Week 5 - The brain and nervous system

Question 1

One of the primary purposes of the myelin sheath is to:

Answer 1

insulate the axon so the action potential is faster.

Question 2

The sympathetic nervous system is involved with:

Answer 2

preparing the body in response to threat.

Question 3

When two individuals are having a conversation, which two regions of the brain are used?

Answer 3

Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area

Question 4

The _______ ________ is a 3-mm thick layer of densely packed interneurons which has three primary functions, creation of sequences of movements, subtle discriminations among complex sensory patterns, and symbolic thinking

Answer 4

cerebral cortex

Question 5

______ carry information from cell to cell within the nervous system as well as to and from muscles and organs

Answer 5

Neurons

Question 6

________ is the process of converting physical energy or stimulus information into neural impulses.

Answer 6

Transduction

Question 7

Brenda smells coffee brewing, sees a mountain scene as she waits for it to be poured, and listens to the early morning call of a magpie. Though all of these sensations start as different forms of physical energy (chemical, electromagnetic, air pressure waves), they all end up as patterns of neural impulses. This process of changing the physical energy into neural impulses is called:

Answer 7

Transduction

Question 8

_____ ______ is a form of perceptual organisation and refers to the perception of objects as relatively stable despite changes in the simulation of sensory receptors.

Answer 8

perceptual constancy.

Question 9

I turn on my television and can’t hear the program. This causes me to turn up the volume so I can finally hear the show 50 percent of the time. I have:

Answer 9

crossed my absolute threshold.

Question 10

Lucas is fascinated by a book he was bought for his birthday which is full of coloured pictures designed to create interesting after-images on the book’s white pages. After-images provide evidence in support of the __________ theory of colour vision.

Answer 10

Ewald Hering’s opponent-process theory of colour vision.

Question 11

According to the biological perspective, memories are consolidated during _____ and erased during _____.

Answer 11

NREM sleep; REM sleep

Question 12

Ethan has been highly alert playing a video game but then lies back on the couch and starts to relax. It is likely that his brain waves will have changed from ____ to ____ waves as he made the transition.

Answer 12

beta; alpha
Beta waves characterise an alert wakeful state while alpha waves are typical of an awake, relaxed state

Question 13

is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in learning.

Answer 13

Glutamate

Question 14

is a neurotransmitter that plays an inhibitory role.

Answer 14

GABA

Question 15

is a neurotransmitter that effects the nervous system involving thought, feeling, motivation and behaviour.

Answer 15

Dopamine

Question 16

is a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood sleep, eating, arousal and pain.

Answer 16

Serotonin

Question 17

is a neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.

Answer 17

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Question 18

are chemicals that elevate mood and reduce pain.

Answer 18

Endorphins

Question 19

3 major types of neurons:
carry messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brin i.e from outside in to the system

Answer 19

Sensory neurons

Question 20

3 major types of neurons:
transmit impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the muscle and organs (i.e. from inside outward)

Answer 20

Motor neurons

Question 21

3 major types of neurons:
perform connective or associative functions (the link)

Answer 21

Interneurons

Question 22

5 steps in how neurons communicate

Answer 22

1. Synthesis
2. Storage
3. Release
4. Binding
5. Deactivation

Question 23

Two types of neurotransmitters:
cause the action potential to fire

Answer 23

Excitatory

Question 24

Two types of neurotransmitters:
prevent the neuron from firing

Answer 24

Inhibitory