1.1 - Interaction of Heredity and Environment
Would someone who believes that all babies are born as "blank slates" be a supporter of nature or nurture when it comes to the development of characteristics?
Nurture
The central nervous system is composed of the brain and what other body part?
Spinal cord
Are there more glial cells or neurons in the brain?
Glial cells
What is the space between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendritic endings of another neuron called?
Synapse/synaptic gap/synaptic cleft
What kind of neurotransmitter allows action potentials to be communicated between neurons?
Excitatory neurotransmitters
Non-identical, or dizygotic, twins are also known as...
Fraternal twins
Voluntary motion using skeletal muscles (not the muscles automatically controlling your inner organs) is controlled using which nervous system?
Somatic nervous system
What are the functions of glial cells?
(Full points for naming two of three): structure, insulation, waste transport
What is the correct order of neuronal parts that action potentials pass through?
Dendrites -> soma -> axon -> axon terminal -> synapse
What is the name of the cellular process that recycles neurotransmitters?
Reuptake
What is the field of science that explores how environmental factors can cause a change in DNA expression?
Epigenetics
Which nervous system independently directs activities of the gut and digestive system?
Enteric nervous system
Identify and replace the incorrect word in the following sentence: Afferent neurons take information from the brain to elsewhere in the body, such as skeletal muscle.
Efferent neurons take information from the brain to elsewhere in the body, such as skeletal muscle.
What is the adjective used in neuroscience to explain the resting state of a neuron in which the external environment is positively charged and the internal environment is negatively charged?
Polarized
An excessive amount of which neurotransmitter in the brain is associated with schizophrenia?
Dopamine
In studies on grooming behaviors in rats, researchers found that rats raised by mothers who licked them frequently as babies demonstrated what behavior when they became mothers themselves?
They would lick their babies too.
How does the sympathetic nervous system affect saliva production?
The sympathetic nervous system decreases saliva production.
Which component of neurons allow for fast and insulated conduction of electrical signals?
Myelin sheaths
Intense stimuli do not send bigger bursts of electricity to the brain. How do our brains distinguish between weak and intense stimuli?
Frequency of action potentials reaching the brain
Which molecule is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone?
Adrenaline/epinephrine
Noam Chomsky argued that nature, or DNA specifically, was the reason that all humans are able to acquire what specific skill?
Language
Why does having a fight-or-flight response represent an evolutionary advantage for humans?
This aspect of the nervous system most definitely kept our ancestors alive in tight situations.
What is the name of the bodily process that allows humans to react to obnoxious stimuli without thinking?
Spinal reflex arc
How much voltage does a typical neuron gain during the transmission of an action potential?
100 millivolts (mV)
Low levels of which two neurotransmitters are associated with clinical depression?
Norepinephrine/noradrenaline and serotonin