BIOL 2311 – Exam 4 (47 questions; max score: 110 out of 100 points) Answered Fall 2024/2025.

NAME: BIOL 2311 – Exam 4 (47 questions; max score: 110 out of 100 points) Multiple choice questions. (40 points). Select a single answer per question. Each question is worth 1 pt. 1. The _______________ is the way by which the CNS determines stimulus intensity. a. action potential strength b. action potential frequency c. action potential threshold d. a and b e. a and c 2. Which of the following statements relating to memory consolidation is incorrect? a. it is the process by which STM is converted to LTM b. it is most effective when a person is highly alert and unmotivated c. it is augmented by repetition and practice d. a and b e. a and c 3. The _______________ is the period where no other AP can be generated. a. relative refractory period b. absolute refractory period c. all-or-none period d. a and b e. b and c 4. Which of the following is the key driver for the fusion of neurotransmitter-containing synaptic vesicles with the axonal membrane causing neurotransmitter exocytosis? a. neurotransmitter binding to postsynaptic receptors b. calcium ions binding to synaptotagmin c. AP activating ligand-gated calcium channels d. a and b e. b and c 5. All fibers in the cerebrum are _______________ while the fibers in the cerebellum are _______________. a. ipsilateral; contralateral b. contralateral; ipsilateral c. contralateral; contralateral d. ipsilateral; ipsilateral e. none of the above 6. A patient with damaged ventral horn cells exhibit: a. flaccid paralysis b. no voluntary control of muscles c. no reflex activity d. a and b e. a, b, and c 7. Neurotransmitter actions are quickly terminated. Which of the following is not a mode of termination? a. enzymatic degradation b. reuptake by transporters c. diffusion away from synapse d. all of the above e. none of the above 8. Which of the following statements relating to transection is accurate? a. results in partial motor loss inferior to the cut b. causes partial sensory loss below the cut c. cut at the lumber region of spinal cord causes quadriplegia d. cut at the cervical region of spinal cord causes paraplegia e. none of the above 9. In an inhibitory synapse, neurotransmitter binding to a receptor cause opening of __________ resulting in a hyperpolarizing event and reduces likelihood of AP generation. a. sodium ion channels b. potassium ion channels c. chloride ion channels d. a and b e. b and c 10. Which of the following statements relating to cerebrovascular accidents is false? a. it is commonly known as strokes b. it can lead to hemiplegia c. it can be treated via tissue plasminogen activator d. all of the above e. none of the above 11. Which sensory area cortex is mainly responsible for conscious awareness of balance? a. auditory areas b. olfactory cortex c. gustatory cortex d. vestibular cortex e. a and d 12. Which of the following statements about postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) strength is correct? a. they are graded potentials b. it is determined AP frequency c. it is determined by transporters and enzymes d. b and c e. a, b, and c 13. Which of the following protective structures is present in the brain but not in the spinal cord? a. bone b. meninges c. CSF d. BBB e. none of the above 14. Which of the following statements relating to the ANS function is true? a. it operates under subconscious control b. it innervates smooth and cardiac muscles c. it has 2 divisions sympathetic and parasympathetic d. it regulates involuntary body functions e. all of the above 15. The conus medullaris ends at the __________ section of vertebrae. a. thoracic b. cervical c. coccyx d. lumbar e. sacral 16. Endorphins act as natural opiates can be classified as a _________________ neurotransmitter. a. amino acid b. biogenic amine c. neuropeptide d. purine e. none of the above 17. Severing __________ causes lost communication between the cerebral hemispheres and the spinal cord. a. commissural fibers b. association fibers c. projection fibers d. a and c e. b and c 18. The sympathetic neurons make up the __________ of the spinal cord between T1 – L2 segments. a. dorsal horn b. ventral horn c. lateral horn d. a and b e. b and c 19. The ____________ within the choroid plexus controls the composition of and cleanses the CSF. a. pia mater b. capillaries c. ependymal cells d. a and b e. a and c 20. Which of the following neurotransmitter(s) have been functionally linked to Alzheimer’s disease? a. nitric oxide b. endocannabinoids c. acetylcholine d. a and b e. b and c 21. Which of the following neurotransmitters have an inhibitory effect? a. GABA b. Glutamate c. Acetylcholine d. a and b e. a and c 22. The surface marking called _______________ separates the two cerebellar hemispheres. a. central sulcus b. transverse cerebral fissure c. longitudinal fissure d. lateral sulcus e. none of the above 23. The endocrine system uses hormones that are _______________ traveling via blood or lymph. a. local acting signals b. same cell signals c. neighboring cell signals d. short distance signals e. long distance signals 24. Conscious behaviors involve the __________ areas of the cortex. a. motor b. sensory c. association d. a and b e. a, b, and c 25. Which of the following is a critical factor for target cell activation by hormones? a. binding affinity between receptor and hormone b. number of receptors on target cell c. number of receptors in target cell d. b and c e. a, b, and c 26. A person with injury to the _____________ causes the inability to produce sounds properly. a. Broca’s area b. Wernicke’s area c. Basal ganglia d. a and b e. a, b, and c 27. Which of the following statements about the ventricles of the brain is false? a. they are lined by ependymal neurons b. they are filled with cerebrospinal fluid c. they are all interconnected to each other d. there are 4 ventricles in the brain e. none of the above 28. The hypothesized causes of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease is linked to a. glutamate excitotoxicity b. attack by glial cells c. progressive destruction of upper and lower motor neurons d. a and b e. a, b, and c 29. A recovering patient from a traumatic motor vehicle accident exhibits extremely poor recognition of parents’ and siblings’ faces. Which brain structure is likely damaged in the patient? a. posterior association area b. limbic association area c. anterior association area d. a and b e. a and c 30. The left cerebral hemisphere controls the muscles on the right side of the body and vice versa. Which pathway generalization best explains this phenomenon? a. pathways decussate b. pathways use a relay of neuronal connections c. pathways exhibit somatotopy d. pathways are symmetrical e. all of the above 31. Damage to the _______________ causes major disruptions in endocrine system functions as it controls hormone secretions from the pituitary gland. a. thalamus b. epithalamus c. hypothalamus d. a and c e. b and c 32. Which of the meningeal layer forms partitions in the skull? a. pia mater b. arachnoid mater c. meningeal dura mater d. periosteal dura mater e. c and d 33. Which adult brain region(s), if destroyed can lead to fatality, as it is the control center for automatic behaviors necessary for survival like breathing and heartbeat? a. cerebrum b. diencephalon c. brain stem d. cerebellum e. a and c 34. Defects in the __________, which is a part of the limbic system, causes impaired recognition of danger. a. cingulate gyrus b. prefrontal cortex c. amygdala d. a and c e. b and c 35. Which of the following statements about the reticular formation is false? a. it arises from the brain stem and has wide-ranging axonal connections b. it is responsible for arousal to keep the cortex conscious and alert via RAS c. it filters in 99% of all stimuli via ascending reticular formation d. it regulates visceral motor functions via descending reticular formation e. none of the above 36. Referred pain is exemplified during a heart attack, where the heart pain information is transmitted via __________ pain afferents travel along the same pathway as __________ pain fibers. a. visceral; somatic b. somatic; visceral c. visceral; automatic d. a and b e. b and c 37. A severely injured right cerebellum may cause dysfunctional processing of muscle stretch information conveyed from the _____ side of the body. a. right b. left c. center d. a and b e. a, b, and c 38. Which of the following statements about the regeneration of nerve fibers is correct? a. CNS nerve fibers cannot be regenerated b. PNS nerve fibers cannot be regenerated c. Schwann cells secrete growth inhibiting factors to stop axon regeneration d. Oligodendrocytes secrete growth promoting factors to spur axon regeneration e. none of the above 39. The perikaryon of parasympathetic nerves is in the _____________. a. sacral portion of spinal cord b. lumbar portion of spinal c. thoracic portion of spinal cord d. a and b e. b and c 40. Which of the following statements relating to sensory receptor types, which use cranial nerves exclusively, is incorrect? a. nociceptors respond to pain stimuli b. chemoreceptors respond to chemicals c. photoreceptors respond to light energy d. a and b e. none of the above Short answer questions. (70 points). All responses MUST be written the student’s own words, in complete sentences and in short paragraph form (~not a list or in bullet points). 41. Provide descriptions on the structural and functional characteristics of the nervous system pathways that convey sensory information versus motor information. (10 pts – answer max 10 sentences) 42. List and explain the features that lead to the differences in nerve impulse conductance in a bare plasma membrane versus an unmyelinated axon versus a myelinated axon. (9 pts – answer max 9 sentences) 43. Describe the patterns of structural organization and its functional relevance at the level of the spinal cord, the brainstem, and the cortex. (9 pts – answer max 9 sentences) 44. Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Ataxia are motor dysfunctions. Describe and explain the hallmarks/symptoms and the affected brain regions /neurons affected per each disorder. (12 pts – answer max 12 sentences) 45. Compare and contrast the neural paths for a somatic reflex versus a visceral reflex. (10 pts – answer max 10 sentences) 46. Explain how the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system connect the CNS to effectors (be sure to include structural and functional components). (12 pts – answer max 12 sentences) 47. Compare and contrast the mechanism of action of water-soluble hormones versus the lipid-soluble hormones. (8 pts – answer max 8 sentences) Powered by TCPDF ()