ap psych unit 1 practice test

A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron is called the:

action potential

A slap on the back is more painful than a pat on the back because a slap triggers:

more frequent neural impulses

The effect of a drug that is an agonist is to:

mimic a particular neurotransmitter

Which is the correct sequence in the transmission of a neural impulse?

dendrite → cell body → axon → synapse

A synapse is a(n):

junction between a sending neuron and a receiving neuron

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is most likely to be found:

at the junction between motor neurons and muscle fibers

Heartbeat, digestion, and other self-regulating bodily functions are governed by the:

autonomic nervous system

You come home one night to find a burglar in your house. Your heart starts racing and you begin to perspire. These physical reactions are triggered by the:

sympathetic nervous system

Though there is no single “control center” for emotions, their regulation is primarily attributed to the brain region known as the:

limbic system

Voluntary movements, such as writing with a pencil, are directed by the:

somatic nervous system

Chemical messengers produced by endocrine glands are called:

hormones

The visual cortex is located in the:

occipital lobe

Damage to ________ will usually cause a person to lose the ability to comprehend language.

wernicke’s area

Endocrine glands secrete hormones directly into:

the bloodstream

A drug that mimics the effects of a particular neurotransmitter or blocks its reuptake is called a(n):

agonist

After discovering that the shadows outside his window were only the trees in the yard, Ralph's blood pressure decreased and his heartbeat slowed. These physical reactions were most directly regulated by his:

parasympathetic nervous system

Moruzzi and Magoun caused a cat to lapse into a coma by severing neural connections between the cortex and the:

reticular activating system

Jessica experienced difficulty keeping her balance after receiving a blow to the back of her head. It is likely that she injured her:

cerebellum

The successful functioning of children who have experienced a hemispherectomy best illustrates the value of:

plasticity

After Miguel's recent automobile accident, doctors detected damage to his cerebral cortex in Broca's area. It is likely that Miguel will have difficulty:

speaking fluently

The axons of certain neurons are covered by a layer of fatty tissue that helps speed neural transmission. This tissue is made of:

glial cells

The endocrine system consists of:

glands

(Thinking Critically) Based on research, which of the following seems true about the specialized functions of the right and left hemispheres?

most complex activities emerge from the integrated activity of both hemispheres

In order to pinpoint the location of a tumor, a neurosurgeon electrically stimulated parts of the patient's sensory cortex. If the patient was conscious during the procedure, which of the following was probably experienced?

a sense of having the skin touched

Which part of your brain receives information as to whether you are moving your legs?

motor cortex

The nerve fibers that enable communication between the right and left cerebral hemispheres and that have been severed in split-brain patients form a structure called the:

corpus callosum

In order for you to experience the pain of a sprained ankle, ________ must first relay messages from your ankle to your central nervous system.

sensory neurons

The sense of hearing is to the ________ lobes as the sense of touch is to the ________ lobes.

temporal; parietal

A strong stimulus can increase the:

number of times the neuron fires

During an action potential, the electrical state of the axon becomes:

depolarized, as positively charged atoms are admitted

Which portion of the cerebral cortex is most directly involved in making plans and formulating moral judgments?

frontal lobes

Melissa has just completed running a marathon. She is so elated that she feels little fatigue or discomfort. Her lack of pain is probably the result of the release of:

endorphins

The _______ hemisphere typically excels in making subtle linguistic inferences and the _______ hemisphere typically excels in making quick, literal interpretations of language.

right; left

The chemical messengers released into the spatial junctions between neurons are called:

neurotransmitters

In the brain, learning occurs as experience strengthens certain connections in cell work groups called:

neural networks

Information is carried from the central nervous system to the body's tissues by:

motor neurons

In transmitting sensory information to the brain, an electrical signal within a single neuron travels from the:

dendrites to the cell body to the axon

Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with movement, learning, attention, and emotion, and an imbalance of which is linked to Parkinson’s disease?

dopamine

Low levels of which neurotransmitter have been linked to depression?

serotonin

Which neurotransmitter plays a key role in muscle contraction and is also involved in learning and memory?

acetylcholine

An oversupply of which neurotransmitter can lead to migraines or seizures due to its excitatory nature?

glutamate

Which neurotransmitter is the brain's major inhibitory neurotransmitter, helping to calm neural activity?

GABA

Which neurotransmitter is released in response to pain and vigorous exercise, often referred to as the body’s natural painkiller?

endorphins

Which neurotransmitter is linked to arousal and alertness, and an undersupply of it can depress mood?

norepinephrine

Which neurotransmitter is involved in the fight-or-flight response, increasing heart rate and preparing the body for action?

norepinephrine

Which neurotransmitter is most closely associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, and is often involved in addiction?

dopamine

Which neurotransmitter helps with sleep regulation and mood, and its deficiency is linked to depression?

serotonin

Which brain structure is responsible for maintaining homeostasis and regulates functions such as hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sexual behavior?

hypothalamus

Which part of the brain is responsible for coordinating voluntary movements and balance?

cerebellum

Damage to which part of the brain is most likely to result in difficulties forming new memories?

hippocampus

Which structure serves as the brain's sensory control center, relaying information to the appropriate brain regions?

thalamus

Which brain region is involved in emotional processing, particularly fear and aggression?

amygdala

Which area of the brain is primarily responsible for higher-level thinking, decision making, and impulse control?

frontal lobe

Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is responsible for processing visual information?

occipital lobe

Which brain structure controls vital life functions such as heartbeat and breathing?

medulla

Which area of the brain contains the primary motor cortex, responsible for voluntary muscle movements?

frontal lobe

Which brain area is responsible for language comprehension and is typically located in the left temporal lobe?

wernicke’s area