Question 1

The term synapse, meaning the point of communication between two neurons, was first used by
A) Charles Sherrington.
B) Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
C) John Hughlings Jackson.
D) Otto Loewi.

Accepted Answer

Charles Sherrington first used the term synapse to describe the point of communication between two neurons.

Question 2

Structures at the synapse may be viewed with
A) optogenetics.
B) a light or electron microscope.
C) the naked eye.
D) a CT scanner.

Accepted Answer

Structures at the synapse can be viewed with a light or electron microscope, which offer high-resolution and detailed images of the synaptic structure and its components. Optogenetics is a method used to control the activity of neurons, not to visualize synaptic structures. The naked eye is not capable of seeing the tiny structures and components of the synapse. CT scanners are used to create images of the internal structures of the body, but are not suitable for imaging the synaptic structures due to their small size.

Question 3

If you want to identify clusters of cell bodies in a sample of tissue, it would be best to use the
A) Golgi silver stain.
B) Nissl stain.
C) myelin stain.
D) horseradish peroxidase stain.

Accepted Answer

The Nissl stain is specifically used to stain cell bodies in tissue samples, making it the best choice for identifying clusters of cell bodies. The Golgi silver stain is more useful for visualizing individual neurons and their structure, the myelin stain is more useful for visualizing myelin sheaths around axons, and horseradish peroxidase stain is used to track neuronal pathways.

Question 4

CT scanning is based on
A) the gamma camera.
B) histology.
C) x-ray technology.
D) magnetism.

Accepted Answer

CT scanning is based on X-ray technology, which uses a series of X-ray images taken from different angles to create a detailed 3D image of the body's internal structures.

Question 5

Examination of a body after death is known as
A) autopsy.
B) phrenology.
C) microdialysis.
D) optogenetics.

Accepted Answer

Examination of a body after death is commonly known as an autopsy. Option B, phrenology, is the outdated pseudoscience that claims to predict personality traits by studying the bumps on a person's skull. Option C, microdialysis, is a technique used to measure neurotransmitter levels in the brain of living organisms. Option D, optogenetics, is a field of neuroscience that uses light to control genetically modified cells in living organisms.

Question 6

The existence of chemical signaling at the synapse was first demonstrated by
A) Charles Sherrington.
B) Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
C) John Hughlings Jackson.
D) Otto Loewi.

Accepted Answer

Otto Loewi demonstrated the existence of chemical signaling at the synapse through his experiments on frog hearts. He showed that when he stimulated the vagus nerve, it caused the release of a chemical (later identified as acetylcholine) that slowed down the heart rate. This demonstrated that neural communication can occur not just through electrical impulses, but also through chemical signals.

Question 7

Dr. Jones argues that higher levels of the brain inhibit aggressive impulses originating in lower levels of the brain. It is likely that Dr. Jones has been most directly influenced in her thinking by the work of
A) Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
B) John Hughlings Jackson.
C) Franz Josef Gall.
D) Luigi Galvani.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Jones' argument that higher levels of the brain inhibit aggressive impulses originating in lower levels of the brain suggests a hierarchical organization of the brain, which is a key concept in the work of John Hughlings Jackson. Jackson proposed that complex behaviors and cognitive processes are mediated by higher levels of the brain that inhibit lower levels of more basic functions, which is consistent with Dr. Jones' argument. Santiago Ramón y Cajal is associated with the theory of neuron doctrine, which describes the basic unit of the nervous system as the individual neuron. Franz Josef Gall is best known for developing phrenology, a discredited theory that claimed that personality traits could be identified by the shape and size of different regions of the skull. Luigi Galvani is known for his work on the role of electricity in muscle contractions.

Question 8

In his study of the biology of sexual orientation, Simon LeVay (1991) used the method of
A) phrenology.
B) histology.
C) CT scanning.
D) fMRI.

Accepted Answer

Simon LeVay used the method of histology to study the biology of sexual orientation. Histology involves the microscopic examination of tissues and organs, and LeVay examined the brains of deceased individuals, looking for differences in the size and structure of certain neurons in relation to sexual orientation.

Question 9

John Hughlings Jackson is best known for
A) demonstrating the localization of language in the brain.
B) the Neuron Doctrine.
C) mind-body dualism.
D) viewing the nervous system as a hierarchy.

Accepted Answer

John Hughlings Jackson is best known for his idea that the nervous system is organized as a hierarchy, with lower levels of the brain controlling basic functions and higher levels controlling more complex functions. This theory was influential in the development of modern neuroscience and is still relevant today. While Jackson made many contributions to neurology and the study of the brain, his focus on hierarchy is perhaps his most enduring legacy.

Question 10

"Fixing" tissue to be viewed refers to
A) slicing tissue into thin slices.
B) preserving the tissue by freezing or by the use of formalin.
C) mounting tissue on slides.
D) deciding which tissue to observe.

Accepted Answer

"Fixing" tissue in the context of microscopy and histology refers to the process of preserving tissue to prevent decay and maintain its structure. This is often done by freezing or using chemicals like formalin, which helps to preserve the tissue's cellular structure and composition for examination under a microscope.

Question 11

If you want to observe a small number of cells in detail, it would be best to use the
A) Golgi silver stain.
B) Nissl stain.
C) myelin stain.
D) horseradish peroxidase stain.

Accepted Answer

The Golgi silver stain is best for observing a small number of cells in detail because it selectively stains entire cells, allowing for detailed visualization of individual cell structures, including dendrites and axons, which is not achievable with the other listed staining methods.

Question 12

A microtome is a
A) stain.
B) fixative.
C) machine used to slice tissue.
D) type of microscope.

Accepted Answer

A microtome is a machine used to slice tissue into thin sections for examination under a microscope.

Question 13

Modern CT images differ from earlier versions in that they
A) no longer use x-rays.
B) are safer for the participant as well as the x-ray technician.
C) can be used to construct three-dimensional images.
D) can be used to measure activity in a structure.

Accepted Answer

Modern CT images can be used to construct three-dimensional images, which was not possible in earlier versions. Option A is incorrect as CT images still use x-rays, but with lower radiation doses. Option B is partially correct as modern CT machines use lower radiation doses, but this does not necessarily make them safer for the technician. Option D is incorrect as CT scans do not measure activity in a structure, but rather provide a visual image.

Question 14

To follow the pathways carrying information from one part of the brain to another, it would be best to use the
A) Golgi silver stain.
B) Nissl stain.
C) myelin stain.
D) antibody stain.

Accepted Answer

Myelin stain is the best choice for following pathways carrying information from one part of the brain to another because myelin is found in white matter, which is where most of the brain's long-range pathways are located. Myelin stains allow researchers to track the direction and extent of axonal connections within the brain. The other stains listed (Golgi silver stain, Nissl stain, and antibody stain) are useful for different types of neural analysis but not specifically for tracing pathways.

Question 15

PET scans were made possible by the development of
A) the gamma camera.
B) x-rays.
C) powerful magnets.
D) histology techniques.

Accepted Answer

PET scans use gamma rays emitted by a radioactive tracer to create an image of the body. The gamma camera is used to capture the signals emitted by the tracer, allowing for the creation of the PET scan image. Therefore, the development of the gamma camera made PET scans possible.

Question 16

Electron microscopes are capable of magnifications up to _________ times.
A) 1,000
B) 100,000
C) 1 million
D) 10 million

Accepted Answer

Electron microscopes can achieve magnifications of up to 1 million times, far exceeding the capabilities of light microscopes.

Question 17

Particular proteins in cells can be identified using ________ in a process known as immunohistochemistry.
A) the Golgi silver stain
B) the Nissl stain
C) horseradish peroxidase
D) antibodies

Accepted Answer

Immunohistochemistry involves using antibodies to identify specific proteins in cells. The other choices are not used in this process.

Question 18

A researcher is interested in discovering if one part of the brain, the orbitofrontal cortex, connects directly to another part of the brain, the amygdala. Which of the following experimental methods would be the most appropriate for this purpose?
A) Inject horseradish peroxidase into a rat's amygdala and then see if cells in the orbitofrontal cortex are stained.
B) Inject a human volunteer with a radioactive glucose and see what part of his brain is active while viewing an emotionally charged set of pictures using a PET scan.
C) Look at a human brain with fMRI to see if the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala are active at the same times.
D) Stimulate the orbitofrontal cortex of a human volunteer during neurosurgery.

Accepted Answer

Injecting horseradish peroxidase into a rat's amygdala and then observing if cells in the orbitofrontal cortex of the rat are stained is the best method for discovering if the two brain parts are connected directly. This technique is called the retrograde tracing method and is used to trace the connections between brain regions. The other options do not directly test for a direct connection between the two brain regions. PET scans and fMRI can show activity in different regions of the brain, but they cannot confirm a direct connection between two brain regions. Stimulating the orbitofrontal cortex during neurosurgery is an invasive technique and would not necessarily show a direct connection between the two regions.

Question 19

The study of microscopic structures and tissues is known as
A) histology.
B) phrenology.
C) staining.
D) imaging.

Accepted Answer

Histology is the scientific study of microscopic structures and tissues, which includes the analysis of their form, function and organization. Phrenology is the study of the shape and size of the skull, while staining and imaging are techniques used to enhance visualization of microscopic structures but not the study itself.

Question 20

If you want to locate a pathway's point of origin, it would be best to use
A) the Golgi silver stain.
B) the Nissl stain.
C) the myelin stain.
D) horseradish peroxidase.

Accepted Answer

Horseradish peroxidase is a tool used in neuroanatomy to trace the path of axons from their terminal fields back to the cell bodies from which they arose. It is the most reliable method for locating a pathway's point of origin. The Golgi silver stain, Nissl stain, and myelin stain do not provide information on the origin of a particular pathway.

Quiz 1: What Is Behavioral Neuroscience?

The term synapse, meaning the point of communication between two neurons, was first used by

Structures at the synapse may be viewed with

If you want to identify clusters of cell bodies in a sample of tissue, it would be best to use the

CT scanning is based on

Examination of a body after death is known as

The existence of chemical signaling at the synapse was first demonstrated by

Dr. Jones argues that higher levels of the brain inhibit aggressive impulses originating in lower levels of the brain. It is likely that Dr. Jones has been most directly influenced in her thinking by the work of

In his study of the biology of sexual orientation, Simon LeVay (1991) used the method of

John Hughlings Jackson is best known for

"Fixing" tissue to be viewed refers to

If you want to observe a small number of cells in detail, it would be best to use the

A microtome is a

Modern CT images differ from earlier versions in that they

To follow the pathways carrying information from one part of the brain to another, it would be best to use the

PET scans were made possible by the development of

Electron microscopes are capable of magnifications up to _________ times.

Particular proteins in cells can be identified using ________ in a process known as immunohistochemistry.

A researcher is interested in discovering if one part of the brain, the orbitofrontal cortex, connects directly to another part of the brain, the amygdala. Which of the following experimental methods would be the most appropriate for this purpose?

The study of microscopic structures and tissues is known as

If you want to locate a pathway's point of origin, it would be best to use