Example Questions for Lab Exam IV (Nervous
System)





















On a diagram of a cross-section of the spinal cord, identify the lateral horn of the gray
matter
On a diagram of a cross-section of the spinal cord, identify the lateral columns.
At what point in the spinal cord does the cauda equina begin?
What type of tracts are found in the anterior column of white matter of the spinal cord
and what do they connect (where do they run to and from)?
Where do the sympathetic nerves leave the central nervous system? (Give positions in
the head or spinal cord).
What’s the difference between cholinergic and adrenergic fibers with respect to
neurotransmitters at their synapses?
What is the general role of the parasympathetic nervous system?
What changes with respect to the urinary bladder when parasympathetic nerves are
stimulated?
What changes with respect to digestive tract activity when the sympathetic nerves are
stimulated?
Give the specifc name of a polysynapic reflex you tested in lab (e.g. the “biceps tendonearflapping reflex”).
How can you distinguish between the dorsal and ventral horns of the spinal cord (that is,
how can you orient a spinal cord to identify the dorsal and ventral surfaces)?
If you are your elbows on a countertop and prick your left index finger, bringing sudden
pain, explain what happens with regards to body movements. Be thorough in your
explaination.
Which cranial nerve(s) is/are tested in the corneal reflex test?
What happens when the ciliospinal reflex is stimulated? Be very specific, including the
sides of the body affected.
What is reciprocal inhibition in the stretch reflex of the patellar tendon? What muscles
are involved, and do they relax or contract?
Where is a lumbar tap administered? Be very specific.
What would you expect to find in a dorsal root ganglion?
Where in the body is the arbor vitae?
What is the function of the infundibulum?
What is the function of basal nuclei?
What part of the brain contains the corpora gemina?






Explain what happens in experiments to investigate the result of “split brain”
experiments after the patient has his/her the corpus collosum is cut?
What are the structural differences between a unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar neuron?
With regards to pathways, explain the difference between the neuronal arrangement of
a monosynaptic vs a polysynaptic reflex.
What are the parts of the endoplasmic reticulum called in a neuron (in the cell body)?
What happens when you put sodium chloride on a nerve in a nerve chamber
experiment?
Define the term “threshold stimulus”.