2019 WRITTEN EXAM

1. Which of the following is ​NOT TRUE ​about the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
a) The PNS sends information to the CNS and receives information from the CNS
b) The PNS includes somatic, autonomic, and the enteric nervous systems
c) The PNS includes both motor (afferent) and sensory (efferent) components
d) The PNS includes the brain, cranial nerves, and spinal nerves
e) The PNS includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems

2. Somatosensory and special sense neurons innervate the skin, muscles, tendons and
joints. While getting ready for school Ellen steps on her little brother’s lego and feels
pain. There are many sensory receptors including _________ that allow Ellen to feel
the pain from the lego.
a) Thermoreceptors
b) Meissner’s corpuscles
c) Pacinain corpuscles
d) Nociceptors
e) Bipolar neurons

3. Light enters the eye through the ________ and is focused by the ________ and the
____ on the __________ at the back of the eye. The pupil is surrounded by a
pigmented muscle called the ________ that can expand or contract depending on the
amount of light present.
a) Cornea, Pupil and Lens, Iris, Retina
b) Pupil, Cornea and Lens, Retina, Iris
c) Pupil, Cornea and Lens, Retina, Abducens
d) Pupil, Cornea and Lens, Retina, Cilliary Bodies

4. The motor cortex is a region of the __________ that is involved in voluntary

movement.
a) Cerebellum
b) Occipital Lobe
c) Frontal Lobe
d) Parietal Lobe
e) Temporal Lobe

5. The neuromuscular junction refers to the synapses between motor neurons and
skeletal muscle fibers. When the motor neuron approaches the muscle it branches out
into several extensions called synaptic boutons which release ___________into the
synaptic cleft.
a) Glutamate
 b) GABA
c) Acetylcholine
d) Norepinephrine
e) Serotonin

6. The retina has 125 million photoreceptors. They respond to light hitting them by
generating electrical potentials. These signals pass via synapses through a network of
cells in the retina including the bipolar cells and retinal ganglion cells. The axons of
these retinal ganglion cells intestine to form what structure?
a) Cranial Nerve 2 Optic Nerve
b) Cranial Nerve 3 Oculomotor Nerve
c) Cranial Nerve 6 Abducens
d) Cranial Nerve 10 Vagus Nerve
e) Cranial Nerve 5 Trigeminal Nerve

7. Which of the following is ​NOT TRUE​ about Long Term Potentiation (LTP) and Long
Term Depression (LTD)?
a) Memory processing begins when signals enter the dentate gyrus from the
entorhinal cortex via axons of the perforant pathways.
b) LTP has been studied at the synapses between the schaffer collateral axons of the
CA3 neurons and the CA1 pyramidal cells.
c) LTD is a process by which synaptic connections between neurons becomes
weaker. The opposing process is LTP which allows new memories to be formed
strengthening connections.
d) LTD occurs in the hippocampus and is necessary for long term memories to be
produced.
e) LTP is the cellular and molecular mechanism for memory since it enhances the
signal transmission between 2 neurons after repeated stimulation.

8. Which of the following areas is primarily involved in initiation movement, reward,

and procedural memories.
a) Basal Ganglia
b) Cerebellum
c) Hippocampus
d) Hypothalamus
e) Thalamus

9. The __________ regulates body functions, the autonomic nervous system,

homeostatic functions, and is the link between the CNS and the endocrine system?
 a) Amygdala
b) Brain Stem
c) Hypothalamus
d) Thalamus
e) None of the above

10. What is the HPA axis? What is the end result?

a) Hippocampus-pituitary-amygdala axis. Cortisol, a stress response
b) Hippocampus-pituitary-amygdala axis. Glutamate, memory formation
c) Hypothalamic-pituitary-androgen axis. Testosterone, emotional response
d) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Cortisol, a stress response.
e) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Cortisol, a calming response

11. What structure is indicated by the arrow?

a) Synapse
b) Axon terminal
c) Myelin sheath
d) Dendrites
e) Axon hillock

12. Which of the following is ​NOT ​an example of semantic memory?

a) Bailee recalled graduating high school in the year 2018.
b) On her quiz, Lauren remembered that Atlanta is the capital of Georgia.
c) Because Tyler studied every night the week before his geometry test, he did not
even need the formula sheet because he could remember all of them.
 d) Although Justin studied for chemistry, he could only think about the organelles
of a cell during his chemistry exam because he studied it more recently.
e) As a political science major, Mia is able to recite the majority of U.S. Supreme
Court cases.

13. True or False: As a person ages, past their 30th birthday, the amount of gray matter
in their brain begins to decrease.
a) True
b) False

14. Which of the following defines Fragile X syndrome?

a) A genetic condition resulting from a mutation in the FMRI gene that causes
intellectual disability
b) A condition characterized by excessively inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive
behaviors
c) A pronounced difficulty with reading despite normal intelligence, education, and
motivation
d) A disorder characterized by repeated seizures, which are caused by abnormal
excitation of large groups of neurons in various brain regions
e) A condition that results from the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21

15. Which is ​NOT ​a core skill included in executive function?

a) Working memory
b) coordination
c) Shifting
d) Inhibition
e) None of the above

16. True or False: Typically, Dendrites directly receive information from and transmit
information to the axon.
a) True
b) False

17. What are short chains of amino acids that are linked together?
a) Proteins
b) Endorphins
c) Peptides
d) Serotonin
18. What is the postsynaptic terminal?
a) The receiving side of the synapse between two neurons
b) Where absolute threshold potential is reached
c) The gap in the myelin sheath
d) The connection point of the dendrites and the axon

19. Which of these are ​NOT ​bones in the middle ear?

a) Malleus
b) Cochlea
c) Incus
d) Stapes

20. Roger experiences uncontrolled jerking or twitching movements, particularly in the

face and extremities, due to a selective loss of inhibitory neurons in the basal ganglia.
Roger has
a) Amnesia
b) Parkinson’s disease
c) Down Syndrome
d) Huntington’s disease
e) None of the above

21. Which of the following is the primary neurotransmitter that is specifically for
alertness?
a) Dopamine
b) Norepinephrine
c) Serotonin
d) Acetylcholine
e) Histamine

22. What is the outcome if someone has damage to their left auditory cortex, specifically
the region called Wernicke’s area?
a) They can only hear people from the right of them
b) They can hear and understand what a person is saying but cannot reciprocate
speech
c) They are able to hear a person speak but can no longer understand what is being
said
d) They lose complete hearing ability

23. Neurotransmitters are stored in __________ at the end of the axons.

 a) Synaptic cleft
b) Synaptic bouton
c) Synaptic vesicles
d) Post synaptic receptors

24. ____________ are clusters of interconnected areas located beneath the cortex
that plays an important role in initiating movement.
a) Cerebellum
b) Basal Ganglia
c) Motor cortex
d) Prefrontal cortex

25. What allows for the rapid signaling of action potentials down the axons?
a) In the CNS Schwann cells myelinate the axons and in the PNS Schaffer collaterals
myelinate the axon. Saltatory conduction then allows ion channels to be bypassed
speeding up the rate of signal conduction.
b) The sheer number of action potentials being released down the axon speeds up
the rate of signaling conduction. The more action potentials fired, the quicker the
signal will be received.
c) The rate of signaling depends on which neurotransmitter is being used.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters send the signals slower than the excitatory
neurotransmitters.
d) In the CNS Oligodendrocytes myelinate the axons and in the PNS Schwann cells
myelinate the axons. Saltatory conduction then allows ion channels to be
bypassed speeding up the rate of signal conduction.

26. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are diagnosed based on two main criteria:
impaired social communication and interaction, and...
a) Susceptibility to other mental disorders
b) The children experiencing symptoms must be three and under
c) Repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests
d) The ability to hold a piece of information in their mind and manipulate it

27. ​Which of the following is ​NOT TRUE ​about the brain ventricular system, central
canal (CC) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
a) The ventricles contain the arachnoid mater and villi, which resorb CSF
b) The ventricles and Central Canal are lined by ependymal cells
c) CSF flows around the brain in the subarachnoid space
d) The ventricles contain the choroid plexuses, which produce the majority of CSF
 e) CSF flows inside the ventricles and Central Canal
28. In the somatic motor system, somatic motor neurons control
a) only skeletal muscles
b) only smooth muscles and cardiac muscles
c) only internal organs and glands
d) a and b
e) a, b, and c

29. Marijuana comes from the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of Cannabis plant.
This plant contains which neurally effective chemical that does NOT produce a high?
a) THC
b) ADP
c) CBD
d) GABA

30. True or false: Of the 79,000 annually diagnosed brain tumors in the United States,
most of them are malignant (cancerous).
a) True
b) False

3​1.Which of the following is ​NOT TRUE ​about ​cognitive​ functions in the brain?
a) The frontal lobe is involved in executive functions and language production
b) The temporal lobe is involved in language comprehension and memory
c) The parietal lobe is involved in attention and mathematical computation
d) The occipital lobe is involved in visual reception, somatosensation and auditory
processing
e) The cerebellum is involved in motor learning, language and speech

32. What is the biggest challenge in developing new drugs to treat neurological or
psychiatric problems?
a) Getting the patient to take the medication
b) Getting the enzymes past the Blood Brain Barrier
c) Getting the chemical balance correct for every patient
d) Ensuring the myelin stayed intact when reacting with the new chemicals

33. Name the peptide that accumulates in the senile plaques of brains of Alzheimer's
patients.
a) Beta Amyloid
b) NTF
 c) SSRI
d) IFN-beta
e) Tau Protein

34. ​Neurons were first seen under a light microscope in the 19th century. Yet, scientists
had a major question about neurons that was not solved until the 1950’s. What was the
question stumping scientists?
a) Do neurons have a nucleus, or are they a completely new type of cell?
b) If a neuron is damaged, is that what leads to mental disorders?
c) Are neurons individual cells or a mesh of physically interconnected cell bodies?
d) Does the terminal threshold help move the impulse through the axon?

35. Failure of the neural tube to close anteriorly during embryonic development may
lead to which condition?
a) Cerebral palsy
b) Down syndrome
c) Spinal stenosis
d) Anencephaly
e) Spina bifida

36. In humans, during which week of gestation does the neural tube close?
a) week 10
b) week 3
c) week 20
d) 6 months
e) birth

37. The five tastes qualities are:

a) Sour, bitter, sweet, salty, tangy
b) Sour, bitter, sweet, tangy, tart
c) Sour, bitter, sweet, salty, ​pungent
d) Sour, bitter, sweet, salty, umami

38. In what part of the brainstem is the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus located?
a) Medulla
b) rhombencephalon
c) Peduncles
 d) Diencephalon

39. A person typically experiences REM sleep approximately how many times in a full
night of sleep?
a) 1 time
b) 4 times
c) 12 times
d) 50 times
e) None of the above

40. The _____ is the largest nerve bundle in the brain that forms a bridge between the
cerebral hemispheres.
a) Cerebellum
b) Corpus callosum
c) Cerebral cortex
d) Cerebrum

41. At rest, a neuron’s membrane potential is approximately _____. During an action

potential, this membrane depolarizes to approximately _____.
a) -90 mV; +10 mV
b) -90 mV; +30 mV
c) +30 mV; -70 mV
d) +10 mV; -90 mV
e) -70 mV; +30 mV

42. As soon as NMDA receptors open up their ion channels, the channels become
plugged by which ion?
a) Ca​2+
b) Cl​-
c) Mg​2+
d) Na​+
e) K​+

43. What is the main difference between gray and white matter?
a) Gray matter includes myelinated axons while white matter does not.
b) White matter is only found in the CNS while gray matter is found in both the CNS
and PNS
 c) Gray matter is found in the CNS and PNS while white matter is only found in the
PNS. Gray matter includes both cell bodies and axons while white matter
includes myelinated axons and very few, if any, cell bodies.
d) Gray matter is found in the CNS and PNS while white matter is only found in the
PNS. white matter includes cell bodies and gray matter includes myelinated
axons.
44. Animals are integral to neurobiological research. Since many animal species are
genetically and biochemically similar to humans, animals have proven vital to
revealing some of the secrets of brain function. Which of the following animals
are most often used?
a) Rabbits
b) Monkeys
c) Pigs
d) Mice
e) drosophila melanogaster

45. What do the letters stand for in the acronym REM?

a) Rapid Electrical Mediation
b) Repeated Electrical Movement
c) Remediated Encephalographic Moderation
d) Rapid Eye Movement

46. Pain fibers from the periphery terminate in the ____________.

a) Dorsal horn of the spinal cord
b) Dorsal root ganglion
c) Thalamus
d) Nociceptors
e) Ventral horn of the spinal cord

47. Which of the following about dendritic spines is ​NOT ​true?

a) These structures protrude from the dendrite and receive neurotransmitter
from the axon.
b) Proteins within dendritic spines play a critical role in long-term
depression.
c) Large numbers of dendritic spines are formed in early development, but
many are lost progressively in aging.
d) Dendritic spines are the primary post-synaptic site for excitatory
neurotransmission.
e)Proteins of the dendritic spines are fairly stable and are unlikely to change
 after the synaptic connection is formed.

48. Which of the following sleep disorders is correctly paired with their
characteristics?
a) Narcolepsy -- increased orexin (hyper-cretin)
b) Obstructive sleep apnea -- constricted airway muscles of the throat
c) REM behavior disorder -- sleep-walking
d) Narcolepsy – difficulty with falling asleep at night
e) Obstructive sleep apnea -- decreased day-time sleepiness

49. ​This cranial nerve originates in the rostral part of your midbrain. . It courses forward
from that area until it reaches the area of your eye sockets. It controls most eye
movement and the pupil response
a) Oculomotor (CN 3)
b) Optic nerve (CN 2)
c) Olfactory nerve (CN 1)
d) Abducens nerve (CN 6)
e) Trigeminal nerve (CN 5)

50. Which are areas located in the temporal lobe?

a) primary visual cortex and visual association area
b) wernicke's areas, primary auditory cortex, and primary olfactory cortex
c) primary motor cortex and broca's area
d) primary somatosensory cortex, somatosensory association cortex, and primary
gustatory cortex
e) Motor cortex, primary auditory cortex and primary olfactory cortex

Tie Breaker Questions

51. What is the name of the portion of the retina where there are no photoreceptors?
This is a blind spot since it can not process information.
a) Fovia
b) Optic nerve
c) Optic disk
d) Optic bubble
e) Meibomian gland
52. The band of fibers that connects broca’s area and wernicke’s is called _____.
a) Posterior commissioner
b) Central sulcus
c) Anterior commissioner
d) Fissure of rolando
e) Arcuate fasciculus

53. Which eye muscle pulls the eye laterally. It is controlled by CN 6 unlike most eye
muscles which are controlled by CN 3.
a) Lateral rectus
b) Medial rectus
c) Inferior oblique
d) Bicep
e) Rectus femoris

54. The corticospinal tract begins in the _________ and ends in the __________.
a) Motor cortex, thalamus
b) Spinal cord, motor cortex
c) Spinal cord, somatosensory cortex
d) Motor cortex, spinal cord
e) Pons, midbrain
 
55. Which of the following correctly match the structure to its function?
a) The ventricles produce white blood cells which act as as immune cells in the
brain.
b) The temporal lobe receives and interprets information from the retina of the eye.
c) The central sulcus separates the left and right hemispheres
d) Broca’s area is located in the frontal lobe and is essential for language
comprehension.
e) The hippocampus is essential for encoding long term memory and spatial
navigation.