In a recent car accident, Tamiko sustained damage to his right cerebral hemisphere. This injury is most likely to reduce Tamiko's ability to:
facially express emotions.
solve arithmetic problems.
understand simple verbal requests.
process information in an orderly sequence.
Which lobes of the brain receive the input that enables you to feel someone scratching your back?
parietal
temporal
occipital
frontal
In a resting state, the axon is:
depolarized, with mostly negatively charged ions outside and positively charged ions inside.
depolarized, with mostly positively charged ions outside and negatively charged ions inside.
polarized, with mostly negatively charged ions outside and positively charged ions inside.
polarized, with mostly positively charged ions outside and negatively charged ions inside.
According to Roger Sperry, a recognition that the mind cannot be fully explained by the activity of nerve cells is important for appreciating our human capacity for:
information processing.
neural plasticity.
moral responsibility.
computed tomography.
You are able to pull your hand quickly away from hot water before pain is felt because:
movement of the hand is a reflex that involves intervention of the spinal cord only.
movement of the hand does not require intervention by the central nervous system.
the brain reacts quickly to prevent severe injury.
the autonomic division of the peripheral nervous system intervenes to speed contraction of the muscles of the hand.
Epinephrine and norepinephrine are ________ that are released by the ________ gland.
neurotransmitters; pituitary
hormones; pituitary
neurotransmitters; adrenal
hormones; adrenal
hormones; thyroid
A scientist from another planet wishes to study the simplest brain mechanisms underlying emotion and memory. You recommend that the scientist study the:
brainstem of a frog.
limbic system of a dog.
cortex of a monkey.
cortex of a human.
brainstem of a dog.
A slap on the back is more painful than a pat on the back because a slap triggers:
faster neural impulses.
more intense neural impulses.
more frequent neural impulses.
all the above.
Heartbeat acceleration is to heartbeat deceleration as the ________ nervous system is to the ________ nervous system.
somatic; autonomic
autonomic; somatic
central; peripheral
sympathetic; parasympathetic
parasympathetic; sympathetic
Moruzzi and Magoun caused a cat to lapse into a coma by severing neural connections between the cortex and the:
reticular formation.
hypothalamus.
thalamus.
cerebellum.
medulla.
Which of the following is typically controlled by the left hemisphere?
spatial reasoning
arithmetic reasoning
the left side of the body
perceptual skills
The reuptake of a neurotransmitter such as serotonin would involve the reabsorption of serotonin into a(n):
axon terminal.
receiving neuron.
myelin sheath.
glial cell.
Which brain structure relays information from the eyes to the visual cortex?
thalamus
amygdala
medulla
hippocampus
cerebellum
The benefits of brain plasticity are most clearly demonstrated in:
children who have had a cerebral hemisphere surgically removed.
individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
adults with aphasia.
elderly stroke patients.
people free of any disease or brain damage.
Following a gunshot wound to his head, Jack became more uninhibited, irritable, and profane. It is likely that his personality change was the result of injury to his:
parietal lobe.
temporal lobe.
occipital lobe.
frontal lobe.
endocrine system.
An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the surface of the brain is called a(n):
CT scan.
EEG.
PET scan.
MRI.
After Miguel's recent automobile accident, doctors detected damage to his frontal lobe in Broca's area. It is likely that Miguel will have difficulty:
remembering past events.
speaking fluently.
reading.
understanding other people when they speak.
The vast majority of cells in the body's information-processing system are:
interneurons.
motor neurons.
sensory neurons.
neurotransmitters.
In a tragic diving accident, Andrew damaged his spinal cord and consequently suffered paralysis of his legs. Andrew's injury was located in his:
somatic nervous system.
limbic system.
sympathetic nervous system.
central nervous system.
The sensory cortex is most critical for our sense of:
taste.
sight.
hearing.
touch.
smell.
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