Question 1

René Descartes would be considered to hold a ________ view of the mind-body problem.

Accepted Answer

Descartes held a dualist view of the mind-body problem, which posits that the mind and body are distinct entities with separate properties, rather than being reducible to each other or unified. He famously argued that the mind, or soul, is non-physical and separate from the body, which is constituted of matter.

Question 2

_________ conducted experimental ablation in animals, whereas ________ applied the concept experimental ablation to humans.

Accepted Answer

Flourens was known for his experimental ablation studies in animals, while Broca applied the concept to humans in his study of patients with language deficits.

Question 3

René Descartes asserted that

Accepted Answer

René Descartes believed in the mechanical philosophy, which asserted that all physical phenomena, including the behavior of plants and animals, could be explained by reference to the motion and collision of material particles. This led him to conclude that animals are merely complex machines controlled by environmental stimuli, with no conscious thought or emotion.

Question 4

________ was a physiologist who proposed the doctrine of specific nerve energies.

Accepted Answer

Johannes Müller proposed the doctrine of specific nerve energies, which holds that different sensory modalities (such as vision, touch, and hearing) are mediated by specific nerve pathways in the body.

Question 5

Which of the following comments on brain function would be most likely to be made by Aristotle?

Accepted Answer

Aristotle believed that the brain's primary function was to cool the passions of the heart and prevent them from overwhelming a person's judgment and decision-making abilities. He did not believe in a separation between thought and emotion, but rather saw them as interconnected processes influenced by the brain.

Question 6

Which scientist was among the first to advocate the use of experimental techniques in the study of physiology?

Accepted Answer

Johannes Müller was among the first to advocate the use of experimental techniques in the study of physiology. He believed that physiological processes could only be understood through observation and experimentation, rather than purely theoretical or philosophical speculation. This approach helped to establish physiology as a rigorous scientific discipline.

Question 7

Which of the following is consistent with the doctrine of specific nerve energies?

Accepted Answer

The doctrine of specific nerve energies suggests that nerves carry specific messages that are interpreted by the brain as specific sensations. So, electrical stimulation of a sensory nerve can evoke a specific sensation.

Answer: C
 This statement is not consistent with the doctrine of specific nerve energies. The doctrine states that nerves carry specific messages that are interpreted as specific sensations. However, exerting pressure on the eyeball evoking the sensation of sound is not consistent with this idea.

Answer: D
 This statement is consistent with the doctrine of specific nerve energies. Even though psychological stimuli does not directly activate nerves, it can activate sensory receptors that then send specific messages to the brain, which are then interpreted as specific sensations.

Answer: E
 This statement is not consistent with the doctrine of specific nerve energies. Specific nerve energies state that nerves carry specific messages that are interpreted as specific sensations, meaning that the height of the action potential should not depend on which sensory system has been activated as all nerve impulses carry the same type of informational content.

Question 8

The doctrine of specific nerve energies was proposed by

Accepted Answer

The doctrine of specific nerve energies was proposed by Johannes Müller, a German physiologist, in the early 19th century. He suggested that sensory perception is determined not by the nature of the stimulus, but by the specific nerve fibers that are stimulated. This theory has been influential in the field of psychology and neuroscience, and it helped to establish the idea that different parts of the brain are responsible for processing different types of sensory information.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is consistent with Descartes's explanation of the mind-body question?

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed in a dualistic view of the mind and body, where the mind controlled the body through the pineal body (an organ in the brain) without physical interaction. Therefore, option E, which states that the pineal body controls body muscles, is consistent with Descartes's explanation of the mind-body question. Options A, B, C, and D are not consistent with Descartes's explanations.

Question 10

Descartes, who first described and studied reflexes, was a

Accepted Answer

Descartes was a dualist, meaning he believed in the separation of mind and body. He saw reflexes as automatic physical responses to external stimuli that did not require conscious thought or intervention from the mind. This belief was in line with his dualist philosophy, as he saw the mind as a separate entity from the body that could influence it but was not directly responsible for reflexive behaviors.

Question 11

In a simple experiment, Galvani disproved the hydraulic nerve-muscle model proposed by Descartes. Galvani removed a nerve and its attached muscle fibers from a frog and showed that ________ of the nerve caused ________ of the muscle.

Accepted Answer

Galvani showed that electrical stimulation of the nerve caused contraction of the muscle, which contradicted Descartes' hydraulic theory that muscles moved due to the flow of fluid in hollow nerves.

Question 12

Descartes's view of the mind-body was unique in that he argued that

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed in the concept of mind-body dualism, which posits that the mind and body are separate entities. He argued that the mind is non-physical and is responsible for controlling the movements of the body. Therefore, option E is the correct choice.

Question 13

The philosopher ________ attributed thought and emotion to the brain, whereas ________ considered the function of the brain as important for cooling the heart.

Accepted Answer

Hippocrates attributed the function of cooling the heart to the brain in order to regulate emotions and behavior, while Aristotle believed that the brain was the center of thought and emotion.

Question 14

Descartes argued that

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that the nerves functioned as hydraulic pipes, conveying the 'animal spirits' to the muscles to inflate them and cause movement, reflecting the mechanistic view of the body prevalent in his time.

Question 15

Pierre Flourens is known

Accepted Answer

Pierre Flourens is known for his use of the experimental ablation technique to examine brain function. He conducted experiments on animals to selectively remove or damage different parts of the brain and observed the resultant changes in behavior or cognitive function. His work demonstrated that different regions of the brain are specialized for different functions, laying the groundwork for modern neuroscience.

Question 16

Paul Broca performed an autopsy of the brain of a patient who had been unable to speak after suffering a stroke. Broca concluded that

Accepted Answer

Broca's autopsy revealed that the patient had suffered damage to a specific area in the left hemisphere of the brain, now known as Broca's area. This discovery led Broca to conclude that the control of speech is localized to the left hemisphere of the brain.

Question 17

According to Descartes, the ________ was the point of interaction in the brain where the mind controlled the physical body.

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that the pineal gland was the point of interaction between the non-physical mind and the physical body. He believed that the pineal gland acted as a gateway through which the mind could control the body.

Question 18

Galvani's experiment involving a frog leg proved that

Accepted Answer

Galvani's experiment involving a frog leg proved that muscles can be activated by electrical nerve signals. He discovered that when the frog's leg was touched with a metal scalpel while a static electricity generator was running, the leg would twitch due to the electrical current. This was one of the first experiments that showed a connection between electricity and biology, and helped pave the way for later discoveries about the nervous system.

Question 19

The technique of experimental ablation involves

Accepted Answer

Experimental ablation involves intentionally damaging a portion of the brain and then assessing the resulting behavioral changes.

Question 20

Johannes Müller proposed

Accepted Answer

Müller proposed the doctrine of specific nerve energies, which states that each nerve fiber is specific to a certain type of sensory information and that the brain is divided into different functional areas with each receiving signals from a different set of nerves. This idea was a major contribution to our understanding of sensory processing in the brain. None of the other options accurately reflect Müller's contributions.

Quiz 1: Introduction