PHYSIOLOGY FINAL EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS 2026/2027 LATEST UPDATE
True or false: A sensory neuron is signaling the body of a light touch. This means that the
strength of the action potential is weaker than usual. Explain your reasoning.
False. The action potential is always the same. The frequency and number of nuerons
activated change the increase in intensity.
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Which of the following statements is false concerning the neuromuscular junction?
Ach is released from the presynaptic motor neuron to cause an action potential in the
muscle fiber.
How is a message sent from one neuron to another?
A signal travels from the cell body through the axon and releases neurotransmitters into
the synapse. These nuerotransmitters bind with receptor that carry the message to the
dendrite of the next neuron, and the process begins again.
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,What neurotransmitter helps regulate emotional responses and muscle tone?
Dopamine
In a reflex, the neuron conducts nerve impulses along a pathway towards
the central nervous system.
Sensory (afferent)
This part of a reflex is inside the CNS, made up of one or more synapses. The
integration center
What is true about the stretch reflex?
The muscle spindle detects stretch within the muscle.
What is true about the flexor withdrawal reflex?
It involves excitatory interneurons.
It involves inhibitory interneurons.
Your doctor taps on your patellar tendon. List out the steps, in detail, of the nervous
pathway of the reflex he is testing. Include any sensory organs involved and the action of
the reflex.
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,Stretch on patellar tendon (tapping patellar tendon)
Muscle spindle detects stretch
Afferent (sensory) neuron through DRG
Spinal cord
Synapses directly on a motor neuron (efferent)
Action: To muscle fiber to contract quadriceps (kicking foot)
Botulism is a disease caused by a neurotoxin that interferes with the release of
Acetylcholine. Patients with this disease experience flaccid paralysis, or the inability to
contract their muscles. Explain why this would occur.
Acetylcholine triggers the release of sodium ions. The sodium ions reach the
sarcoplasmic reticulum, which in turn release calcium ions that begin muscle
contraction. If acetylcholine is not able to be released, the muscle contraction would not
be possible.
This layer of the meninges is tightly attached to the brain.
Pia Mater
This is a collection of cell bodies found in the peripheral nervous system. Ganglia
This part of the autonomic system increases digestion.
Parasympathetic
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Brain
The ventral root of a nerve contains what type of neurons?
Motor (Efferent)
This part of a neuron conducts nerve impulses away from the cell body.
Axon
An interneuron inside the spinal cord is part of the:
Central nervous system
Describe the synthesis and storage of neurotransmitters.
The neuron cell body manufactures neurotransmitters, which are stored in secretory
vesicles at the end of axon terminals.
An afferent neuron carries information:
From the peripheral to the central nervous system
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