Note: When you select a letter, clicking on it will give you some feedback in the "answer frame". You can then follow up more details as indicated in the course books.
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Note: When you select a letter, clicking on it will give you some feedback in the "answer frame". You can then follow up more details as indicated in the course books. |
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Q1 There are receptors that are sensitive to the levels of carbon dioxide in the body. Select two words from the key that describe most appropriately such receptors. Choose TWO letters from the key.
KEY for Q1
A
Exteroceptor
B Enteroceptor
C Proprioceptor
D Mechanoreceptor
E Photoreceptor
F Chemoreceptor
G Thermoreceptor
Q2 Which of the following cell types is not electrically excitable? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q2
A Motor neurons
B Touch receptors
C Muscles
D Glial cells
E Photoreceptors
F
All the above are electrically excitable
Q3 Select from the key the item that completes the following statement correctly. Choose ONE letter from the key.
'When a neuron shows a stable resting potential, the concentration of Na+ is ...'
KEY for Q3
A
... approximately 10 times higher inside the cell than outside.
B ... approximately 0 times higher inside the cell than outside.
C ... approximately 50 times higher inside the cell than outside.
D ... approximately 10 times lower inside the cell than outside.
E ... approximately 0 times lower inside the cell than outside.
F ... approximately 50 times lower inside the cell than outside.
Q4 Which of the following statements are true? Choose TWO letters from the key.
KEY for Q4
A
During the depolarizing phase of an action potential, Na+ flows out of
the cell.
B At the resting potential, the membrane permeability to Na+
is greater than that to K+.
C Na+ is pumped into the cell during the resting potential.
D During the action potential, it is the sodium-potassium pump that
is responsible for driving Na+ into the cell.
E During the repolarization and hyperpolarization phases of the action
potential, there is a movement of K+ out of the cell.
F The sodium-potassium pump is responsible for driving Na+
into the cell.
G As a result of gradients, even under resting conditions there is a
slight movement of Na+ across the membrane into the cell.
Q5 Which of the following statements is true? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q5
A If it were not for the action of the sodium-potassium pump, Na+ would tend to move out of the cell, down the concentration gradient.
B The sodium-potassium pump is all that stops the K+ concentration inside the cell increasing to dangerous levels.
C In the depolarization phase of the action potential, there is a net movement of Na+ into the cell.
D Na+ is made to leave the inside of the cell by the concentration and potential gradients.
E The concentration gradient for K+ is such as to cause K+ to enter the cell.
F During the depolarization phase of the action potential, the sodium-potassium pump is responsible for the rapid movement of Na+ across the membrane.
Q6 Select from the key the correct sequence of the events, (a)-(f), given in the following list that occurs in chemical transmission at a synapse. Choose ONE letter from the key.
(a) binding with receptor
(b) re-uptake by nerve terminal
(c) postsynaptic potential
(d) entry of calcium ions
(e) exocytosis
(f) diffusion of transmitter
KEY for Q6
A (d), (e), (f), (a), (c), (b)
B (a), (c), (d), (c), (f), (e)
C (c), (d), (a), (f), (e), (b)
D (d), (f), (a), (b), (e), (c)
E (a), (d), (e), (f), (b), (c)
F (c), (b), (f), (a), (d), (e)
Q7 Which of the following statements concerning action potentials in nerve cells are true? Choose TWO letters from the key.
KEY for Q7
A
An action potential may be triggered by depolarization of the neuronal
membrane.
B An action potential is associated with an increase in resistance of
the neuronal membrane.
C The release of acetylcholine is necessary for an action potential
to be triggered in the post-synaptic cell.
D An action potential is associated with a decrease in the permeability
of the neuronal membrane to potassium ions.
E An action potential results in the inside of a neuron becoming positive
with respect to the outside.
Q8 Parkinson's disease is characterized by tremors and rigidity of the limbs. It is caused by degeneration of neurons that control movement. Which of the following neurotransmitters is released by these neurons? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q8
A ACh.
B aspartate
C dopamine
D GABA
E serotonin
F noradrenaline
Q9 Which of the following statements is false? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q9
A
The nervous system and the immune system may be part of a single interactive
network.
B White cells and neurons share some identical signalling molecules.
C There is evidence that the nervous system regulates the immune system.
D Immunological memory prevents short-lived animals suffering from the
same infectious disease more than once.
E Helper and suppressor T cells secrete peptide transmitters.
Q10 Which two of the conditions listed in the key would be likely to result in a decrease in the effectiveness of the immune response? Choose TWO letters from the key.
KEY for Q10
A
An increased number of T-helper cells
B An increased number of T-suppressor cells
C An increased number of cytotoxic T cells
D An increased secretion of excitatory lymphokines
E An increased secretion of inhibitory lymphokines
F An increased secretion of antibodies by B-cells
Q11 Select two options from the key to complete the sentence below. Choose TWO letters from the key.
'All nervous systems in animals more complex than sea-anemones are generally ......... and .........'
KEY for Q11
A
dorsal
B ventral
C ganglia
D bilaterally symmetrical
E radially symmetrical
F cephalized
Q12 Which of the following statements concerning the general structure and function of muscle is correct? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q12
A Light and dark banding patterns appear on all types of muscle.
B There is a single sarcomere inside each muscle cell.
C Each of the filaments in a muscle shortens during contraction.
D None of the filaments in a muscle shortens during contraction.
E A motor unit consists of several motor neurons and one muscle fibre.
F Muscle contraction is an all-or-nothing event.
Q13 Which of the structures listed in the key has an important role as a centre for relaying sensory input on its way to the cerebral cortex? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q13
A Basal ganglia
B Cerebellum
C Thalamus
D Hypothalamus
E Hippocampus
F Pons
Q14 Which of the physiological processes listed in the key is not controlled by the autonomic nervous system? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q14
A
Heart rate
B Contraction of blood vessels
C Movements of the gut
D Release of glucose from the liver
E Dilation of airways in the lungs
F Contraction of skeletal muscles during exercise
G All of A-F are controlled by the autonomic nervous system.
Q15 The input to a cell in the ventrobasal nucleus of the thalamus from its receptive field can be of two types - excitatory (from the centre of the receptive field) and inhibitory (from the peripheral region of the receptive field). Following stimulation of the receptive field, there is a delay between the excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Which of the items in the key provides the correct explanation for the observed delay? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q15
A The nerves conveying excitatory information from the skin have a higher conduction velocity than those conveying inhibitory information.
B The inhibitory information has to travel from the peripheral region of the skin, and so has to travel further than the excitatory information from the centre region.
C The interneurons that mediate the inhibitory responses from the peripheral regions of the receptive fields of ventrobasal cells add extra synaptic delay into the pathway.
D Inhibitory transmitter substances diffuse more slowly than excitatory transmitter substances, and result in a delay in the generation of the inhibitory responses.
E The interneurons in the ventrobasal nucleus that drive the centre responses have a lower conduction velocity than those producing the inhibitory responses from the periphery of the receptive fields.
Q16 Which of the following statements is true, based on the information given in Chapter 9? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q16
A The surface of the body is represented in a topographic way along the length of the spinal cord by the receptive fields of sensory neurons in the dorsal regions of the spinal cord grey matter.
B The ability of an individual to discriminate the number of points (one or two) touching a region of skin is directly proportional to the amount of branching of sensory nerve endings in that region: the greater the area over which the nerve endings branch, the more sensitive the discrimination.
C The neurons in the ventrobasal nucleus of the thalamus are arranged in a circular pattern, corresponding to the concentric organization of the receptive fields.
D Sensory information from the body travels via neurons whose axons pass into the ventral horn structures of the spinal cord.
E Inhibitory interneurons in the spinal cord project to the ventrobasal nucleus of the thalamus to create the inhibitory regions of the receptive fields of the ventrobasal cells.
Q17 The lordosis reflex in female rats can be evoked by tactile stimulation from a male only when oestrogen levels in the female are sufficiently high. Oestrogen is said to sensitize the nervous system, but where does it act? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q17
A
Sensory receptors in the skin
B Motor neurons of the back muscles
C Hypothalamus
D Lateral vestibular nucleus
E Brain stem reticular formation
F Central grey matter of the midbrain
Q18 A gunshot wound in a certain brain region was found to leave a soldier with no hearing capacity, but in all other respects he was normal. What would be the most safe reasonable conclusion to draw from this limited information? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q18
A The region destroyed played a unique and essential role in a variety of behavioural and perceptual functions, including hearing.
B The region destroyed was the only brain region to play a role in hearing.
C The region destroyed consisted wholly of nerve fibres connnecting other brain regions, each playing a crucial role in processing of sound.
D The circumscribed area that was destroyed played a unique role in the processing of sound.
E A, B, C and D are all equally reasonable.
F Only C and D are equally reasonable.
G Only B and D are equally reasonable.
Q19 Which of the following statements are correct? Choose THREE letters from the key.
KEY for Q19
A
A receptive aphasia can occur as a result of a lesion to Wernicke's area.
B Damage to Broca's area interferes with the translation of sensory
information into a form that can be processed by the language system.
C Damage to the arcuate pathway prevents the normal flow of information
from Broca's to Wernicke's area.
D A patient with Broca's aphasia will be generally aware of the difficulties
he or she has in expressing his or her thoughts.
E Damage to the cortex outside Broca's and Wernicke's areas does not
result in impairments in language functions.
F Wernicke's area is the only region in the temporal lobe that is active
during language processing.
G Wernicke's area has been shown recently not to be involved in the
processing of written information.
Q20 Which of the following statements are false? Choose TWO letters from the key.
KEY for Q20
A
The temporal lobes, the hippocampus, the amygdala, the mammillary bodies,
the thalamus and the frontal cortex are all involved in human memory.
B According to Edelman, memory and language are necessary conditions
for higher-order consciousness to exist.
C Bilateral damage to the hippocampus alone is sufficient to cause profound
anterograde amnesia.
D Bilateral damage to the hippocampus alone is sufficient to cause profound
retrograde amnesia.
E Lesions to Wernicke's area result in a failure to understand sensory
information.
F Someone with a lesion in Broca's area is capable of understanding
spoken or written instructions.
Q21 The main part of Figure 2.7 of Book 2 (p. 28) shows a neuron together with inputs and outputs. If this neuron were dopaminergic, which two of the statements in the key would necessarily be true? Choose TWO letters from the key.
KEY for Q21
A
At both of the synapses that are boxed (and are also represented in the
enlarged view), the vesicles would contain dopamine.
B Both the synaptic membranes that are boxed (and are also represented
in the enlarged view) would contain dopamine receptors.
C The neuron shown in full would synthesize and store dopamine at its
terminals.
D The neuron shown in full would release dopamine at its terminals in
response to the arrival of an action potential at the terminal.
E The boxed synapse on the left would employ dopamine as its transmitter.
F The neuron shown in full would be inhibited by any dopaminergic synapses
formed on its cell body or dendrites.
Q22 Figure 9.3 of Book 2 (p. 226) shows a section of the spinal cord. What would be the most likely outcome of an accident in which the dorsal root nerve was cut at the point marked by the tip of the arrow labelled 'dorsal root nerve'? Choose ONE letter from the key.
KEY for Q22
A The loss of all sensation from the body at all regions lower than the cut nerve
B The total loss of all bodily sensations
C The loss of sensation and motor abilities in body regions below the cut nerve
D The loss of sensation in a region of the body corresponding to one dermatome
E The loss of all sensation and motor abilities in a region of the body corresponding to one dermatome
F
The loss of all sensation from the body on the opposite side to the damaged
nerve
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