Exam 2: The Biological Perspective

Bobby B. was rollerblading when a cat jumped right in front of him, causing him to fall. When he fell, he landed on the side of his head. Shortly afterwards, Bobby complained that he could not understand what people were saying to him. Which lobe would have been most affected by this fall given what he experienced?

What part of the brain acts as a relay station for incoming sensory information?

Jack suffered a brain injury as a result of hitting his head while waterskiing. One of the problems that developed was that Jack could not pronounce certain words correctly for a long period of time until he had extensive speech therapy, but can now speak as he did before his accident. This is an example of the brain’s ______, which allowed the structure and function of his brain cells to change to adjust to the trauma.

Your psychology professor refers to this as the great relay station of the brain. To what part of the brain is she referring?

What is a neuron? Describe the major parts of a neuron and their functions. Explain the process of how a neural message is transmitted from the end of one neuron to the beginning of another and the process by which a neuron moves from a resting state (resting potential) to firing (action potential) and then back to a resting state.

_________ synapses make it more likely that a neuron will send its message to other neurons, whereas ________ synapses make it less likely that a neuron will send its message.

The part of the brain that helps process hearing and give meaning to words is the __________.

Activation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to pupil dilation, inhibition of digestion, and an accelerated heartbeat.

Which of the following is a function of the right hemisphere?

Our brain contains __________.

The purpose of the myelin sheath is to _________.

The medulla is responsible for people's ability to selectively attend to certain kinds of information in their surroundings.

List two different functions of glial cells.

Which hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is usually dominant in language tasks?

The bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain is called the _______.

Which of the following best represents the order in which a neuron receives and transmits information?

Researchers in the field of autism are considering that lack of empathy is related to a faulty mirror system in the brain.

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that restores the body to normal functioning after arousal and is responsible for day-to-day functioning of the organs and glands is called the _________.

When a neuron fires, it fires in a(n) ________ fashion, as there is no such thing as "partial" firing.

Andrew has always been thin. In fact, he often seems to be able to eat whatever he wants without gaining weight. The doctor told his parents that Andrew's __________ gland is the cause of his fast metabolism.