1. Which of the following behaviors might result from an injury to the amygdala?

A) Walking in the middle of a busy highway

B) Perceiving the color red as blue
C) Misinterpreting the sound of a siren as music
D) Mistaking a person for a hat
E) Sleeping incessantly

2. The brain center called the amygdala is responsible for

A) coordinating information between both hemispheres of the brain.
B) the emotion and memory of fear.
C) night vision.
D) interpretation of music.
E) long-term memory

3. The fear response that is triggered by a potentially dangerous situation results

from activation of the
A) geniculate nucleus.
B) hippocampus.
C) amygdala.
D) frontal lobe.
E) cortex.

4. Some organisms, such as earthworms and squid, have clusters of neurons called
A) the spinal cord.
B) the central nervous system.
C) the peripheral nervous system.
D) ganglia.
E) None of the above

5. The two primary cell types of the nervous system are _______ and _______.
A) fibroblasts; chondrocytes
B) neurons; glial cells
C) epithelial cells; glandular cells
D) neurons; epithelial cells
E) neuromuscular cells; epithelial cells

6. Which of the following is not one of the functions of glial cells?

A) Supporting neurons during embryonic development
B) Supplying nutrients
C) Conducting nerve impulses
D) Consuming foreign particles

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E) Insulating nerve tissue

7. What is the difference between a nerve and a neuron?

A) A nerve includes parts of multiple neurons.
B) A neuron is only the soma, or body, of a nerve.
C) Nerves carry information away from the brain, whereas neurons carry information
to the brain.
D) Nerves are cells that nourish and support the neurons.
E) None of the above; there is no difference between these terms.

8. What is the difference between glia and neurons?

A) Glia include parts of multiple neurons.
B) A neuron is only the soma, or body, of a glial cell.
C) Glia carry information away from the brain, whereas neurons carry information to
the brain.
D) Glia are cells that nourish and support the neurons.
E) None of the above; there is no difference between these terms.

9. When you decide to mark a particular answer to this question, and your nervous
system sends the command to your hand to do so, the command is carried by
A) afferent neurons.
B) efferent neurons.
C) nodes.
D) glial cells.
E) None of the above

10. When you read this question and your nervous system sends the information
from your eyes to your brain, the information is carried by
A) afferent neurons.
B) efferent neurons.
C) nodes.
D) glial cells.
E) None of the above

11. While you read this question, your neurons are busy sending information to and
from your brain; meanwhile, the metabolic needs of those neurons are met by
A) afferent neurons.
B) efferent neurons.
C) interneurons.
D) glial cells.
E) None of the above

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 12. When you read this question and eventually mark an answer, your neurons busily
send information to and from your brain, and compare it against what you
learned in class. Coordination of these processes is supplied by
A) afferent neurons.
B) efferent neurons.
C) interneurons.
D) glial cells.
E) None of the above

13. When you touch a hot stove a nerve impulse travels up your arm, passes briefly
through your central nervous system, and a response is sent down your arm to
move your hand. The system described here
A) would also rely on an effector.
B) has evolved only in humans.
C) constitutes a neural network.
D) does not involve the peripheral nervous system.
E) Both a and c

14. Neurons that transmit information from sensory cells to the central nervous
system are part of the
A) brain.
B) peripheral nervous system.
C) central nervous system.
D) spinal cord.
E) nerve net.

15. There are about _______ neurons in the human brain.

A) 100,000
B) 1 million
C) 100 million
D) 1 billion
E) 100 billion

16. Neurons
A) have a uniform shape throughout the nervous system.
B) are more numerous than glial cells in the nervous system.
C) are found in mammals and birds only.
D) communicate with other cells at synapses.
E) All of the above

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 17. Ganglia frequently come in pairs
A) with one ganglion at each end of an animal.
B) with one ganglion controlling afferent neurons and the other controlling efferent
neurons.
C) in animals that show bilateral symmetry.
D) with one ganglion controlling sensory neurons and the other controlling effectors.
E) None of the above

18. The area where two neurons come into close contact with each other and pass
along information
A) is nearly always in a ganglion.
B) differs with different types of neurons.
C) is called a synapse.
D) is at the node of Ranvier.
E) is located in the middle of the neurons.

19. At the anterior ends of animals, some ganglia become enlarged or even fuse
together
A) in a continuous process as the animals get older.
B) as one moves from simple to more complex animals.
C) at sexual maturity.
D) in animals showing radial symmetry.
E) when glial cells are damaged.

20. The human capacity to learn, process information, carry out complex tasks, and
experience emotions
A) diminishes with age.
B) is due to the human brain's lack of synapses, which allows for increased speed of
signal transmission.
C) is due to the weakness of the human sensory system, relative to other animals,
which allows the human brain to focus on higher cognitive functions and emotional
responses.
D) is due to the capacity of synapses to change their number and size and become
more or less sensitive.
E) None of the above

21. Which of the following differs the least among species?

A) Brainstem
B) Olfactory lobe
C) Cerebrum
D) Cerebellum

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E) These all vary equally among species.

22. Which of the following brain areas integrates sensory and motor information?
A) Brain stem
B) Olfactory lobe
C) Cerebrum
D) Cerebellum
E) None of the above

23. Which of the following structures is not a part of most neurons?

A) Nodes
B) Cell body
C) Axon terminal
D) Dendrite
E) Axon

24. Which of the following is not a type of glial cell?

A) Oligodendrocytes
B) Neural crest cells
C) Astrocytes
D) Microglial cells
E) Schwann cells

25. The blood–brain barrier protects the brain

A) mostly during fetal development.
B) from toxic chemicals.
C) by maintaining a blood supply for the brain that is separate from the rest of the
body.
D) through the action of microglial cells that reduce the permeability of small blood
vessels.
E) Both b and d

26. Many parts of the nervous system are glistening white in appearance because
A) of the actions of astrocytes.
B) they are coated in a matrix similar to that of bone.
C) they are coated with myelin.
D) they co-occur with fatty adipose tissue.
E) None of the above

27. The myelin sheath that surrounds some axons in the peripheral nervous system is

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 formed by
A) neurons.
B) Schwann cells.
C) bacteria that have invaded the nervous system.
D) synapses.
E) None of the above

28. Which of the following statements about the nervous system is false?
A) It is the most complex system of the human body.
B) Oligodendrocytes cover the axons of neurons in the peripheral nervous system.
C) Effectors are muscles or glands.
D) Sensory cells transduce information into electric signals that can be transmitted by
neurons.
E) Thousands of synapses impinge on most neurons.

29. Anesthetics and alcohol can permeate the blood–brain barrier because
A) they are small molecules.
B) they are water-soluble.
C) they are fat-soluble.
D) they pass through gated channels.
E) there are receptors for them on blood vessels.

30. Most synapses

A) in vertebrates are chemical synapses.
B) cover a space about 25 nanometers wide.
C) are crossed by neurotransmitters.
D) are about 1/2000th the width of a human hair.
E) All of the above

31. Which of the following describes the resting potential of the neuronal cell
membrane?
A) The inside is 60 millivolts more positive than the outside.
B) The outside is 60 millivolts more positive than the inside.
C) The inside is 30 millivolts more positive than the outside.
D) The outside is 30 millivolts more positive than the inside.
E) The inside has about the same charge as the outside.

32. Voltage is to the flow of electrically charged particles as

A) pressure is to the flow of water.
B) width is to a pond.
C) altitude is to air particles.

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D) primary structure is to an amino acid.
E) None of the above

33. Action potentials are also called

A) potential energy.
B) resting potentials.
C) nerve impulses.
D) neural potentials.
E) leak currents.

34. The resting potential across the neuronal membrane is generally maintained by
the
A) sodium–potassium pump.
B) action potential.
C) resting potential.
D) voltage-gated channels.
E) negative ion pump.

35. The resting potential of a neuron is produced by

A) voltage-gated channels in the membrane.
B) chemically gated channels in the membrane.
C) potassium channels in the membrane that are permanently open.
D) the concentration difference in Na+ across the membrane.
E) blockage of the sodium–potassium pump.

36. Which of the following can carry electric charges across the cell membrane?
A) Electrons
B) Protons
C) Water
D) Ions
E) Proteins

37. The sodium–potassium pump is a(n) _______ membrane protein.

A) uniport
B) antiport
C) symport
D) biport
E) ionoport

38. The sodium–potassium pump

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A) needs energy to work.
B) moves potassium ions to the inside of a neuron and sodium ions to the outside.
C) works against a concentration gradient.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

39. Hodgkin and Huxley's studies of the electrical properties of axonal membranes
were performed on the very large neurons of
A) the African elephant.
B) the blue whale.
C) redwood trees.
D) squids.
E) the short-tailed shrew.

40. Patch clamping

A) fixes a break in a cell membrane.
B) records electrical activity inside a cell.
C) records ion movements through a single channel.
D) records ion movements through the entire neuron.
E) records an action potential through a single channel.

41. The action potential

A) travels along all axons at the same speed.
B) is slowed down in myelinated nerve cells.
C) is blocked at the nodes of Ranvier.
D) causes a brief depolarization of the membrane potential.
E) triggers a simultaneous change in potential along the entire axon.

42. Which of the following statements about voltage-gated channel proteins is true?
A) If the membrane voltage reaches threshold potential, ions are pumped through the
membrane.
B) If the membrane voltage reaches threshold potential, ions can diffuse through the
membrane.
C) Ions can move through the membrane only if the overall membrane voltage stays
the same.
D) Ions are pumped through the membrane in order to maintain existing membrane
voltage.
E) When the gates close, membrane voltage does not change.

43. Action potentials

A) are initiated by the membrane's increased permeability to potassium.

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B) return to resting when the sodium channels open.
C) can be triggered in very rapid succession, with no delay.
D) involve voltage-gated channels in the membrane.
E) are propagated only because chloride ions move through the membrane.

44. If Na+ channels open and sodium ions diffuse into the cell,
A) the cell will become hyperpolarized.
B) other sodium ions will move out of the cell.
C) voltage-gated channels will remain closed.
D) the charge across the nearby membrane will change.
E) action potentials will be triggered.

45. Nerves _______ have the most rapid action potentials.

A) with the thinnest axon diameters
B) with myelin sheaths
C) of invertebrate animals
D) with the greatest membrane potential
E) with the most ion channels

46. Which of the following ions is most responsible for generating an action
potential?
A) Na+
B) K+
C) Cl–
D) H+
E) OH–

47. Following depolarization, the neural membrane potential is restored in some

neurons when
A) Na+ ions rush outward through the membrane.
B) K+ ions rush outward through the membrane.
C) Cl– ions rush inward through the membrane.
D) a pump moves ions to their original concentrations.
E) the membrane becomes freely permeable to many ions.

48. The frequency at which a single neuron can “fire” action potentials is limited by
the
A) number of synapses that the neuron forms.
B) number of other cells that the neuron contacts.
C) refractory period for the neuron's Na+ channel.
D) length of the axon of the neuron.

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E) number of dendrites on the neuron.

49. Saltatory conduction results when

A) continuous propagation of the nerve impulse speeds up.
B) a nerve impulse jumps from one neuron to another.
C) the threshold for an action potential is suddenly increased.
D) action potentials spread from node to node down the axon.
E) the direction of an action potential suddenly changes.

50. When an action potential arrives at an axon terminal, it causes the opening of
_______ channels, which triggers fusion of neurotransmitter vesicles with the
cell membrane.
A) calcium
B) sodium
C) potassium
D) chloride
E) acetylcholine

51. Electrical synapses

A) do not integrate information well.
B) contain gap junctions.
C) cannot be inhibitory.
D) are a rapid means of signal transmission.
E) All of the above

52. Which of the following statements about acetylcholine is false?

A) Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter.
B) Acetylcholine is found at mammalian neuromuscular junctions.
C) Both smooth muscles and skeletal muscles respond to acetylcholine.
D) Acetylcholine is degraded by acetylcholinesterase.
E) Acetylcholine increases contractility of the heart.

53. When an action potential arrives at the axon terminal, the voltage-gated calcium
channels at the terminal
A) release calcium into the synaptic cleft.
B) actively transport neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.
C) open; the influx of calcium causes the vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic
membrane and release a neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.
D) depolarize the membrane at the axon terminal.
E) cause the membrane receptors to bind the neurotransmitter.

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 54. Most nerve cells communicate with others by means of
A) electric signals that pass across synapses.
B) chemical signals that pass across synapses.
C) bursts of pressure that “bump” the postsynaptic cell membrane.
D) Na+ ions as they are released from one cell and enter the next.
E) None of the above

55. Which of the following is involved in the sequence of events that triggers
synaptic transmission?
A) The action potential
B) The opening of Ca2+ channels at the synaptic terminal
C) The entry of Ca2+ into the presynaptic terminal
D) Fusion of synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic membrane
E) All of the above

56. When the neurotransmitter diffuses across the synaptic cleft,

A) it automatically causes depolarization of the postsynaptic membrane.
B) it can be excitatory or inhibitory, depending on the type of postsynaptic membrane.
C) a single molecule is sufficient to trigger activation of the postsynaptic membrane.
D) only a few molecules make it to the postsynaptic membrane.
E) it must move through nodes in the myelin sheath.

57. Which of the following statements about neurons is true?

A) They fire action potentials only on the basis of the number of excitatory inputs they
receive.
B) They sum excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials.
C) The “decision” to fire is made in the dendrites.
D) They make spatial, but not temporal, summations.
E) Both a and c

58. A postsynaptic cell's processing of information from synapses at different sites is

called
A) excitatory postsynaptic potential.
B) inhibitory postsynaptic potential.
C) spatial summation.
D) temporal summation.
E) action potential.

59. The most critical area in a neuron for “decision making” is the
A) axon hillock.

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B) presynaptic terminal.
C) postsynaptic terminal.
D) cell body.
E) synapse.

60. Neurons communicate with each other at electrical synapses by means of

A) a myelin sheath.
B) ionotropic receptors.
C) metabotropic receptors.
D) gap junctions.
E) tight junctions.

61. Neurotransmitters
A) have multiple types of receptors.
B) may be excitatory or inhibitory.
C) may have different effects in different tissues.
D) include dopamine and serotonin, which are monoamines.
E) All of the above

62. Which of the following neurotransmitters is used by neurons as an intercellular

messenger?
A) Glycine
B) Norepinephrine
C) Nitric oxide
D) Adenosine
E) None of the above

63. Muscarinic receptors of acetylcholine

A) are found in heart muscle.
B) tend to be inhibitory.
C) are an example of a metabotropic receptor.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

64. Which of the following statements about dopamine is true?

A) It is a derivative of tyrosine.
B) It is a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system.
C) It is a monoamine.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

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 65. Narcotic drugs such as opium activate _______ receptors.
A) GABA
B) endorphin
C) enkephalin
D) Both b and c
E) All of the above

66. Mice with modified NMDA receptors

A) run through mazes more slowly than normal mice do.
B) remember the routes in mazes for longer periods of time than normal mice do.
C) fail to learn tasks.
D) remember the routes in mazes for shorter periods of time than normal mice do.
E) a, c, and d

67. Synaptic clefts can be cleansed of neurotransmitters by means of

A) enzymatic degradation.
B) simple diffusion.
C) active transport.
D) Both a and c
E) All of the above

68. Which of the following neurotransmitters is a peptide?

A) Acetylcholine
B) Norepinephrine
C) Serotonin
D) Glycine
E) Endorphin

69. Long-term potentiation

A) was discovered by neurobiologists working with brain slice preparations.
B) involves an enhanced postsynaptic response.
C) results from repeated stimulation of a presynaptic cell.
D) involves activation of the NMDA receptor.
E) All of the above

70. Long-term potentiation

A) may be involved in learning and memory.
B) involves a decreased postsynaptic response.
C) involves AMPA receptors only.
D) results from low frequency of stimulation.

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 E) None of the above

71. Which of the following would result from the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase?
A) Release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic membrane would be inhibited.
B) Synthesis of neurotransmitter in cells would be inhibited.
C) Breakdown of neurotransmitter in the synapse would be inhibited.
D) Stimulation of the postsynaptic membrane would be inhibited.
E) Cholinergic receptors would be inhibited.

72. Some medications that elevate mood and relieve anxiety

A) enhance the activity of serotonin at the synapse.
B) slow the reuptake of serotonin.
C) increase endorphins.
D) Both a and b
E) All of the above

73. In simple organisms such as the sea anemone, the nervous system consists of a _______.

74. Sound is translated into action potentials by _______ neurons.

75. When a neuron contacts another neuron, a muscle, or a gland, special junctions called
_______ transmit the message carried by the incoming neuron.

76. A neuron found entirely within the human arm is part of the _______ nervous system.

77. The part of the neuron specialized for receiving impulses is the _______.

78. Special glial cells, called _______, surround the smallest, most permeable blood vessels
in the brain, thereby participating in the formation of the blood–brain barrier.

79. In myelinated axons of vertebrate neurons, breaks in the insulation occur at points called
the _______.

80. The initial membrane event of an action potential is the flow of _______ ions across the
membrane.

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81. Voltage is to the flow of electrically charged particles as _______ is to the flow of water.

82. Sodium–potassium ATPase is also known as the _______.

83. The value of the potassium equilibrium potential can be calculated using the _______
equation.

84. Following an action potential, a neuron has a _______ during which it cannot be
stimulated.

85. The depolarization of a neuron must rise above the _______ before an action potential is
achieved.

86. The information that flows through the nervous system moves from cell to cell by
means of chemical or _______ synapses.

87. Neurotransmitters that depolarize the postsynaptic membrane bring about a(n) _______
postsynaptic potential.

88. The nicotinic receptors of acetylcholine are not metabotropic receptors but rather
_______ receptors.

89. The gas _______ is used as an intercellular messenger by neurons.

90. In vertebrates, the two most common inhibitory neurotransmitters are _______ and
_______.

91. In order for neuronal responses to be turned off, synapses must be cleared of _______.

92. Deadly nerve gases inhibit the enzyme _______.

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Use the following to answer questions 93-94:

Refer to the graph below, showing the course of an action potential.

93. In the action potential shown, which of the following cellular events is mispaired
with the position at which it occurs?
A) Position 1 – Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed
B) Position 2 – Activation gates of some sodium channels open
C) Position 3 – Voltage-gated potassium channels close
D) Position 4 – Inactivation gates of sodium channels close
E) Position 5 – Inactivation gates of sodium channels reopen

94. In the action potential shown, the x-axis should be labeled _______, and the y-
axis should be labeled _______.
A) distance (mm); current (mA)
B) time (msec); voltage (mV)
C) distance (mm); voltage (mV)
D) time (msec); current (mA)
E) current (mA); voltage (mV)

95. Refer to the diagram below of a neuromuscular junction. Which cellular event is
correctly paired with the location where it occurs?

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A) Position 2 – Activated receptors open chemically gated cation channels.
B) Position 3 – Calcium triggers fusion of acetylcholine vesicles with the presynaptic
membrane.
C) Position 4 – Acetylcholine is broken down and the components are recycled.
D) Position 5 – Voltage-gated calcium channels open.
E) Position 7 – Acetylcholine molecules diffuse across the synaptic cleft.

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Answer Key

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. B
6. C
7. A
8. D
9. B
10. A
11. D
12. C
13. E
14. B
15. E
16. D
17. C
18. C
19. B
20. D
21. A
22. D
23. A
24. B
25. E
26. C
27. B
28. B
29. C
30. E
31. B
32. A
33. C
34. A
35. C
36. D
37. B
38. D
39. D
40. C
41. D
42. B
43. D
44. D

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45. B
46. A
47. B
48. C
49. D
50. A
51. E
52. E
53. C
54. B
55. E
56. B
57. B
58. C
59. A
60. D
61. E
62. C
63. E
64. D
65. D
66. B
67. E
68. E
69. E
70. A
71. C
72. D
73. nerve net
74. sensory
75. synapses
76. peripheral
77. dendrite
78. astrocytes
79. nodes of Ranvier
80. sodium
81. pressure
82. sodium–potassium pump
83. Nernst
84. refractory period
85. threshold
86. electrical
87. excitatory
88. ionotropic
89. nitric oxide
90. GABA; glycine

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91. neurotransmitter
92. acetylcholinesterase
93. C
94. B
95. E

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