1.

The two kinds of cells in the nervous system are __________, which receive and transmit information to other
cells, and __________, which do not transmit information.

A) neurons, glia

B) glia, hypoglia

C) glia, neurons

D) neurons, corpuscles

2. The outer surface of a cell is called the __________ and the fluid inside the cell is the __________.

A) cytoplasm, endoplasm

B) membrane, nuclear fluid

C) wall, goo

D) membrane, cytoplasm

3. Which structure within an animal cell contains the chromosomes?

A) endoplasmic reticulum

B) mitochondrion

C) membrane

D) nucleus

4. The main feature that distinguishes a neuron from other cells is the neuron's

A) larger nucleus.

B) ability to metabolize a variety of fuels.

C) high internal concentration of sodium ions.

D) varied shape.

5. Which part of a neuron contains the nucleus?

A) cell body

B) dendrites

C) axon

D) presynaptic ending

6. Neurons have one __________, but can have any number of __________.

A) dendrite, axons

B) axon, dendrites

C) cell body, axons

D) axon hillock, cell bodies

7. An axon hillock is

A) the end of an axon, close to the next cell.

B) a swelling in the middle of an axon.

C) a point at which the axon branches in two or more directions.

D) a swelling at the start of an axon, next to the cell body.

8. As a general rule, axons convey information

A) toward dendrites of their own cell.

B) toward their own cell body.

C) away from the cell body.

D) to glia.

9. One way to tell the difference between a dendrite and an axon is that dendrites usually

A) form branches perpendicular to the main trunk of the dendrite.

B) are longer than the axon.

C) are covered with myelin.

D) taper in diameter toward their periphery.

10. An interneuron is

A) a glia cell that separates one neuron from another.

B) a neuron that receives all its information from other neurons and conveys impulses only to other neurons.

C) a neuron that has its cell body in the spinal cord and an axon that extends to a muscle or gland.

D) a cell whose properties are halfway between those of a neuron and those of a glia cell.

11. A neuron that conveys information toward the hippocampus is considered a (an) __________ cell, with regard to
the hippocampus.

A) afferent

B) efferent

C) intrinsic

D) motor

12. A neuron that conveys information away from the hippocampus is considered a (an) __________ cell, with
regard to the hippocampus.

A) afferent

B) efferent

C) intrinsic

D) sensory

13. A neuron that has an axon and dendrites that branch diffusely, but only extend within a small radius, is probably
a(n)_________.

A) Purkinje cell
B) motor neuron in the spinal cord

C) interneuron

D) sensory neuron

14. In the human brain, glia cells are

A) larger than neurons.

B) capable of transmitting impulses when neurons fail to do so.

C) more numerous than neurons.

D) like neurons, except that they lack axons.

15. One function NOT performed by glia is to

A) remove waste materials.

B) build myelin sheaths.

C) transmit information.

D) guide the growth of axons and dendrites.

16. Keeping animals in a varied environment with much stimulation leads to which change in neuronal structure?

A) Increased branching of dendrites.

B) Increased velocity of action potentials.

C) Increased diameter of cell bodies.

D) Division of mature neurons to form additional neurons.

17. How does the structure of neurons change when an older person becomes senile?

A) No structural change occurs.

B) Neurons develop new but inappropriate connections.

C) Many neurons die and dendrites branch less widely in the remainder.

D) The diameter of axons and cell bodies decreases.

18. The difference in voltage between the inside and the outside of a neuron that typically exists is called the

A) concentration gradient.

B) generator potential.

C) resting potential.

D) shock value.

19. What is meant by the term "concentration gradient"?

A) Sodium ions are more concentrated inside the cell and potassium ions are more concentrated outside.

B) Potassium ions are more concentrated inside the cell and sodium ions are more concentrated outside.

C) Sodium ions are more concentrated in the dendrites and potassium ions are more concentrated in the axon.

D) Potassium ions are more concentrated in the dendrites and sodium ions are more concentrated in the axon.

20. The sodium potassium pump pumps sodium ions __________ and potassium ions __________.

A) into the cell, into the cell

B) into the cell, out of the cell

C) out of the cell, out of the cell

D) out of the cell, into the cell

21. The sodium potassium pump makes possible which of the following features of a neuron?

A) Refractory period.

B) Resting potential.

C) Selective permeability.
D) Saltatory conduction.

22. When the neuron is at rest, which of the following forces tends to move potassium ions OUT OF the cell?

A) Concentration gradient.

B) Electrical gradient.

C) Both concentration gradient and electrical gradient.

D) Sodium potassium pump.

23. If a stimulus shifts the potential inside a neuron from the resting potential to a more negative potential, the result
is

A) hyperpolarization.

B) depolarization.

C) an action potential.

D) a threshold.

24. If a stimulus shifts the potential inside a neuron from the resting potential to a potential slightly closer to zero,
the result is known as

A) hyperpolarization.

B) depolarization.

C) selective permeability.

D) the refractory period.

25. A membrane produces an action potential whenever the potential across it reaches

A) the resting potential.

B)  90 mV.

C) the threshold.

D) the myelin sheath.

 

26. According to the all or none law,

A) every depolarization produces an action potential.

B) every hyperpolarization produces an action potential.

C) the size of the action potential is independent of the strength of the stimulus that initiated it.

D) every depolarization reaches the threshold, even if it fails to produce an action potential.

27. For a given neuron, the resting potential is  70 mV and the threshold is  55 mV.

Stimulus A depolarizes the membrane to exactly  55 mV.

Stimulus B depolarizes the membrane to  40 mV. What can we expect to happen?

A) Stimulus A will produce an action potential of greater amplitude than stimulus B.

B) Stimulus A will produce an action potential that is conducted at a faster speed than that of stimulus B.

C) Stimulus B will produce an action potential and stimulus A will not.

D) Stimulus A and stimulus B will produce action potentials of the same size.

28. How can a neuron signal the difference between an intense stimulus and a stimulus that just barely reaches the
threshold for an instant?

A) Magnitude of the action potential.

B) Speed of the action potential.

C) Frequency of action potentials.

D) Shape of the action potential.

29. During the entire course of events from the start of an action potential until the membrane returns to its resting
potential, the net movement of ions is

A) sodium in, potassium in.

B) sodium out, potassium out.

C) sodium in, potassium out.

D) sodium out, potassium in.

30. The refractory period of a neuron is a period of time when

A) the sodium gates of the membrane are open.

B) the sodium potassium pump is active.

C) a usually adequate stimulus cannot produce an action potential.

D) both the sodium gates and the potassium gates are fully closed.

31. No stimulus can excite a membrane to produce an action potential if

A) the membrane is in its absolute refractory period.

B) it occurs at the same time as a hyperpolarizing stimulus.

C) sodium ions are more concentrated outside the cell than inside.

D) the potassium gates have been blocked.

32. Which feature of a neuron limits the number of action potentials it can produce per second?

A) Threshold.

B) Refractory period.

C) Saltatory conduction.

D) Length of the axon.

33. Suppose we find that the maximum firing rate of a given neuron is 50 action potentials per second. What is the
refractory period of that cell?

A) 50 msec.

B) 1/50 sec.

C) 5 sec.

D) Not enough information is given to determine an answer.

 

34. Most action potentials begin

A) in the dendrites.

B) in the cell body.

C) at the axon hillock.

D) at the tip of the axon.

35. Once an action potential starts,

A) it is conducted the rest of the way as an electrical current.

B) it needs additional stimuli from outside the cell to keep it going at various points along the axon.

C) it increases in speed as it goes.

D) it is regenerated at various points along the axon, the same way that it began.

36. The velocity of an action potential is

A) the same as the velocity of electricity.

B) approximately the speed of sound.

C) 1 100 m/sec.

D) impossible to measure.

37. On which of the following would action potentials travel the slowest?

A) A thin, myelinated axon.

B) A thin, unmyelinated axon.

C) A thick, myelinated axon.

D) A thick, unmyelinated axon.

 
38. The function of a myelin sheath is to

A) prevent action potentials from traveling in the wrong direction.

B) increase the velocity of transmission along an axon.

C) increase the magnitude of an action potential.

D) enable an action potential in one cell to influence the transmission in other cells.

39. What are the nodes of Ranvier?

A) Gates in the membrane that admit all ions freely.

B) Branching points in an axon.

C) Places where dendrites join the cell body.

D) Interruptions in the myelin sheath.

40. Saltatory conduction refers to

A) production of an action potential by the movement of sodium ions.

B) transmission of an impulse along a myelinated axon.

C) transmission of impulses along dendrites.

D) transmission of an impulse between one neuron and another.

41.

1. By an IPSP (Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential), electric potential differences across the postsynaptic membrane
increase.

2. By an EPSP (Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential), electric potential differences across the postsynaptic membrane
increase.

3. By an IPSP, electric potential differences across the postsynaptic membrane decrease.

4. By an EPSP, electric potential differences across the postsynaptic membrane decrease.

A) 1 is true; 2, 3 and 4 are untrue.

B) 1 and 4 are true; 2 and 3 are untrue.

C) 4 is true; 1, 2 and 3 are untrue.

D) 2 and 3 are true; 1 and 4 are untrue.

42. Suppose that the brains of two adult rats are to be investigated.

The first rat was raised in an environment full with fellow rats and sensory stimuli (enriched environment), and the
second was raised singly in a small empty cage (impoverished environment). It will appear that the brain of the first
rat in comparison with the second:

A) contains more nerve cells, whereas the number of synapses of nerve cells is also larger.

B) contains more nerve cells, while the number of synapses of nerve cells remains the same.

C) contains almost the same number of nerve cells; on the other hand, the number of synapses of nerve cells is
increased.

D) contains almost the same number of nerve cells, whereas also the number of synapses of nerve cells remains the
same.

43. Assume that the duration of an action potential is 1 msec and the duration of the refractory period is also 1 msec.
What is the largest number of action potentials that can be transported over the axon per second?

A) 1000.

B) 500.

C) 100.

D) 50.

44. Which of the following statements related to nerve and glia cells is NOT true?

A) The myelin sheath around the axon of nerve cells is formed by glia cells.

B) Glia cells have a supportive and feeding function for nerve cells.

C) Nerve cells, just as glia cells, have the power to divide.

D) The brain contains many more glia cells than nerve cells.

 
45. By the creation of action potentials, shifts in the concentrations of sodium and potassium ions play an essential
role. If we follow these changes over a certain period, we note the following:

A) first potassium ions enter the cell, somewhat later sodium ions leave the cell.

B) first sodium ions enter the cell, somewhat later potassium ions leave the cell.

C) first sodium ions leave the cell, somewhat later potassium ions enter the cell.

D) first potassium ions leave the cell, somewhat later sodium ions enter the cell.

46. The speed that an action potential travels down an axon is increased by

A) an increase in the intensity of the evoking stimulus.

B) increased activity by autoreceptors.

C) the presence of a myelin sheath.

D) the absence of lateral inhibition.

ANSWERS
 

1. Ans: A 24. Ans: B

2. Ans: D 25. Ans: C

3. Ans: D 26. Ans: C

4. Ans: D 27. Ans: D

5. Ans: A 28. Ans: C

6. Ans: B 29. Ans: C

7. Ans: D 30. Ans: C

8. Ans: C 31. Ans: A

9. Ans: D 32. Ans: B

10. Ans: B 33. Ans: B

 11. Ans: A 34. Ans: C

12. Ans: B 35. Ans: D

13. Ans: C 36. Ans: C

14. Ans: C 37. Ans: B

15. Ans: C 38. Ans: B

16. Ans: A 39. Ans: D

17. Ans: C 40. Ans: B

18. Ans: C 41. Ans: B

19. Ans: B 42. Ans: C

20. Ans: D 43. Ans: B

21. Ans: B 44. Ans: C

22. Ans: A 45. Ans: B

23. Ans: A 46. Ans: C