Psych Chapter 2 Practice Questions

Describe the role of: fMRI, PET scans, & MRI

fMRI scan - Track successive images of brain tissue to show brain function

PET scan - track radioactive glucose to reveal brain activity

MRI scan - uses magnetics fields and radio wave to show brain anatomy

The _____ is a crossover point where nerves from the left side of the brain are mostly linked to the right side of the body, and vice versa

brainstem

In what brain region would damage be most likely to (a) disrupt your ability to jump rope? (b) disrupt your ability to hear? (c) leave you in a coma? (d) cut off the very breath and heartbeat of life?

a. cerebellum

b. thalamus

c. reticular formation

d. medulla

An electrical stimulation of a cat’s amygdala proves angry reactions. Which automatic nerves system division is activated by such stimulation?

The sympathetic nervous system.

What are the three key structures of the limbic system, and what functions do they serve?

a) The amygdala is involved in aggression and fear responses.

(b) The hypothalamus is involved in bodily maintenance, pleasurable rewards, and control of the hormonal systems.

(c) The hippocampus processes memories of facts and events

Which area of the human brain is most similar to that of less complex animals? Which part of the human brain distinguishes us most from less complex animals?

the brainstem; the cerebral cortex.

If you are able, try moving your right hand in a circular motion, as if cleaning a table. Then start your right foot doing the same motion, synchronized with your hand. Now reverse the right foot’s motion, but not the hand’s. Finally, try moving the left foot opposite to the right hand.

a. Why is reversing the right foot’s motion so hard?

b. Why is it easier to move the left foot opposite to the right hand?

(a) The right limbs’ opposed activities interfere with each other because both are controlled by the same (le) side of your brain.

(b) Opposite sides of your brain control your left and right limbs, so the reversed motion causes less interference.

Our brain’s _______ cortex registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. The _______ cortex controls our voluntary movements.

somatosensory; motor.

Why are association areas important?

Association areas are involved in higher mental functions—interpreting, integrating, and acting on information processed in other areas.

(a) If we flash a red light to the right hemisphere of a person with a split brain, and flash a green light to the le hemisphere, will each observe its own color?

(b) Will the person be aware that the colors differ?

(c) What will the person verbally report seeing?

a. yes

b. no

c. green

What do phrenology and biological psychology have in common?

They share a focus on the links between the brain and behavior. Phrenology faded because it had no scientific basis—skull bumps don’t reveal mental traits and abilities.

How does learning a new skill affect the structure of our brain?

Thanks to its neuroplasticity, our brain changes in response to the experiences we have. Learning and practicing a new skill, like playing an instrument, can promote the development of new neural pathways and cause lasting changes in brain organization.

When a neuron fires an action potential, the information travels through the axon, the dendrites, and the cell body, but not in that order. Place these three structures in the correct order.

dendrites, cell body, axon

How does our nervous system allow us to experience the difference between a slap and a tap on the back?

Stronger stimuli (the slap) cause more neurons to fire and to fire more frequently than happens with weaker stimuli (the tap).

What happens in the synaptic gap?

Neurons send neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) across this tiny space between one neuron’s terminal branch and the next neuron’s dendrite or cell body.

What is reuptake? What two other things can happen to excess neurotransmitters aer a neuron reacts?

Reuptake occurs when excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron. Neurotransmitters can also drift away or be broken down by enzymes.

Serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins are all chemical messengers called _________

neurotransmitters

Curare poisoning paralyzes animals by blocking ACh receptors involved in muscle movement. Morphine mimics endorphin actions. Which is an agonist, and which is an antagonist?

Morphine is an agonist; curare is an antagonist.

Define: Motor Neurons, Sensory Neurons, and Interneurons

Motor Neurons - carry outgoing messages from the CNS to the muscles and glands

Sensory Neurons - carry incoming messages from sensory receptors to the CNS

Interneurons - Communiste within the CNS and process information between incoming and outgoing messages

How was the ANS involved in Hawaiians’ terrified responses, and in calming their bodies once they realized it was a false alarm?

The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system would have directed arousal (accelerated heartbeat, inhibited digestion, and so forth), and the parasympathetic division would have directed calming.

Why is the pituitary gland called the master gland?

Responding to signals from the hypothalamus, the pituitary releases hormones that trigger other endocrine glands to secrete hormones, which in turn influence brain and behavior.

How are the nervous and endocrine systems alike, and how do they differ?

Both of these communication systems produce chemical molecules that act on the body’s receptors to influence our behavior and emotions. The endocrine system, which secretes hormones into the bloodstream, delivers its messages much more slowly than the speedy nervous system, and the effects of the endocrine system’s messages tend to linger much longer than those of the nervous system.