Chapter 11 Practice Test

Which of the following describes the excitatory postsynaptic potential?

a. moves membrane potential away from threshold
b. opens K+ or Cl- channels
c. short distance hyperpolarization
d. short distance depolarization

d. short distance depolarization

Which of the choices below describes the ANS?

a. sensory neurons that convey information from somatic receptors in the head, body wall, and limbs and from receptors from the special senses of vision, hearing, taste, and smell to the CNS
b. motor fibers that conduct nerve impulses from the CNS to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands
c. motor fibers that conduct nerve impulses from the CNS to skeletal muscles
d. sensory and motor neurons that supply the digestive tract

b. motor fibers that conduct nerve impulses from the CNS to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands

The concentration of ions in the chemical environment surrounding the neurons must be tightly regulated for neurons to function properly. Which of the following cells is most responsible for this?

a. satellite cells
b. astrocytes
c. Schwann cells
d. oligodendrocytes

b. astrocytes

The effect of acetylcholine can be stimulating or inhibiting. Which of the following gives the best explanation for why this is so?

a. Acetylcholine has many different forms.
b. Different post synaptic cells will have different receptors.
c. Postsynaptic cells have a dynamic and changing metabolism and respond differently at different times.
d. Acetylcholine has a "dose effect". Larger doses are stimulating while small doses inhibit.

b. Different post synaptic cells will have different receptors.

How do neurofibrils differ from nerve fibers?

a. Neurofibrils are axon subunits that are bundled together to make up a single nerve fiber.
b. Neurofibrils are cytoskeletal intermediate filaments maintaining cell shape, but they do not conduct impulses.
c. There is no real difference, since they are both capable of impulse conduction away from a neuron.
d. Neurofibrils are confined to dendrite receptor areas and are consequently not found in nerve fibers.

b. Neurofibrils are cytoskeletal intermediate filaments maintaining cell shape, but they do not conduct impulses.

Neurons in the CNS are organized into functional groups.

a. True
b. False

a. true

In multiple sclerosis, the cells that are the target of an autoimmune attack are the _________.

a. neurons
b. muscle cells
c. Schwann cells
d. oligodendrocytes

d. oligodendrocytes

A second nerve impulse cannot be generated until ________.

a. proteins have been resynthesized
b. the membrane potential has been reestablished
c. the Na ions have been pumped back into the cell
d. all sodium gates are closed

b. the membrane potential has been reestablished

If the neuron membrane becomes more permeable to Na+, Na+ will transport across the membrane, causing the cell to depolarize.

a. True
b. False

a. true

Immediately after an action potential has peaked, which of the following channels will open?

a. voltage gated sodium channels
b. voltage gated calcium channels
c. voltage gated potassium channels
d. chemically gated chloride channels

c. voltage gated potassium channels

Ependymal cells line many open cavities in the central nervous system (CNS). Ependymal cells have cilia on the side of the cell that face these openings. What is the most likely function of these ciliated cells?

a. movement and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid
b. create myelin sheaths for CNS cells
c. exchange of nutrients between the circulatory system and neurons
d. act as macrophage cells to destroy microorganisms or neuronal debris

a. movement and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid

Which of the following is not a function of the autonomic nervous system?

a. innervation of glands
b. innervation of smooth muscle of the digestive tract
c. innervation of skeletal muscle
d. innervation of cardiac muscle

c. innervation of skeletal muscle

Which of the following is not characteristic of neurons?

a. They are mitotic.
b. They have an exceptionally high metabolic rate.
c. They conduct impulses.
d. They have extreme longevity.

a. They are mitotic.

Which of the following is not true of graded potentials?

a. They increase amplitude as they move away from the stimulus point.
b. They can be called postsynaptic potentials.
c. They are short-lived.
d. They can form on receptor endings.

a. They increase amplitude as they move away from the stimulus point.

Which neuron circuit pattern is involved in the control of rhythmic activities such as breathing?

a. diverging circuit
b. reverberating circuit
c. parallel after-discharge circuit
d. converging circuit

b. reverberating circuit

If a neuron had a mutation that prevented the production of voltage-gated Na+ channels, what function would the neuron NOT be able to accomplish?

a. depolarization leading to action potentials
b. graded depolarization
c. graded hyperpolarization
d. resting membrane potentials

a. depolarization leading to action potentials

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic functions of the nervous system?

a. Release hormones into the bloodstream to communicate with other cells in the body.
b. Integrate sensory input for decision making.
c. Decode sensory information from the environment.
d. Generate direct, electrical signals.

a. Release hormones into the bloodstream to communicate with other cells in the body.

Nerve impulses leading to the brain carry information about cool temperatures on the skin. The nerve fibers sending these signals will most likely belong to which division of the nervous system?

a. sensory (afferent) division
b. somatic nervous system
c. sympathetic division
d. parasympathetic division

a. sensory (afferent) division

Unipolar neurons have axons structurally divided into peripheral and central processes.

a. True
b. False

a. true

A postsynaptic potential is a graded potential that is the result of a neurotransmitter released into the synapse between two neurons.

a. True
b. False

a. true

Which is the main receptive portion of the neuron?

a. the cell body or soma
b. the synapse
c. the dendrite
d. the axon

c. the dendrite

In the brain, vision originates in the rods and cones in the retina. Separate regions of the brain decode basic information, like color, shapes, intensity of light, and there are other regions that decode information like position in space, and awareness of patterns. As you use your visual system, all of these regions are working simultaneously. This simultaneous awareness of all regions working at the same time is due to which processing pattern listed below?

a. reflexive processing
b. parallel processing
c. serial processing
d. oscillative processing

b. parallel processing

Which of the following is NOT a difference between graded potentials and action potentials?

a. Greater stimulus intensity results in larger graded potentials, but not larger action potentials.
b. The magnitude of action potentials decrease as the impulse travels further away from the start of the impulse while graded potentials do not decrease in magnitude.
c. Graded potentials can result from the opening of chemically gated channels; action potentials require the opening of voltage-gated channels.
d. Graded potentials occur along dendrites, whereas action potentials occur along axons.

b. The magnitude of action potentials decrease as the impulse travels further away from the start of the impulse while graded potentials do not decrease in magnitude.

Which membrane potential occurs because of the influx of Na+ through chemically gated channels in the receptive region of a neuron?

a. action potential
b. excitatory postsynaptic potential
c. inhibitory postsynaptic potential
d. inhibitory action potential

b. excitatory postsynaptic potential

Which of the following will occur when an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) is being generated on the dendritic membrane?

a. Specific potassium gates will open.
b. Sodium gates will open first, then close as potassium gates open.
c. Specific sodium gates will open.
d. A single type of channel will open, permitting simultaneous flow of sodium and potassium.

d. A single type of channel will open, permitting simultaneous flow of sodium and potassium.

Opening K+ or Cl- channels in a postsynaptic membrane would produce an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP).

a. True
b. False

a. true

Which of the following is true of axons?

a. Neurons can have multiple axons but only one dendrite.
b. A neuron can have only one axon, but the axon may have occasional branches along its length.
c. Axons use chemically gated ion channels to generate graded potentials.
d. Smaller (thinner) axons are more likely to bear myelin sheaths than larger (thicker) axons.

b. A neuron can have only one axon, but the axon may have occasional branches along its length.

Loss of function in the enzyme acetylcholinesterase would result in which of the following?

a. decrease or reduce the effect of ACh
b. inability to release acetylcholine
c. stimulation of the production of acetylcholine
d. inability to destroy and remove acetylcholine from the synaptic cleft

d. inability to destroy and remove acetylcholine from the synaptic cleft

Which of the following correctly describes a graded potential?

a. it has a depolarization, repolarization and hyperpolarization phase
b. it is initiated by voltage changes in the membrane
c. it travels long distances
d. it can have amplitudes of various sizes

d. it can have amplitudes of various sizes

Which of the following is not a function of astrocytes?

a. control the chemical environment around neurons
b. guide the migration of young neurons, synapse formation, and helping to determine capillary permeability
c. support and brace neurons
d. anchor neurons to blood vessels
e. provide the defense for the CNS

e. provide the defense for the CNS

Which glial cells have the most diversity of function?

a. Schwann cells
b. oligodendrocytes
c. ependymal cells
d. astrocytes

d. astrocytes

In a lab you are conducting tests with various chemicals and neurotransmitter receptors. You notice that exposed frog muscle cells depolarize when you add the chemical nicotine to the acetylcholine (ACh) receptors. What does this tell us about the relationship between neurotransmitters and their receptors?

a. The response generated by a receptor is very broad in nature.
b. The effect of a neurotransmitter is based on the properties of the receptor more than the neurotransmitter.
c. The effect of a neurotransmitter is based on the properties of the neurotransmitter more than the receptor.
d. Neurotransmitter receptors only bind specifically with their neurotransmitter.

b. The effect of a neurotransmitter is based on the properties of the receptor more than the neurotransmitter.

Collections of nerve cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system are called ________.

a. nuclei
b. ganglia
c. tracts
d. nerves

b. ganglia

What division of the nervous system is most specifically responsible for voluntary motor control?

a. central nervous system
b. parasympathetic nervous system
c. somatic nervous system
d. sympathetic nervous system

c. somatic nervous system

When a sensory neuron is excited by some form of energy, the resulting graded potential is called a(n) ________.

a. postsynaptic potential
b. action potential
c. generator potential
d. excitatory potential

c. generator potential

Which of the following peripheral nervous system (PNS) neuroglia form the myelin sheaths around larger nerve fibers in the PNS?

a. Schwann cells
b. oligodendrocytes
c. astrocytes
d. satellite cells

a. Schwann cells

A neuron that has as its primary function the job of connecting other neurons is called a(n) ________.

a. efferent neuron
b. association neuron
c. afferent neuron
d. glial cell

b. association neuron

Which of the following pairings does NOT fit?

a. motor neurons: efferent neurons.
b. multipolar neurons: peripheral nervous system sensory neurons
c. afferent neurons: sensory neurons
d. association neuron: functional classification

b. multipolar neurons: peripheral nervous system sensory neurons

Cranial nerve II, the optic nerve sends nerve impulses to the brain carrying information about the things we see. These nerve fibers most likely belong to which division of the nervous system?

a. sensory (afferent) division
b. somatic nervous system
c. sympathetic division
d. parasympathetic division

a. sensory (afferent) division

Which of the following is an excitatory neurotransmitter secreted by motor neurons innervating skeletal muscle?

a. acetylcholine
b. cholinesterase
c. norepinephrine
d. gamma aminobutyric acid

a. acetylcholine