Chapter 4

Question 1

The nervous system is divided into what 2 categories?

Answer 1

Central (CNS) ~> brain and spinal cord
Peripheral (PNS)

Question 2

What are the responsibilities of the central nervous system?

Answer 2

Gathers/processes information
Responds to stimulus
Coordinates cells
Not conscious

Question 3

What is the peripheral nervous system divided into?

Answer 3

Somatic and autonomic

Question 4

What does the somatic (skeletal) nervous system do?

Answer 4

Controls voluntary actions and feels sensations

Question 5

What does the autonomic nervous system do?

Answer 5

Regulates bodily functions such as blood vessels, glands, and organs. Divided into:
Sympathetic: action
Parasympathetic: relaxation

Question 6

What is the purpose of glial cells?

Answer 6

A variety of cell types that serve support functions for neurons

Question 7

_______ is the production of new neurons from immature stem cells

Answer 7

Neurogenesis

Question 8

What are the 3 main neuron types and their basic functions?

Answer 8

SENSORY: gathers info
INTERNEURON: receives info and makes decisions
MOTOR: respond to stimulus

Question 9

Communication between nerves occurs at the _______.

Answer 9

synapse

Question 10

What is an action potential?

Answer 10

A wave of electrical voltage which releases neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft when it reaches the axon terminal

Question 11

What occurs at the nervous level of someone with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?

Answer 11

Malfunctioning glial cells mount an immune response against the myelin sheath, and cause damage to nerve responsiveness

Question 12

How do drugs affect neurotransmitters?

Answer 12

Agonist: enhance or mimic the effect of a neurotransmitter’s action
Antagonist: inhibit neurotransmitter activity by blocking receptors or preventing synthesis of the neurotransmitter

Question 13

Hormones are long distance chemical messengers which are released directly into the blood. What produces hormones? Provide examples of different types of hormone.

Answer 13

Endocrine glands.
Melatonin, oxytocin, adrenal (cortisol and epinephrine), sex (testosterone and estrogen) are all examples of hormones

Question 14

What is the lesion method?

Answer 14

The removal or disabling of a part of an animal’s brain structure to understand what impact that part has on

Question 15

Describe transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Answer 15

The use of a magnetic which can temporarily inhibit some general areas of the brain. It is not good at isolating specific areas

Question 16

Describe transcranial direct current stimulation (tACS)

Answer 16

A more refined and accurate form of TMS

Question 17

Name tools that allow researchers to investigate structure and function of the brain

Answer 17

Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Event-related potentials (ERPs)
Positron emission tomography (PETscan)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Functional MRI (fMRI)

Question 18

Of the PET scan, MRI, and fMRI, which is the best to look at brain activity?

Answer 18

fMRI