BIOE 340: Physiology Review Questions

Student Number:
Name and Surname:

Multiple Choice Que.stions 6. Certain classes of drugs affect muscle contraction

1. Which of the following would slow sugar by binding to the troponin complex and increasing
equilibrium the most once the shutter is raised to its affinity for calcium ions. What effects would these
connect the two solutions. drugs have on muscle contractility and why?

7. What are the similarities and differences between

the reactions that lead to the activation of
heterotrimeric G proteins and the reactions that lead
to the activation of Ras?

8. In EGF (epidermal growth factor) signaling, which

molecule connects the extracellular signal to the
A. Lower the water concentration inside A cytoplasm?
B. Increasing the water volume inside B
C. Lowering the temperature A. The EGF hormone
D. Adding salt to side B B. The EGF receptor
E. Adding sugar to side A C. Grb2
2. A small molecule that is formed in the cytosol, or D. ERK
released into it, in response to an extracellular signal E. RAS
and that helps to relay the signal to the interior of the
cell.
 9. During the propagation of an action potential,
A. Neurotransmitter ____ ions move ____ (direction) the cell due to the
B. Tyrosine kinase opening of _____ gated _____ (ion) channels,

C. GTP-binding protein thereby depolarizing the membrane. To repolarize
D. Second messenger the membrane, ____ gated _____ (ion) channels
E. Hormone open and _____ ions flow _____ (direction) the cell.
3. The threshold potential (~ -55mV) is measured at
the ------------? 10. When an action potential reaches the axon
A. Dendrites terminal it triggers the opening of _________gated
B. Cell body ____ channels. This a signal for _______________.
C. Axon hillock
D. Axon 11. GABA and Glycine act as inhibitory
E. Axon terminal neurotransmitters because they activate _________
4. Put the stages of extracellular signaling in order of channels that ___________ the post-synaptic cell.
occurrence from first to last
a) Detection of signal by a receptor 
 12. During the (a. absolute / b. relative) refractory
b) Termination of signaling 
 period, a second action potential could be triggered
if a stronger stimulus is applied.

c) Release of signaling molecule 

d) Transport of signaling molecule to target 

13. The (a. central / b. peripheral) nervous system
e) Synthesis of signaling molecule
is the integrator/controller for many of the body’s
f) Response of cell to signal
physiological systems.

5. Protein composed of three subunits, one of which

14. There is/are (a. one / b. two) motor neuron
is activated by the binding of GTP.
connecting the CNS to the effector tissue in a
somatic motor pathway.

A. Ras
B. Cyclic-AMP-dependent kinase (PKA)
15. Myelination of axons (a. increases / b.
C. G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)
decreases) conduction velocities of action potentials.
D. Heterotrimeric G protein
E. Raf
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BIOE 340: Physiology Review Questions

Student Number:
Name and Surname:

17. The strength of action potentials is proportional B. a motor neuron and the muscle fibers it
to the strength of the stimulus. True or False. innervates
C. all the neurons going into an individual
18. Under resting conditions, the inside of the section of the body
plasma membrane is (a. positive / b. negative) D. a fascicle and a nerve
relative to the outside of the cell.

19. An (a. EPSP / b. IPSP) is a hyperpolarization of

the post-synaptic cell membrane.

20. The Na+/K+ pump pumps these two ions in the 25. When a nervous impulse travels from a neuron
following manner: to a muscle cell, what happens next?

A. Na+ into the cell, K+ out of the cell A. The impulse travels over the sarcolemma in
B. Na+ out of the cell, K+ into the cell all directions.
C. both ions into the cell B. Calcium is released from the sarcoplasmic
D. both ions out of the cell reticulum.
C. Linkages form between the actin and
21. The potential is the myosin.
electrical potential at which there would be no net D. Acetylcholine is decomposed by
diffusion of an ion across the plasma membrane. acetylcholinesterase.

A. Action 26. Why can cardiac muscle fibers contract for

B. Receptor longer periods than skeletal muscle fibers?
C. EPSP
D. Resting A. Cardiac muscle is self-excitatory
E. IPSP B. Extracellular calcium partially controls the
strength (and length) of contraction.
22. The hair cells of the ear are examples of C. Cisternae of T-tubules is more developed in
_______. cardiac muscle.
D. Cardiac muscle is uninucleate rather than
A. chemoreceptors multinucleate.
B. nociceptors
C. thermoreceptors
D. mechanoreceptors 26. Channels of the TRP family are required for
E. photoreceptor sensing stimuli in many organisms. TRPQ is member
of this family and opens in response to heat. TRPQ is
23. During an action potential, the flow of Na+ a nonspecific cation channel and is found in the
through voltage-gated channels stops when the sensory neurons that detect heat. Sensory neurons
membrane potential reaches approximately... like other neurons can fire action potentials. Suppose
that you conduct an experiment with a type of worms
A. -70 mV (the resting potential) that have TRPQ channels in their sensory neurons.
B. 0 mV You exposed the worms to heat;
C. +30 mV
D. +60 mV(the Nernst potential for Na+
E. -85 mV (the Nernst potential for K+) 1. Ca++
a. flows out of the cell
24. A motor unit is made up of _______________. b. flows in to the cell
c. shows no significant movement
A. all the muscle fibers within a given muscle across the membrane

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BIOE 340: Physiology Review Questions

Student Number:
Name and Surname:

2. Na+
a. flows out of the cell
b. flows in to the cell
c. shows no significant movement
across the membrane
3. Cl-
a. flows out of the cell
b. flows in to the cell
c. shows no significant movement
across the membrane

4. You expect the cell to become

a. hyperpolarized
b. depolarized

27. How does myelin alter conduction of an action

potential along a nerve fiber? What would happen to
action potential transmission in an axon without gaps
(node of Ranvier) in the myelin sheath? Explain.