BCS 110: Unit 1 Exam
University Academic Honesty Policy: “I affirm that I will not give or receive
any unauthorized help on this exam, and that all work will be my own.”
Last Name __________________________
First Name __________________________
Answer all 50 of the following questions. Circle completely or write clearly
only one answer per question.
The duration of the exam is 50 minutes.
Good luck!
1) In a biopsychology experiment, the subjects are _____ and behavior is the _____
variable.
A) human, dependent
B) human, independent
C) nonhuman, dependent
D) nonhuman, independent
2) Glial cells improve neuron function in many ways. For example, _____ provide
myelin for one axon to secure conduction of action potentials, while ______ form
electrical synapses with both a neuron and its target to ensure communication.
A) oligodendrocytes and astrocytes
B) oligodendrocytes and microglia
C) Schwann cells and astrocytes
D) Schwann cells and microglia
3) The sympathetic nervous system differs from the parasympathetic nervous system
in a variety of ways including that sympathetic nerves exit _____ of the spinal cord
and synapse on second-stage neurons ____ the spinal cord.
A) from the middle, near to
B) from the middle, far from
C) from the ends, near to
D) from the ends, far from
4) A neuron is at its resting membrane potential of -70 mV, and has a threshold for
firing an action potential of -60 mV. All at the same time, it receives EPSPs at five
dendrites each of 2mV amplitude. This is called ____, and the neuron ____.
A) spatial summation, is not likely to fire
B) spatial summation, will likely fire an action potential
C) temporal summation, is not likely to fire
D) temporal summation, will likely fire an action potential
5) Which of the following cells will give rise directly to the somatic nervous system?
A) totipotent cells
B) neural crest cells
C) embryonic stem cells
D) radial glial cells
6) In which of the following planes would a cut need to be made to divide in half the
reticular formation (i.e. perpendicular to its long axis)?
A) frontal
B) sagittal
C) horizontal
D) cross-section
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7) The neurons providing the input to the inferior peduncle of the cerebellum are _____
in shape and carry _____ signals.
A) unipolar, sensory
B) unipolar, motor
C) multipolar, sensory
D) multipolar, motor
8) A patient is exhibiting signs of depression. You suspect an injury to the ______.
A) locus coerulus
B) raphe nuclei
C) substantia nigra
D) ventral tegmental area
9) Which, if any, of the following statements about the equilibrium potential of an ion is
false?
A) It depends on the concentration of the ions inside and outside the cell.
B) It depends on the charge of the ion.
C) It is the voltage at which opposing diffusional and electrical forces are equal.
D) It is the voltage at which ions stop flowing across the membrane.
E) All the statements are correct.
10) The chemoaffinity hypothesis of long and short guidance cues was postulated to
explain which stage of neurodevelopment?
A) proliferation
B) migration
C) aggregation
D) axon growth
E) synapse refinement
For the sets below, match each item on the left with the best choice from the items
(answers) on the right. Write your answer on the line in front of the number. Some
answers may be used multiple times, others not at all.
With regard to the methods used in various disciplines of biopsychology to study the
brain and behavior:
B
______
11) comparative psychology
A) record activity of groups of neurons
E
______
12) neuropsychology
B) knock out / knock in genes
A
______ 13) psychophysiology
C) apply electric stimulation
A
______ 14) cognitive neuroscience
D) locate neurotransmitters
C
______
15) physiological psychology
E) run a test battery
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With regard to the location of structures within the divisions of the brain:
C
______
16) superior colliculus
A) metencephalon
E
______
17) inferior olive
B) diencephalon
D
______
18) amygdala
C) mesencephalon
D
______
19) substantia nigra
D) telencephalon
A
______
20) trigeminal nucleus
E) myelencephalon
With regard to areas of the brain: pathways and functions
E
______ 21) learning and memory (of this fig!)
D
______
22) cortex with inferior colliculus in
ascending pathway
D
______ 23) initiates pyramidal tract
F
______
24) thinking, planning
D
______ 25) pain modulation
D
______
26) outputs to red nucleus
G
______
27) motor selection (cortical)
D
______
28) sensory decussation
D
______
29) motivation and reward center
A
______ 30) target of ventral posterior nucleus
With regard to the location and function of proteins in a neuron (answers graded
independently):
Loc
Fnct
Protein
Location
Function
E
____
G
____
31) sodium-potassium
pumps
A) dendrite
G) resting potential
D
____
H
____
32) monoamines
B) axon
H) exocytosis
D
____
H
____
33) voltage-gated
calcium channels
C) soma
I) concentration
gradient
B
____
K
____
34) voltage-gated
sodium channels
E
____
I
____
35) signal proteins
D) axon terminal
E) everywhere
J) postsynaptic
potentials
K) action potentials
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With regard to select functions of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS)
and peripheral nervous system (PNS) (answers graded independently)
CNS
PNS
D
EB
Neurotransmitter
Function
A) emotion, mood
B) rest and digest
C) alertness, energy
D) learning and memory
E) fight or flight
_____
_____
36) acetylcholine
A
_____
F
_____
37) serotonin
F
_____
C
E
_____
38) epinephrine
D
_____
F
_____
39) glutamate
C
_____
C
E
_____
40) norepinephrine
F) none
41) Small is to big as a gyrus is to a
A) sulcus
B) lobe
C) commissure
D) fissure
42) In contrast to small neurotransmitters, large neurotransmitters produce signals in
postsynaptic neurons by
A) entering through gap junctions
B) activating second messengers
C) opening ion channels from the inside via G-proteins
D) targeting metabotropic receptors
43) An individual suffers an injury that affects their hypothalamus. What would be a
possible consequence of this accident?
A) a loss of memory
B) paralysis of the muscles of the face
C) an unstable breath rate
D) visual impairment
44) The neurons whose cell bodies are located in the ventral horns of the spinal cord
carry _____ information, and are part of the _____ nervous system.
A) afferent, central
B) afferent, peripheral
C) efferent, central
D) efferent, peripheral
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45) A male visits his doctor complaining of double vision due to an eye tremor that
started after a fall from a ladder. Which cranial nerve is most likely involved with
this purely motor problem?
A) optic (II)
B) trochlear (IV)
C) facial (VII)
D) glossopharyngeal (IX)
46) GABA receptors are permeable to (selective for)
potassium ions.
true / false
47) The limbic system includes structures in the
telencephalon and mesencephalon, and regulates
emotional responses to stimuli.
true / false
48) Drugs that deactivate the autoreceptors on a
neuron are _____ of its neurotransmitter.
agonists / antagonists
49) An experimental drug treatment makes neurons
leakier to sodium ions at rest. If nothing else
changes, then neurons will be ______ likely to fire
action potentials.
more / less
50) One defining characteristic of neocortex is its
columnar organization; these columns are
oriented _____ to its pial surface.
perpendicular / parallel
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