Question 1

As you play a Star Trek video game, you track all of the Romulan warships as they fly across the screen, attacking your ship, the USS Enterprise. In visually tracking the movements on the screen, the _____ plays an important role.
A)hypothalamus
B)hindbrain
C)midbrain
D)pons

Accepted Answer

The midbrain is responsible for processing visual and auditory information, as well as controlling eye movements. In tracking the Romulan warships on the screen, visual processing and eye movements are crucial, making the midbrain the most likely region involved. The hypothalamus, hindbrain, and pons are not directly involved in visual processing or eye movements.

Question 2

After too many drinks at a party, your friend awkwardly stumbles into a table, almost knocking it over. Your friend's coordination for simple actions, such as walking between two tables, is reduced because the alcohol has affected his:
A)medulla.
B)cerebellum.
C)thalamus.
D)somatosensory cortex.

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for coordination and balance, so it is likely that your friend's lack of coordination is due to the effects of alcohol on this area of the brain. The medulla and thalamus are not primarily involved in motor coordination, and the somatosensory cortex is involved in sensory perception, not motor function.

Question 3

The primary communication link between the left and right cerebral hemispheres is called:
A)the hypothalamus.
B)the hippocampus.
C)Broca's area.
D)the corpus callosum.

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is the primary communication link between the left and right cerebral hemispheres. It is a band of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres and allows for communication and coordination between them. The hypothalamus and hippocampus are important structures in the brain, but they are not specifically involved in interhemispheric communication. Broca's area is a region of the brain involved in language production, but it is not directly involved in connecting the two hemispheres.

Question 4

White matter is to gray matter as _____ is(are) to _____.
A)cell bodies and glial cells; myelinated axons
B)myelinated axons; neural cell bodies and glial cells
C)dendrites; glial cells and axons
D)midbrain; hindbrain

Accepted Answer

White matter is composed of myelinated axons, while gray matter is composed of neural cell bodies and glial cells. Therefore, the equivalent relationship would be myelinated axons (white matter) to neural cell bodies and glial cells (gray matter).

Question 5

Which letter points to the structure connecting the two cerebral hemispheres? 
A)corpus callosum
B)pons
C)cerebellum
D)medulla

Accepted Answer

The structure connecting the two cerebral hemispheres is the corpus callosum, which is pointed to by letter A. Pons (B), cerebellum (C), and medulla (D) are other structures in the brainstem but not directly involved in connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Question 6

Your pencil starts to roll off the desk and in a smooth, coordinated fashion you grab it just before it rolls off the edge. Your ability to perform this action MOSTLY involved which of the following brain areas?
A)the cerebellum
B)the hippocampus
C)the amygdala
D)Broca's area

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating movements and maintaining balance, making it the most likely brain area involved in smoothly grabbing the pencil before it falls off the desk. The other brain areas listed do not have as direct a role in this type of physical action.

Question 7

As you are walking in a crowded hallway, someone calls your name. Almost instantly, you sense that the person is on your left. Your brain's ability to detect the direction of a sound is initially processed in the:
A)medulla.
B)frontal lobe.
C)midbrain region.
D)occipital lobe.

Accepted Answer

The midbrain region is responsible for processing the initial direction of sound, including sound localization. The other brain regions listed (medulla, frontal lobe, occipital lobe) do not specifically play a role in sound localization.

Question 8

As you take this test, you do not have to focus on taking your next breath or making your heart beat. This is because the _____ is involved in the control of vital life functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion.
A)medulla
B)pons
C)thalamus
D)parietal lobe

Accepted Answer

The medulla oblongata, located in the brainstem, is responsible for controlling vital life functions such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. The pons, also located in the brainstem, is involved in respiration and sleep cycles but to a lesser extent than the medulla. The thalamus is responsible for relaying sensory information to the appropriate areas of the brain and the parietal lobe is primarily associated with processing touch and spatial information.

Question 9

Comparing the structure of the human brain to that of other animals reveals that:
A)human brain organization bears little or no resemblance to that of lower animals, such as birds and fish.
B)all animals have a cerebellum, but only humans and other primates have a cortex.
C)the human cortex is much more complex than that of lower animals, which makes up for the absence of a cerebellum in the human brain.
D)the basic structure of the human brain is similar to that of many other animals, but a higher proportion of the human brain is devoted to the cortex.

Accepted Answer

The basic structure of the human brain is similar to that of many other animals, such as the presence of a cerebellum and other subcortical structures. However, the human brain has a higher proportion of its volume devoted to the cortex, which is the outer layer of the brain associated with higher cognitive functions. This increased cortical development is a distinguishing feature of the human brain.

Question 10

The _____ is a network of neurons at the base of the brain that projects signals up to higher brain regions and down to the spinal cord, and regulates attention and sleep.
A)cerebellum
B)hypothalamus
C)reticular formation
D)substantia nigra

Accepted Answer

The network of neurons described in the question is the reticular formation, which plays a key role in regulating sleep and attention. The cerebellum is involved in motor coordination, the hypothalamus regulates a variety of bodily functions including temperature and hunger, and the substantia nigra is involved in the control of movement.

Question 11

As you are listening to a lecture, workers are repairing a wall just outside your classroom. Throughout the class, you find yourself coughing and sneezing because of the dust and fumes in the air. Which brain structure controls such vital reflexes as sneezing, coughing, and swallowing?
A)the corpus callosum
B)the cerebellum
C)the medulla
D)the thalamus

Accepted Answer

The medulla oblongata, located at the base of the brainstem, controls vital reflexes such as sneezing, coughing, and swallowing. Therefore, it is responsible for the automatic response to the irritating dust and fumes causing the coughing and sneezing during the lecture.

Question 12

Which of the following represents the largest region of the brain?
A)the forebrain
B)the hindbrain
C)the cerebellum
D)the midbrain

Accepted Answer

The forebrain is the largest region of the brain and consists of the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus. It is responsible for complex cognitive processes such as consciousness, sensation, emotion, and voluntary movement. The hindbrain, cerebellum, and midbrain are all smaller regions in comparison.

Question 13

The substantia nigra:
A)contains dopamine-producing neurons and is involved in motor control.
B)is the region that has shown the greatest degree of neurogenesis in humans.
C)is the primary communication link between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
D)does not fully develop until late adolescence.

Accepted Answer

The substantia nigra contains dopamine-producing neurons and is involved in motor control. Dysfunction of this area is associated with Parkinson's disease, which is characterized by movement problems.

Question 14

The substantia nigra is:
A)located in the midbrain.
B)the brain location that has shown the greatest degree of neurogenesis in studies with rats and primates.
C)the primary communication link between the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex.
D)the point at which motor signals cross over from one side of the brain to the opposite side of the body.

Accepted Answer

The substantia nigra is located in the midbrain, specifically in the ventral tegmental area. It is involved in motor control and plays a critical role in producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is important for movement, reward, and motivation. Dysfunction of the substantia nigra is associated with Parkinson's disease.

Question 15

Parkinson's disease often involves the degeneration of neurons that produce _____, which are located in a brain area called the _____.
A)serotonin; somatosensory cortex
B)dopamine; substantia nigra
C)acetylcholine; thalamus
D)norepinephrine; pons

Accepted Answer

Parkinson's disease involves the degeneration of neurons that produce dopamine, which are located in a brain area called the substantia nigra.

Question 16

Which structure helps relay information from higher brain regions to the cerebellum and helps coordinate and integrate movements on each side of the body?
A)the substantia nigra
B)the corpus callosum
C)the amygdala
D)the pons

Accepted Answer

The pons is a structure located in the brainstem that helps relay information from higher brain regions to the cerebellum. It also helps coordinate and integrate movements on each side of the body. The other choices (substantia nigra, corpus callosum, and amygdala) do not play a significant role in coordinating movements or relaying information to the cerebellum.

Question 17

The chapter prologue described the story of a young university professor named Asha, who suffered a stroke. Because Asha experienced some damage to the motor areas on the left side of her brain, she experienced:
A)muscle weakness on the left and right sides of her body.
B)muscle weakness only on the right side of her body.
C)no muscle impairment.
D)muscle weakness only on the left side of her body.

Accepted Answer

The brain's left side controls the motor functions of the right side of the body, so damage to the left side of the brain would result in muscle weakness on the right side of the body.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A)The term substantia nigra means "dark substance."
B)The substantia nigra contains almost all of the serotonin-producing neurons in the brain.
C)The symptoms of Parkinson's disease are often associated with the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra.
D)The substantia nigra is located in the midbrain.

Accepted Answer

The substantia nigra contains dopamine-producing neurons, not serotonin-producing neurons.

Question 19

The phrase white matter in the brain refers to:
A)myelinated axons.
B)the large spaces on the interior of the brain called ventricles.
C)unmyelinated axons, glial cells, and cell bodies.
D)neurons that manufacture endorphins.

Accepted Answer

White matter in the brain refers to myelinated axons, which appear white due to the fatty insulation around them. These axons form tracts and allow communication between different regions of the brain.

Question 20

When President John F. Kennedy was hit by a sniper's bullet in the back of his head, he died almost instantly because the bullet destroyed the part of his brain called the _____, which controls breathing, heartbeat, and other vital body functions.
A)hippocampus
B)medulla
C)amygdala
D)thalamus

Accepted Answer

The medulla oblongata is the part of the brainstem that controls vital autonomic functions such as breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. Damage to this area can be fatal. The other options listed (hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus) do not play a direct role in these essential bodily functions.

Quiz 2: Section 2: Neuroscience and Behavior

As you play a Star Trek video game, you track all of the Romulan warships as they fly across the screen, attacking your ship, the USS Enterprise. In visually tracking the movements on the screen, the _____ plays an important role.

After too many drinks at a party, your friend awkwardly stumbles into a table, almost knocking it over. Your friend's coordination for simple actions, such as walking between two tables, is reduced because the alcohol has affected his:

The primary communication link between the left and right cerebral hemispheres is called:

White matter is to gray matter as _ is(are) to _.

Which letter points to the structure connecting the two cerebral hemispheres?

Your pencil starts to roll off the desk and in a smooth, coordinated fashion you grab it just before it rolls off the edge. Your ability to perform this action MOSTLY involved which of the following brain areas?

As you are walking in a crowded hallway, someone calls your name. Almost instantly, you sense that the person is on your left. Your brain's ability to detect the direction of a sound is initially processed in the:

As you take this test, you do not have to focus on taking your next breath or making your heart beat. This is because the _____ is involved in the control of vital life functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

Comparing the structure of the human brain to that of other animals reveals that:

The _____ is a network of neurons at the base of the brain that projects signals up to higher brain regions and down to the spinal cord, and regulates attention and sleep.

As you are listening to a lecture, workers are repairing a wall just outside your classroom. Throughout the class, you find yourself coughing and sneezing because of the dust and fumes in the air. Which brain structure controls such vital reflexes as sneezing, coughing, and swallowing?

Which of the following represents the largest region of the brain?

The substantia nigra:

The substantia nigra is:

Parkinson's disease often involves the degeneration of neurons that produce _, which are located in a brain area called the _.

Which structure helps relay information from higher brain regions to the cerebellum and helps coordinate and integrate movements on each side of the body?

The chapter prologue described the story of a young university professor named Asha, who suffered a stroke. Because Asha experienced some damage to the motor areas on the left side of her brain, she experienced:

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

The phrase white matter in the brain refers to:

When President John F. Kennedy was hit by a sniper's bullet in the back of his head, he died almost instantly because the bullet destroyed the part of his brain called the _____, which controls breathing, heartbeat, and other vital body functions.