Past Exam Questions

Question 1

Give a function of the medulla oblongata

Answer 1

Controls involuntary actions such as coughing, swallowing or breathing

Question 2

Give a function of the cerebellum

Answer 2

Controls voluntary movements
Controls posture
Controls coordination

Question 3

Why is grey matter so called?

Answer 3

It is composed of cell bodies

Question 4

Why is white matter so called?

Answer 4

It is composed of axons and myelin

Question 5

Outline the role of dendrites.

Answer 5

They carry impulses to the cell body

Question 6

Outline the role of axons.

Answer 6

They carry impulses away from the cell body

Question 7

Outline the role of cell bodies.

Answer 7

Produces neurotransmitters
Receives an impulse from a dendrite and passes it to an axon
Controls the passage of an impulse

Question 8

Describe how a nerve impulse is transmitted across a synaptic cleft, from one neuron to the next.

Answer 8

An impulse stimulates the neurotransmitter swellings in the pre-synaptic neuron to release a neurotransmitter which diffuses rapidly across the synaptic cleft
On the post-synaptic neuron the neurotransmitter is broken down by enzymes and reabsorbed back into the neurotransmitter swellings where they can be recycled.

Question 9

Explain the importance of the myelin sheath in the transmission of a nerve impulse.

Answer 9

The myelin sheath speeds up the transmission of a nerve impulse

Question 10

What is the main structural difference between white and grey matter?

Answer 10

Grey matter is composed of cell bodies while white matter is composed of axons and myelin

Question 11

What is the function of the meninges?

Answer 11

To act as a shock absorber and protect the brain and spinal cord

Question 12

How many layers are present in the meninges?

Answer 12

3

Question 13

What is a reflex action?

Answer 13

An automatic involuntary, unthinking response to a stimulus

Question 14

Outline the mechanism of reflex action

6 main points

Answer 14

1. Receptors are stimulated
2. Sensory neurons carry an impulse into the spinal cord through the dorsal root
3. An interneuron carries the impulse across the spinal cord to a motor neuron
4. Another neuron takes the impulse up to the brain
5. Motor neurons take the impulse straight out of the spine through a ventral root to the effector muscle or gland
6. At the same time the action is carried out the impulse reaches the brain which makes us aware of what has happened.

Question 15

Name the type of particle whose movement in an out of neurons is an essential feature of nerve impulse transmission

Answer 15

Ion

Question 16

Distinguish between the position of the cerebellum and the position of the cerebrum in the human brain

Answer 16

The cerebellum is the hindbrain

The cerebrum is the forebrain

Question 17

State three functions of the cerebrum

Answer 17

Memory
Learning
Emotion
Speech
Vision
Intelligence 
Movement 
Language
Smell 
Hearing 
Logic
Personality 
Taste

Question 18

Distinguish between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system

Answer 18

The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord

The PNS consists of nerve fibres outside the brain and spinal cord

Question 19

Give one way in which a nerve response differs from a hormone response

Answer 19

Nerve responses are electrical, faster and shorter lived

Question 20

Name and state the role of any two types of neuron, other than the motor neuron

Answer 20

Interneuron: A neuron which carries information between sensory and motor neurons
Found between motor and sensory neurons in the CNS
Sensory neuron: A neuron which takes a message from a sense organ to the CNS

Question 21

State one function of the cerebrum

Answer 21

Language 
The senses 
Consciousness 
Reason 
Memory 
Intelligence 
Emotions 
...

Question 22

State one function of the hypothalamus

Answer 22

To regulate the internal environment of the body (homeostasis) by monitoring the body
To link with the pituitary gland to regulate the production of hormones

Question 23

State one function of the cerebellum

Answer 23

Balance
Muscular coordination
Movement

Question 24

State one function of the medulla oblongata

Answer 24

Breathing
Blood pressure
Swallowing
Coughing
Salivation
Vomiting
Sneezing

Question 25

Name a possible cause of Parkinson’s disease

Answer 25

A disorder of the nervous system caused by the failure to produce dopamine in a part of the brain

Question 26

How can Parkinson’s disease be prevented or treated?

Answer 26

There is no known way to prevent this disease

Initially physiotherapy and special exercises along with the provision of special aids and home help to patients

Treatment with drugs such as L-dopa stimulate or mimic dopamine which can reduce symptoms but does not stop the degeneration of the brain

Electrical stimulation or implanting dopamine-secreting tissue (stem cells) into the brain may prove beneficial

Question 27

Give one example of a reflex action

Answer 27

The grasp reflex in children
The movement of the iris of the eye
Blinking the eyes for protection
Breathing
Control of blood pressure
The protective actions we take when falling
The knee jerk

Question 28

Suggest an advantage of reflex actions

Answer 28

It is a fast response so it can protect the body from damage

Question 29

What is the role of a motor neuron?

Answer 29

Takes a message from the CNS to a muscle or gland

Question 30

What is a neuron?

Answer 30

A nerve cell

Question 31

State a function for Schwann cells

Answer 31

To produce a myelin sheath

Question 32

State a function of the myelin sheath

Answer 32

Insulates the electrical impulses of a neuron