
• Traditionally, electroencephalography (EEG) is most commonly used to study:

  States of consciousness and epilepsy
• Particular proteins in cells can be identified using __________ in a process known as immunihistochemistry.

  Antibodies
• Biological psychology is best defined as the:


  Branch of psychology that studies the biological foundation of behavior, emotions, and mental process
• The analysis of lesions allows researchers to:

  Identify the probable function of a specific brain area
• The sympathetic nervous system:

  Increases heart rate and respiration
• Alcohol interferes with skilled movements primarily through its action on the:

  Cerebellum
• The __________ is a collection of structures in the forebrain that participates in learning, emotion, and memory.

  Limbic system
• Autism spectrum disorder is often associated with abnormal development in the:


  Cerebellum
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is located in the:

  Choroid plexus
• The medulla contains nuclei responsible for:

  Heart rate and respiration
• Axons carrying sensory information to the brain may be found in:

  The dorsal white matter of the spinal cord