Midterm 1 Material Flashcards
What is the primary function of the thalamus in the brain?
a) emotional regulation
b) sensory relay center
c) memory storage
d) motor control
b) sensory relay center
Which part of the brain is associated with the initiation of voluntary motor control and responses, as well as the reward process related to dopamine production?
a) basal ganglia
b) hippocampus
c) thalamus
d) amygdala
a) basal ganglia
What is the role of the substantia nigra in the brain and what condition is associated with its dysfunction?
a) memory function; Epilepsy
b) motor function; Parkinson’s disease
c) sensory processing; Alzheimer’s disease
d) emotional regulation; Schizophrenia
b) motor function; Parkinson’s disease
What is the primary function of the hippocampus in the brain?
a) emotional regulation
b) motor control
c) spatial learning and navigation
d) sensory processing
c) spatial learning and navigation
Which part of the brain is essential for motivated behaviors such as feeding, fighting, flight, and sex, and is involved in the H.P.A axis?
a) thalamus
b) amygdala
c) cerebellum
d) hypothalamus
d) hypothalamus
What is the function of the superior colliculus in the midbrain?
a) visual processing
b) auditory processing
c) emotional regulation
d) motor control
a) visual processing
Which part of the brain is associated with fine motor control, coordination, and feedback to ensure motor responses reach their intended goal?
a) reticular formation
b) pons
c) cerebellum
d) medulla
c) cerebellum
What is the primary function of the reticular formation in the brainstem?
a) emotional regulation
b) motor control
c) physiological functions
d) sensory processing
c) physiological functions
Which part of the brain is responsible for the reinforcement and reward process related to dopamine production, particularly in response to rewarding stimuli?
a) substantia nigra
b) nucleus accumbens
c) hippocampus
d) amygdala
b) nucleus accumbens
What is the role of the amygdala in the brain and what type of functions is it primarily associated with?
a) sensory processing; visual stimuli
b) memory formation; spatial learning
c) motor control; fine motor skills
d) emotional processing and regulation; fear and threat stimuli
d) emotional processing and regulation; fear and threat stimuli
Which subdiscipline of neuroscience focuses on the study of brain disorders?
a) biopsychology
b) neuropathology
c) developmental neurobiology
d) ethoexperimental psychology
e) neuroendocrinology
b) neuropathology
The most likely explanation for Jimmy G’s memory loss is
a) Alcohol directly causes Korsakoff’s syndrome and memory deficits
b) Alcoholics have inherently worse memory than non-alcoholics
c) The vitamin deficiency associated with alcoholism causes the brain damage that results in the symptoms of Korsakoff’s syndrome, including memory loss
d) Alcohol destroys the hippocampus, which is an important brain structure for memory functions
e) Alcohol is associated with excess thiamine, which impairs memory ability
c) The vitamin deficiency associated with alcoholism causes the brain damage that results in the symptoms of Korsakoff’s syndrome, including memory loss
Interneurons
a) have several axons and no dendrites
b) integrate the activity within a single brain structure
c) have one long axon and one short dendrite
d) have two short axons
e) have bipolar axons
b) integrate the activity within a single brain structure
DNA methylation
a) inhibits DNA transcription
b) enhances DNA transcription
c) causes changes to the DNA sequence
d) increases the frequency of DNA mutations
e) all of the above
a) inhibits DNA transcription
The term “between-subjects design” refers to experiments in which
a) each subject is exposed to each condition of the experiment
b) some groups of subjects receive drug injections
c) invasive procedures are used, that is, those in which the internal physiology of the subjects is manipulated
d) a different group of subjects is tested in each condition of the experiment
e) all of the above
d) a different group of subjects is tested in each condition of the experiment
Epigenetic investigations, though relatively recent, have already identified
a) many active areas of nongene (junk) DNA
b) various kinds of small RNA molecules
c) histone remodeling as an important mechanism by which experience can
influence gene expression
d) DNA methylation as an important epigenetic mechanism
e) all of the above
e) all of the above
Neurons with one axon and several dendrites emanating from the soma are classified as
a) motor
b) autonomic
c) multipolar
d) bipolar
e) unipolar
c) multipolar
Deterioration of the pathway from the substantia nigra to the striatum is often found in cases of
a) Korsakoff’s syndrome
b) Parkinson’s disease
c) autism
d) Alzheimer’s disease
e) multiple sclerosis
b) Parkinson’s disease
Which structure of the diencephalon regulates the pituitary?
a) snot gland
b) hypothalamus
c) medial geniculate
d) cerebellum
e) nasal mucosa
b) hypothalamus
Interneurons
a) don’t conduct signals from one structure to another; they integrate activity within
a single brain structure
b) have two short axons but no dendrites
c) have one long axon and one short dendrite
d) have several short axons and no dendrites
e) have bipolar axons and no dendrites
a) don’t conduct signals from one structure to another; they integrate activity within
a single brain structure
A term that refers to higher intellectual processes such as thought, memory, and attention is
a) “cognition”
b) “motivation”
c) “emotions”
d) “prosody”
e) “IQ”
a) “cognition”
In some studies, subjects are not assigned to particular conditions; instead subjects are selected because they are already living under these conditions (e.g., alcohol consumers and alcohol nonconsumers). Such studies are
a) quasiexperiments
b) case studies
c) true experiments
d) randomized experiments
e) unethical
a) quasiexperiments
In general, the brain stem regulates
a) thinking
b) memory
c) emotion
d) reflex activities critical for survival
e) vision
d) reflex activities critical for survival
Structure is to function as
biopsychology is to
a) psychology
b) neuroanatomy is to neurophysiology
c) neuropathology is to clinical psychology
d) neuroscience is to biopsychology
e) biopsychology is to neuroscience
b) neuroanatomy is to neurophysiology
Convergent evolution produces structures that are
a) convergent
b) analogous
c) homologous
d) both A and C
e) both B and C
b) analogous
The neural structure situated nearest the opening connecting the third and fourth ventricles is the
a) substantia nigra
b) periaqueductal gray
c) red nucleus
d) superior colliculi
e) cerebral aqueduct
b) periaqueductal gray
If an individual has a recessive phenotype for a particular trait, it can be concluded that:
a) both parents also had a recessive phenotype for that trait
b) only one parent had a recessive phenotype for that trait
c) both parents were not homozygous for the recessive gene for that trait
d) both parents were homozygous for the dominant gene for that trait
e) both A and C
d) both parents were homozygous for the dominant gene for that trait
Clusters of neural cell bodies in the CNS are called
a) neurons
b) ganglia
c) nerves
d) nuclei
e) buttons
d) nuclei
The inferior and superior colliculi compose the
a) thalamus
b) hypothalamus
c) tectum
d) hippocampus
e) cerebellum
c) tectum
In histone acetylation, acetylation is added to the
a) histone tails
b) axon
c) dendrites
d) soma
a) histone tails
Sensory areas of the neocortex have
a) a thin layer 4
b) a thin layer 5
c) a thicker layer 5
d) a thicker layer 4
d) a thicker layer 4
The hypothalamus and thalamus make up the
a) tectum
b) diencephalon
c) mescencephalon
d) cerebellum
b) diencephalon
Neurons of the ventral root carry
a) visual information
b) motor information
c) sensory information
d) both A and B
b) motor information
This thalamic nuclei relays auditory information
medial geniculate
This thalamic nuclei relays visual information
lateral geniculate
This type of research is motivated mainly by the desire to find out how things work, and are the building blocks of knoweldege
Pure/Basic Research
This type of research tries to answer a specific problem with direct benefit to humans (and utilizes the building blocks of knowledge)
Applied Research
How do we explain the brain damage of alcoholics? (ex. Jimmy.G)
Alcohol lacks vitamins and has a LOW thiamine intake, as well as increases neurodegeneration
The Cell Body or Soma is known as ______ matter, and the Axon is _____ matter
gray matter; white matter
The somatic nervous system deals with ______ environment and the autonomic nervous system deals with ______ environment
external; internal
Which 3 cranial nerves are exclusively sensory?
- olfactory
- optic
- auditory/acoustic
What is a collection of axons in the CNS called?
tract
Which membrane wraps around the CNS (brain AND spinal cord are covered in these layers) and contains the pia matter, dura matter, and arachnoid mater?
meninges
What are the 3 layers of the brain?
- Dura Mater – the toughest layer
- butts up against the inner wall of the brain
- filled with blood-filled spaces
- thick, white like matter over the brain - Arachnoid Layer – web like structure with holes
- provides cushion - Pia Mater – thin, adheres closely to surface of CNS
- like saran wrap around the brain to keep everything in
- fits into all of the folds, and covers the surface of the brain
- follows the contours of the cortex
- looks almost like shiny film on top of the brain
This fluid surrounds the entire brain and spinal cord, provides cushion, and is made by the Choroid Plexus and drained into jugular veins :
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
Why can specific drugs like heroin easily pass into the blood-brain-barrier?
because the drugs are very li-pid-soluble, and the membrane is very fatty
The cell membrane is semi-permeable. What does this mean?
only certain things can go in and out with help
This type of cell outnumbers our neurons and supports, nourishes, and functionally interacts with neurons:
glial cells
In the CNS, axons are myelinated by:
Oligodendrocytes
In the CNS, these cells help clean up/remove dead cells
Microglia
In the CNS, these cells remove debris, and remove helpful things from the bloodstream, and bring them to neurons
astrocytes/astroglia
Which subdivision of the brain contains the pons and cerebellum, and what are their functions?
Metencephalon
- Pons
- passage of fibers
- origin of 3 cranial nerves - Cerebellum
- fine motor control/coordination
- equilibrium= balance
- receives top down information from the frontal lobes
- complex motor skills (ex. Catching a ball in the air…)
Which subdivision of the brain has functions such as sleep/arousal, muscular tone, attention, movement, reflexes?
Myelencephalon (AKA Medulla Oblongata)
Which subdivision of the brain involves the tectum and tegmentum? What are their functions?
Mesencephalon (midbrain)
- Tectum
- auditory functions (Inferior colliculi)
- visual functions (Superior colliculi) - Tegmentum
- motor control
- balance and coordination
- pain center
Which subdivision of the brain involves the thalamus and hypothalamus. What are their functions?
Diencephalon
- Thalamus
- sleep, wakefulness, consciousness, learning and memory - Hypothalamus
- feeding, sexual reproduction, emotions, mood, stress response (H-P-A Axis), body temperatures, sleep, growth
What is the last subdivision of the brain and what are its functions?
Telencephalon (telos=last)
- voluntary movements
- sensory interpretation
- complex cognitive processes (learning, speaking, decision-making, personality…)
Which brain subdivision contains the Longitudinal Fissure, Sulcus and Gyrus? What are their functions?
Telencephalon (telos=last)
- Longitudinal Fissure
- a long, deep cleft that separates the 2 hemispheres - Sulcus
- a shallow cleft (small folds in the brain) - Gyrus
- a ridge
- the rises and falls of the brain
Which matter tract bridges the 2 brain hemispheres and coordinates movement, senses, and cognitive function?
Corpus Callosum (located in the longitudinal fissure)
Which layer of the brain is the most outer layer, is known as “gray matter” for its fatty myelin cover and has many folds (giving the brain its wrinkled look)?
Cerebral Cortex
What are the main differences between the Telencephalon – Basal Ganglia and Telencephalon – Limbic System?
Basal Ganglia
- involved in voluntary motor responses and reward
- involves the striatum and nucleus accumbens
BOTH CONTAIN THE AMYGDALA
Limbic System
- involved in regulation of motivated behaviors: “the 4 Fs” (Fighting, fleeing, freeing, and sex), emotions and learning and memory
When do mirror neurons fire?
when performing an action, when observing an action performed by another and/or observing another monkey imitation one’s behavior
T or F: rapid/drastic change in the environment causes rapid evolution in species
TRUE
Who believed that evolution was a movement towards perfection, and that changes happened consciously?
Lamark
What is convergent evolution?
when different species independently evolve similar traits due to environmental pressures
- convergent evolution is ANALOGOUS (structures performing similar functions, but having a different evolutionary origin)
A conspecific of a mole is a
a) mole
b) rat
c) rabbit
d) fish
a) mole
(member of the SAME species)
What 2 types of fitness did Neo Darwinism come up with? Explain them
- Inclusive Fitness
- the proportion of one’s genes that are projected into the next generation by ALL of the individuals with whom 1 shares those genes – all of one’s kin
- don’t have to be directly related to the person to save them - Direct Fitness
- the genes are DIRECTLY derived from an individual to their offspring
What were Darwin’s 3 observations and 2 deductions of “natural selection”?
Observation 1:
- organisms have an enormous capacity to overproduce
Observation 2:
- populations (with a few exceptions) remain remarkably stable
Observation 3:
- individuals differ in their characteristics, and many of these differences are heritable
Deduction #1
- there is a struggle for survival
Deduction #2
- those individuals who possess adaptive characteristics will reproduce more successfully than those who don’t and will pass on these characteristics to their offspring
This process is what Darwin meant by “natural selection”
What term explains phenotype changes that do not involve DNA mutation?
Epigenetics
What are examples of epigenetic changes?
- DNA myelination
- Histone modification
- Heritability
What type of chromatin remodeling affects gene transcription?
DNA Methylation
- gene is LESS accessible when it is methylated (gene is silenced) (there is no protein synthesis)
- methylation can be maintained over cell duplication cycles (when cells duplicate, the methylation can also be duplicated, and be passed on)
Which 2 enzymes help open/close the chromatid?
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) closes off the chromatid
Histone acetyltransferase (HAT) helps open the chromatid/transcription
Explain what happens when a gene is “switched on” or “switched off”:
“Switched ON”
- active (open) chromatin (HAT)
- unmethylated cytosines (white circles)
- acetylated histones
- transcription IS possible
“Switched OFF”:
- silent (condensed) chromatin (HDAC)
- methylated cytosines (red circles) (reduces transcription)
- deacetylated histones
- transcription is NOT possible
