EPPP BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR EXAM SCRIPT
2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔reticular formation - ✔✔set of interconnected nuclei int he brainstem, esp important
in awareness, attention, and sleep. part of the rf, the Reticular activating system,
projects to the thalamus. its involved in the sleep-wake cycle, serves as a filter for
incoming sensory info, and mediates alertness.
✔✔Parts of a neuron - ✔✔Dendrites, cell body (soma), and axon
✔✔Dendrites - ✔✔Receive info from other neurons by capturing neurotransmitters
released into the synaptic cleft (space btw neurons) at their receptor sites. A neuron
may have hundreds or thousands of dendrites.
✔✔Cell body (SOMA) - ✔✔integrates info from the dendrites. contains the nucleus
which regulates all cell activity and controls hereditary characteristics.
✔✔axon - ✔✔tube like structure that transmits info
✔✔action potential - ✔✔cell-cell communication .At rest, out side of the cell has an
excess of sodium ions, while the inside has an excess of potassium ions. when a
stimulus of sufficient charge reaches a resting neuron, the na outside of teh cell rushes
into the cell, creating an action potential (electric pulse). K moves out of the cell. The AP
travels the entire length of the axon to the boutons (terminal buttons) releasing NTs into
the synapse (small space btw neurons).
✔✔Reuptake - ✔✔NTs in the synaptic cleft are taken up by the pre-synaptic neurons
terminal buttons and therefore never reach the adjoining neuron
✔✔All or none principle - ✔✔if a neuron is sufficiently stimulated, it will fire to its fullest
extent. If not sufficiently stimulated, it will not fire at all. After firing, there is an absolute
refractory period, during which the neuron cant fire regardless of the strength of
stimulation. NA and K return to their normal sides during the refractory period.
✔✔Two categories of Neurotransmitters (agonist and antagonist) Also excitatory and
inhibitory - ✔✔agonist: any substance that enhances the effect of the NT
Antagonist: any substance that inhibits the NT effect
Excitatory: (acetylcholine, NE, Glutamate) increase the likelihood of an action potential
inhibitory: (GABA, endorphines) decrease the likelihood of an action potential
✔✔Acetylcholine - ✔✔Voluntary Movement and Memory/cognition
Poison of black widow spider causes paralysis and directly effects acetylcholine.
Prevalent in hippocampus (memory).
Deficiencies linked to Alzheimer's
,✔✔Catecholamines - ✔✔Dopamine and Norepinephrine
✔✔Dopamine - ✔✔thought, movement, and emotion. It is also linked to the reward
system of the brain.
Schizophrenia (excess dopamine or hyperactivity of the dopaminergic system).
traditional antipsychotics were mainly dopamine antagonists. second generations are
combined serotonin/dope antagonists and block D at a lower rate.
deficit in DA transmission in prefrontal cortex could lead to cog impairments and
negative symptoms of Schizo.
✔✔Parkinsons and Domamine - ✔✔degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra. as
a result, there is a decrease of dopamine available in the basal ganglia. L-Dopa is a
used to treat it
✔✔Norepinephrine - ✔✔(Noradrenaline) involved with mood. Depression is associated
with a relative deficiency while mania is involved with excess.
Also plays a role in pain perception and sleep. also released as a hormone into the
bloodstream which can cause heart rate increase
✔✔Serotonin - ✔✔5-HT, mood, sleep, appetite, aggression, sexual activity, and pain
perception. Produced by a dietary modification of tryptophan.
Dysregulation has been associated with suicide and impulsivity. Deficiencies Implicated
in mood disorders.
✔✔Amino Acids - ✔✔GABA and Glycine and Glutamate
✔✔GABA and glycine - ✔✔major inhibitory NTs in the CNS and they have a calming
effect. anxiety and seizures are associated with insufficient levels of GABA. Benzos are
GABA agonists, which increase GABA and decrease arousal
✔✔Glutamate - ✔✔most common NT and is a major mediator of fast excitatory synaptic
transmission. Abnormal glutamate transmission is suspected in schizophrenia, OCD,
Autism, and depression
✔✔Peptide Neurotransmitters - ✔✔consist of long chains of amino acid. Two of them,
enkephalins and endorphins, also known as endogenous opioids, help regulate stress
and pain. Substance P is involved in pain regulation.
✔✔Pituitary - ✔✔Master endocrine gland. Releases hormones that activate other
endocrine glands. Pituitary is regulated by the hypothalamus
✔✔Hyper and Hypothyroidism - ✔✔Hyper: excess secretion of thyroxin results in weight
loss despite increased appetite, heat sensitivity, sweating, diarrhea, palpitations,
fatigue, depression, insomnia, impaired memory and judgement, and even
, hallucinations/delusions. Most common form is Grave's disease. (mimics anxiety/manic
episode).
Hypo: under secretion of thyroxin. weight gain, sluggishness, fatigue, impaired
memory/intellectual functioning, sensitivity to cold. (mimics depression)
✔✔Diabeties - ✔✔develops when the pancreas does not produce insulin (type 1, insulin
dependent, onset before 30, kids are good about meds but tend to become non-
complaint/erratic in adolescence ), when the body develops insulin resistance (type 2,
can sometimes be controlled during diet/exercise, african americans/hispanics have
highest risk of developing it), or during pregnancy (gestational, 1-3 % of pregnancies,
may precede a type II development)
Hallmark is hyperglycemia: excessive glucose or blood sugar levels. Symptoms are the
3 Ps: 1) polyuria(increased urination); 2) polydipsia (increased thirst); 3) polyphagia
(increased appetite)
Meds used to treat this can cuase blood sugar to drop too low, which can cause
hypoglycemia. Symptoms include nervousness, irritability, trembling, cold sweats,
fatigue, rapid heart rate, hunger, headache, and confusion
✔✔Hypo and Hyperpituitarianism - ✔✔Under and over secretion of pituitary growth
hormones
Hypo: can cause dwarfism and puberty delay in kids. can cause gonadal failure in
adultes along with other things like hypothyroidism, diabeties, etc)
Hyper: startling skeletal overgrowth resulting giantism or acromegaly
✔✔Addison's disease - ✔✔undersecretion of corticosteroids or adrenal insufficiency.
Symptoms include apathy, weakness, irritability, depression, and gastro disturbance.
✔✔Cushing's disease - ✔✔oversecretion of corticosteroids. Symptoms: depression,
irritability, emotional lability, memory and concentration problems, and even suicide.
Also, adiposity (swelling and fattening of the face, neck, and trunk)
✔✔Aphasia
Broca's
Wernicke's - ✔✔loss of language due to brain lesions
Brocas: lesion in dominant left frontal lobe. Severe problems with speech production.
Comprehension is mostly in tact but come problems may occur like grammatical
constructions. expressive/motor aphasia
Wernicke's: lesion in left temporal lobe. no language comprehension (cant follow
directions or repeat phrases). they can speak fluently but its nonsense. unaware of their
problem (anosgnosia)/ receptive/sensory aphasia
2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔reticular formation - ✔✔set of interconnected nuclei int he brainstem, esp important
in awareness, attention, and sleep. part of the rf, the Reticular activating system,
projects to the thalamus. its involved in the sleep-wake cycle, serves as a filter for
incoming sensory info, and mediates alertness.
✔✔Parts of a neuron - ✔✔Dendrites, cell body (soma), and axon
✔✔Dendrites - ✔✔Receive info from other neurons by capturing neurotransmitters
released into the synaptic cleft (space btw neurons) at their receptor sites. A neuron
may have hundreds or thousands of dendrites.
✔✔Cell body (SOMA) - ✔✔integrates info from the dendrites. contains the nucleus
which regulates all cell activity and controls hereditary characteristics.
✔✔axon - ✔✔tube like structure that transmits info
✔✔action potential - ✔✔cell-cell communication .At rest, out side of the cell has an
excess of sodium ions, while the inside has an excess of potassium ions. when a
stimulus of sufficient charge reaches a resting neuron, the na outside of teh cell rushes
into the cell, creating an action potential (electric pulse). K moves out of the cell. The AP
travels the entire length of the axon to the boutons (terminal buttons) releasing NTs into
the synapse (small space btw neurons).
✔✔Reuptake - ✔✔NTs in the synaptic cleft are taken up by the pre-synaptic neurons
terminal buttons and therefore never reach the adjoining neuron
✔✔All or none principle - ✔✔if a neuron is sufficiently stimulated, it will fire to its fullest
extent. If not sufficiently stimulated, it will not fire at all. After firing, there is an absolute
refractory period, during which the neuron cant fire regardless of the strength of
stimulation. NA and K return to their normal sides during the refractory period.
✔✔Two categories of Neurotransmitters (agonist and antagonist) Also excitatory and
inhibitory - ✔✔agonist: any substance that enhances the effect of the NT
Antagonist: any substance that inhibits the NT effect
Excitatory: (acetylcholine, NE, Glutamate) increase the likelihood of an action potential
inhibitory: (GABA, endorphines) decrease the likelihood of an action potential
✔✔Acetylcholine - ✔✔Voluntary Movement and Memory/cognition
Poison of black widow spider causes paralysis and directly effects acetylcholine.
Prevalent in hippocampus (memory).
Deficiencies linked to Alzheimer's
,✔✔Catecholamines - ✔✔Dopamine and Norepinephrine
✔✔Dopamine - ✔✔thought, movement, and emotion. It is also linked to the reward
system of the brain.
Schizophrenia (excess dopamine or hyperactivity of the dopaminergic system).
traditional antipsychotics were mainly dopamine antagonists. second generations are
combined serotonin/dope antagonists and block D at a lower rate.
deficit in DA transmission in prefrontal cortex could lead to cog impairments and
negative symptoms of Schizo.
✔✔Parkinsons and Domamine - ✔✔degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra. as
a result, there is a decrease of dopamine available in the basal ganglia. L-Dopa is a
used to treat it
✔✔Norepinephrine - ✔✔(Noradrenaline) involved with mood. Depression is associated
with a relative deficiency while mania is involved with excess.
Also plays a role in pain perception and sleep. also released as a hormone into the
bloodstream which can cause heart rate increase
✔✔Serotonin - ✔✔5-HT, mood, sleep, appetite, aggression, sexual activity, and pain
perception. Produced by a dietary modification of tryptophan.
Dysregulation has been associated with suicide and impulsivity. Deficiencies Implicated
in mood disorders.
✔✔Amino Acids - ✔✔GABA and Glycine and Glutamate
✔✔GABA and glycine - ✔✔major inhibitory NTs in the CNS and they have a calming
effect. anxiety and seizures are associated with insufficient levels of GABA. Benzos are
GABA agonists, which increase GABA and decrease arousal
✔✔Glutamate - ✔✔most common NT and is a major mediator of fast excitatory synaptic
transmission. Abnormal glutamate transmission is suspected in schizophrenia, OCD,
Autism, and depression
✔✔Peptide Neurotransmitters - ✔✔consist of long chains of amino acid. Two of them,
enkephalins and endorphins, also known as endogenous opioids, help regulate stress
and pain. Substance P is involved in pain regulation.
✔✔Pituitary - ✔✔Master endocrine gland. Releases hormones that activate other
endocrine glands. Pituitary is regulated by the hypothalamus
✔✔Hyper and Hypothyroidism - ✔✔Hyper: excess secretion of thyroxin results in weight
loss despite increased appetite, heat sensitivity, sweating, diarrhea, palpitations,
fatigue, depression, insomnia, impaired memory and judgement, and even
, hallucinations/delusions. Most common form is Grave's disease. (mimics anxiety/manic
episode).
Hypo: under secretion of thyroxin. weight gain, sluggishness, fatigue, impaired
memory/intellectual functioning, sensitivity to cold. (mimics depression)
✔✔Diabeties - ✔✔develops when the pancreas does not produce insulin (type 1, insulin
dependent, onset before 30, kids are good about meds but tend to become non-
complaint/erratic in adolescence ), when the body develops insulin resistance (type 2,
can sometimes be controlled during diet/exercise, african americans/hispanics have
highest risk of developing it), or during pregnancy (gestational, 1-3 % of pregnancies,
may precede a type II development)
Hallmark is hyperglycemia: excessive glucose or blood sugar levels. Symptoms are the
3 Ps: 1) polyuria(increased urination); 2) polydipsia (increased thirst); 3) polyphagia
(increased appetite)
Meds used to treat this can cuase blood sugar to drop too low, which can cause
hypoglycemia. Symptoms include nervousness, irritability, trembling, cold sweats,
fatigue, rapid heart rate, hunger, headache, and confusion
✔✔Hypo and Hyperpituitarianism - ✔✔Under and over secretion of pituitary growth
hormones
Hypo: can cause dwarfism and puberty delay in kids. can cause gonadal failure in
adultes along with other things like hypothyroidism, diabeties, etc)
Hyper: startling skeletal overgrowth resulting giantism or acromegaly
✔✔Addison's disease - ✔✔undersecretion of corticosteroids or adrenal insufficiency.
Symptoms include apathy, weakness, irritability, depression, and gastro disturbance.
✔✔Cushing's disease - ✔✔oversecretion of corticosteroids. Symptoms: depression,
irritability, emotional lability, memory and concentration problems, and even suicide.
Also, adiposity (swelling and fattening of the face, neck, and trunk)
✔✔Aphasia
Broca's
Wernicke's - ✔✔loss of language due to brain lesions
Brocas: lesion in dominant left frontal lobe. Severe problems with speech production.
Comprehension is mostly in tact but come problems may occur like grammatical
constructions. expressive/motor aphasia
Wernicke's: lesion in left temporal lobe. no language comprehension (cant follow
directions or repeat phrases). they can speak fluently but its nonsense. unaware of their
problem (anosgnosia)/ receptive/sensory aphasia
