Exam 3 Flashcards
Module 10-13 quizzes & outline notes
Which of the following structures is involved in the human knee-jerk reflex?
spinal cord
Which of the following results from increased activity in the sympathetic nervous system?
digestion is inhibited
Which of the following organisms demonstrates cephalization?
planarians
In which brain structure are circadian rhythms coordinated?
the hypothalamus
Which of the following controls balance and coordinates movements in humans?
the cerebellum
Emotional responses and memories are stored and recalled from which part of the brain?
the amygdala
Which part of the brain controls breathing, swallowing, vomiting, and digestion?
the medulla oblongata
Which brain region controls hand-eye coordination?
the cerebellum (V)
Which of the following regions arose developmentally from the hindbrain?
the medulla oblongata (III)
In which part of the brain are movement and balance coordinated?
the cerebellum
Which of the following functions is associated with Wernicke’s and Broca’s regions?
speech
Which part(s) of your brain are most involved in writing an essay?
frontal lobes
What was the consequence of a metal rod driven into the frontal lobe of Phineas Gage (with similar results to a frontal lobotomy)?
greatly altered emotional responses
What sense is most likely to be impaired by an injury to the temporal lobe?
hearing
What do we call the point of connection between two communicating neurons?
a synapse
In which brain structure does short-term memory information processing take place?
hippocampus
Which of the following describes a difference between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia?
schizophrenia typically involved hallucinations, not seen in bipolar disorder
What neurotransmitter is involved in schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and drug addiction?
dopamine
Which of the following characteristics are associated with Alzheimer’s disease?
amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
Which of the following is true about the brain reward system?
It utilizes the neurotransmitter dopamine and is affected by drug addiction
Which of the following organisms were most likely the direct ancestors of plants?
green algae
What evidence do paleobotanists look for that indicates the movement of plants from water to land?
waxy cuticle to decrease evaporation from leaves
Which of the following biological molecules contributes to the structural integrity of plant spores?
sporopollenin
Gas exchange in most land plants occurs through structures called
the stomata
A growth-producing region of cell division, known as a ______, is found near the tips of stems and roots
apical meristem
In plants, the vascular tissue made of dead cells that transport water and minerals from the roots is called
xylem
In plants, the vascular tissue that consists of living cells that distribute sugars throughout the plant is called
phloem
Mosses belong to the group of plants known as the
bryophytes
Which of the following statements regarding ferns is true?
Ferns have well-developed roots & rigid stems
The majority of plant species today are
angiosperms
The type of life cycle seen in plants is called
alternation of generations
In cnidarians, what controls the contraction & expansion of the gastrovascular cavity?
A nerve net, interconnected nerve cells
What is cephalization?
the clustering of sensory neurons & interneurons at the anterior end
What do the CNS & PNS consist of?
The CNS is the brain & longitudinal nerve cords/spinal cord
PNS is nerves & ganglia
What do ependymal cells do?
line the ventricles & have cilia that circulate cerebrospinal fluid
What do oligodendrocytes & Schwann cells do?
axon myelination
What is the function of astrocytes?
-provide structural support for neurons
-regulate extracellular concentrations of ions & neurotransmitters
-facilitate information transfer at synapses
-induce cells that line capillaries in CNS to form tight junctions
What role do radial glia play in the nervous system?
form tracks along which newly formed neurons migrate from the neural tube, the structure that gives rise to the CNS
What in the nervous system can act as stem cells?
radial glia & astrocytes
What does the cavity of the nerve cord form in the spinal cord & brain? What is it filled with?
the central canal in the spinal cord & ventricles in the brain. Filled with cerebrospinal fluid.
What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid?
brings nutrients & hormones to the brain, clears waste, cushions the brain + spinal cord
What does grey matter & white matter consist of?
Grey matter consists of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, & unmyelinated axons
White matter contains bundled axons with myelin sheaths
Where can you find white matter and what does it do?
The outside of the spinal cord, linking the CNS to sensory & motor neurons of the PNS.
The inside of the brain, signaling between neurons in learning, emotion, sensory processing, and generating commands
Sensory info reaches the CNS along what neurons?
afferent PNS neurons
The 2 efferent components of the PNS
the motor system & automatic nervous system
What is the function of the sympathetic division?
arousal & energy generation
What are the physiological manifestations of the fight-or-flight response?
-increased heart rate
-liver converts glycogen to glucose
-digestion inhibited
-secretion of epinephrine from adrenal medulla is stimulated
What is the function of the parasympathetic division?
promote calming and return to self-maintenance functions (rest & digest)
What are the physiological manifestations of increased parasympathetic division activity?
lower heart rate, increased glycogen production, & enhanced digestion
What is the enteric division?
networks of neurons in the digestive tract, pancreas, and gallbladder that regulate secretion & peristalsis
What is the nervous systems response to a drop in body temperature?
the hypothalamus signals the autonomic nervous system to constrict surface blood vessels, reducing heat loss.
The hypothalamus also signals the somatic nervous system to cause shivering, increasing heat production
What activities are associated with the cerebrum?
calculation, contemplation, and memory
What activities are associated with the forebrain?
processing olfactory input, sleep regulation, learning, and complex processing
What is the function of the midbrain?
coordinating routing of sensory input
What activities are associated with the hindbrain?
involuntary activities like blood circulation & motor activities
Transitions in alertness, drowsiness, and sleep are regulated by which brain structure(s)?
the brainstem & cerebrum
What does the reticular formation control?
arousal & sleep- filters the information that reaches the cerebrum. The more info received, the more alert a person is.
Which parts of the brainstem regulate sleep?
the reticular formation, the pons, and medulla
Which animal swims while sleeping?
bottlenose dolphins
Which animals sleep with one brain hemisphere at a time?
dolphins
What is a biological clock?
a molecular mechanism that directs periodic gene expression & cellular activity. Synched to light-dark cycle, but roughly maintains 24-hour cycle regardless.
What are circadian rhythms coordinated by in mammals?
A group of neurons in the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
What is the function of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)?
It acts as a pacemaker, synching the biological clock in cells throughout the body to the natural cycles of day length
What brain structure(s) function in the generation and experience of emotions?
The amygdala, hippocampus, & parts of the thalamus (the limbic system)
What are the functions of the limbic system?
Emotion, motivation, olfaction, behavior, & memory
What brain structure plays the biggest role in storing emotional memory?
The amygdala
If the cerebrum were damaged, what activities may be effected?
awareness of surroundings, language, cognition, memory, & conciousness
What is the function of somatosensory receptors?
provide info about touch, pain, pressure, temperature, and position of muscles/limbs
How is sensory information directed in the cortex?
The thalamus directs inputs to primary sensory areas. Visual info to occipital lobe & auditory info to temporal lobe
What commands does the cerebral cortex generate?
Motor commands consisting of action potentials produced by neurons in the motor cortex. These travel along axons to the brainstem, spinal cord, through motor neurons, which excite skeletal muscle cells
Where in the brain are neurons that process sensory info from the legs & feet?
the midline of the somatosensory cortex
A tumor in the frontal lobe may result in what changes?
Retained intellect & memory, but diminished decision making & emotional response
Which cortex accounts for the most brain mass?
The cerebral cortex, with 80%
What is the neocortex?
The outermost part of the cerebral cortex, formed of six parallel layers of neurons tangential to brain surface
A defect in the Broca’s area may affect what behavior?
facial movement
Damage to what area of the brain would result in difficulty comprehending speech but not the ability to speak?
Wernicke’s area, in the left temporal lobe
Which lobes are activated when meaning must be attached to words?
Frontal & temporal areas
How is the concept of lateralization seen in human brain functioning?
The left hemisphere is more adept at logical operations while the right hemisphere is more adept at pattern recognition & nonverbal thinking
Which creatures possess a convoluted neocortex?
Primates & cetaceans (whales, dolphins, & porpoises)
Sophisticated information processing is located where in birds?
A clustering of nuclei in the pallium, the top/outer portion of the brain
How did the difference between the bird and human pallium arise during evolution?
A common ancestor had a pallium in which neurons were organized into nuclei, as is found in birds. In mammalian evolution, this was transformed into a layered arrangement of neurons.
How is the nervous system structure established during embryonic development?
through regulated gene expression, signal transduction, neuron competition, and synapse elimination
What is the process of synapse elimination in embryonic development?
A developing neuron forms many more synapses than required for proper function. Neuron activity stabilizes some synapses & destabilizes others. By the end of embryonic development, neurons have usually lost more than half of their initial synapses- leaving behind the connections that survive into adulthood
What is neural plasticity?
The nervous systems capacity to be remodeled in response to its own activity
How does the nervous system reshape itself?
Usually at synapses. Synapses with correlating activity are reinforced while synapses with less correlation become weaker
Which neurological divergence is characterized by a disruption of activity-dependent remodeling at synapses and what are the resulting behaviors?
Autism. Characterized by impaired communication and social interaction & stereotyped/repetitive behaviors
Where in the brain are short-term and long-term memories located?
Both involve storage in the cerebral cortex. Short-term is accessed via temporary links in the hippocampus
What would result from serious damage to the hippocampus?
Inability to form new lasting memories, but no change to event recall from before damage
What evolutionary advantage is offered by organizing short-term & long-term memories differently?
Long-term memories can be integrated into existing knowledge/experience. Transfer of info from short to long term memory is enhanced by the association of new & old data.
What activities prompt neurons to make new connections?
Learning skills & procedures, like riding a bike
What activities rely mainly on changes in the strength of existing neuronal connections?
Memorizing phone numbers, facts, and places
What is long-term potentiation (LTP) and how does it occur?
LTP is a lasting increase in the strength of synaptic transmission, involving a presynaptic neuron that releases glutamate. To occur, there must be a brief high-frequency series of action potentials in the presynaptic neuron that arrive at the synaptic terminal simultaneously as the postsynaptic cell receives a depolarizing stimulus
Which glutamate receptors are involved in LTP?
NMDA & AMPA
How does the mammalian CNS repair itself when damaged/diseased?
It cannot fully repair itself. Surviving neurons can make new connections & sometimes compensate, but damage/disease has irreversible effects
What are possible brain functions that cause schizophrenia symptoms?
Neuronal pathways that use dopamine & altered glutamate signaling. Amphetamines & PCP can produce the same symptoms.
Which brain region receives inputs to the reward system?
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) near brain base