Sensory
Which of the following structures in the eye does not primarily contribute
to its protection and homeostasis?
• A) The lacrimal gland.
• B) The eyelid.
• C) The cornea.
• D) The iris.
C) The cornea.
Unless you consciously focus on them or there is some change, you may
not consciously feel your clothing on your skin. This is an example of
habituation. Which of the following principles of information coding is
likely most involved in this phenomenon?
• A) Lateral inhibition
• B) Sensitivity
• C) Receptive fields
• D) Adaptation
D) Adaptation
What imaging technique would be most appropriate to determine the
extent of brain damage in the famous case of Phineas Gage?
• A) EEG
• B) Functional MRI
• C) Structural MRI
• D) DTI
C) Structural MRI
What are the 12 cranial nerves? What is your mnemonic to remember them?
Only One Of The Two Athletes Felt Very Good, Victorious, And Healthy.
1.Olfactory 2.Optic 3.Oculomotor 4.Trochlear 5.Trigeminal 6.Abducens 7.Facial 8.Vestibulocochlear 9.Glossopharyngeal 10.Vagus 11.Accessory 12.Hypoglossal
What are the three layers of the meninges and how is CSF and ISF are situated between them?
Pia Mater, Arachnoid Mater, Dura Mater. CSF coats the ventricles and washes over the brain and spinal cord when it enters the subarachnoid space, then gets taken up by the arachnoid Villi into the venous return between Dura mater layers. ISF is within the brain tissue and is in direct contact with blood vessels and neurons.
It’s common to see someone rub a part of their body after injuring it. What
aspect of nociception explains why this actually might have some
benefit?
• A) Rubbing an injured part of your body blocks the activity of C fibers.
• B) Rubbing an injured part of your body blocks the activity of A𝛿 fibers.
• C) Rubbing an injured part of your body activates Aβ fibers, which directly shuts
down the activity of C and A𝛿 fibers.
• D) Rubbing an injured part of your body activates Aβ fibers and in turn
interneurons inhibiting the nociceptive pathway.
D) Rubbing an injured part of your body activates Aβ fibers and in turn interneurons inhibiting the nociceptive pathway.
Which of the following statements accurately describes a general
principle organizing the body’s sensory systems?
• A) Sensation is initiated by a mechanical stimulus opening ion channels on a
neuron and triggering an action potential.
• B) The location of the sensory cell in the body determines the correct perception
of the sense in the brain.
• C) Sensory information above a threshold will cause a change in shape of
proteins in a relevant sensory neuron, leading to an action potential.
• D) None of the above.
C) Sensory information above a threshold will cause a change in shape of proteins in a relevant sensory neuron, leading to an action potential.
For a hypothetical neuronal circuit to perform its function, the information
represented in the activity of one neuron must be processed by many
others. What architecture would necessarily accomplish this?
• A) Central pattern generator
• B) Complex
• C) Divergent
• D) Convergent
C) Divergent
What best explains why the pituitary gland bypasses the blood brain
barrier?
• A) The pituitary gland has its own defense mechanisms against bacterial
infection.
• B) The pituitary gland interfaces between the CNS and the endocrine system.
• C) The pituitary gland regulates the body’s circadian rhythm.
• D) The pituitary gland must monitor hormone concentrations in the blood in
order to regulate them.
D) The pituitary gland must monitor hormone concentrations in the blood in order to regulate them.
Ascending tracts carry what kind of information? What side of the spinal cord does it run? Location of the cell body root.
Descending tracts carry what kind of information? What side of the spinal cord does it run? Location of the cell body root.
Sensory information from the periphery to the CNS through the dorsal root. Dorsal root cell body is outside the
CNS.
Motor information from the CNS to motor neurons. runs down the ventral side of the spinal cord. Ventral root cell body originates within
the spinal cord
Which of the following does not describe how plasticity influences your
perception of the world?
• A) Individuals who have lost one sense will have greater sensitivity in their other
senses.
• B) When you lose a limb, the associated area in your somatosensory cortex may
be coopted for the mapping of other body parts.
• C) A severe burn may impair your detection of fine stimuli in that part of the
body.
• D) None of these.
C) A severe burn may impair your detection of fine stimuli in that part of the body.
You are tasked with designing a drug that specifically activates the
sympathetic nervous system. Why would a general cholinergic agonist
not be a good choice?
• A) Acetylcholine is not used in sympathetic pathways.
• B) Acetylcholine is only used in synapses from the preganglionic to
postganglionic cell in sympathetic pathways.
• C) Acetylcholine is used in both sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways.
• D) Sympathetic pathways only contain nicotinic receptors.
C) Acetylcholine is used in both sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways.
Which of the following characteristics best differentiates the
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the interstitial fluid (ISF)?
• A) Location: the CSF directly contacts neurons, while the ISF surrounds the brain.
• B) Location: the CSF lies in the subarachnoid space, while the ISF sits between
the capillaries and neurons.
• C) Function: the CSF provides protection from physical injury while the ISF does
not.
• D) Function: the ISF provides protection from physical injury while the CSF does
not.
B) Location: the CSF lies in the subarachnoid space, while the ISF sits between the capillaries and neurons.
Parkinson’s disease is typified by a loss of dopaminergic activity. What would
be the most likely effects of excessive dopaminergic signaling in the basal
ganglia?
• A) The direct pathway would be overemphasized, impairing control of voluntary
motor movements.
• B) The indirect pathway would be overemphasized, impairing control of voluntary
motor movements.
• C) The direct pathway would be overemphasized, making motor movements as a
whole more difficult.
• D) The indirect pathway would be overemphasized, making motor movements as a
whole more difficult
A) The direct pathway would be overemphasized, impairing control of voluntary
motor movements.
What aspect of the anatomy of spinal cord reflexes explains why they are
autonomic?
• A) Spinal cord reflexes contain three neurons
• B) Spinal cord reflexes exist entirely outside the CNS
• C) Spinal cord reflexes do not route through the brain
• D) All of the above
C) Spinal cord reflexes do not route through the brain
A patient suffers a back injury that specifically damages the left side of
their spinal cord. How would this affect their perception of pain?
• A) This patient would have impaired pain perception below this injury on the left
side of their body.
• B) This patient would have impaired pain perception below this injury on the
right side of their body.
• C) This patient would have impaired pain perception on both sides of the body
below this injury.
• D) This patient would not have impaired pain perception.
B) This patient would have impaired pain perception below this injury on the right side of their body.
How does antagonistic control in the ANS affect the heart?
• A) Sympathetic responses increase heart rate, while parasympathetic responses
decrease heart rate.
• B) Parasympathetic responses increase heart rate, while sympathetic responses
decrease heart rate.
• C) Sympathetic pathways have long nerve fibers projecting to heart tissue, while
parasympathetic pathways have short nerve fibers projecting to heart tissue.
• D) Parasympathetic pathways have long nerve fibers projecting to heart tissue,
while sympathetic pathways have short nerve fibers projecting to heart tissue.
A) Sympathetic responses increase heart rate, while parasympathetic responses decrease heart rate.
Hypothetical “Disease X” is characterized by an insufficient production
of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Which of the following hypotheses is
the best potential explanation for Disease X’s onset?
• A) Disease X is caused by a loss of ependymal cells in the ventricles.
• B) Disease X is caused by a loss of ependymal cells in the subarachnoid space.
• C) Disease X is caused by a loss of multipolar neurons in the ventricles.
• D) Disease X is caused by a loss of multipolar neurons in the subarachnoid
space.
A) Disease X is caused by a loss of ependymal cells in the ventricles.
A patient suffering from chronic fatigue undergoes a sleep study, and EEG
recordings reveal a possible cause: despite sleeping, the patient is not
spending sufficient time in “deep” sleep. A corruption to which of the
following brain regions is the most likely culprit for this type of disorder?
• A) Pons
• B) Medulla
• C) Reticular formation
• D) None of the above
C) Reticular formation
B) Lumbar plexus
Which statement best describes the relationship between the structure and
the function of the Pacinian Corpuscle?
• A) The Pacinian corpuscle is a simple receptor with free nerve endings, allowing it to
directly respond to painful stimuli on the skin.
• B) The Pacinian corpuscle is a single dendrite surrounded by multiple layers of tissue,
ensuring it responds only to powerful mechanical stimuli.
• C) The Pacinian corpuscle is found on feet and is therefore vital for your ability to
properly walk.
• D) The Pacinian corpuscle is a rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor, explaining its
special sensitivity to high-frequency vibrations.
B) The Pacinian corpuscle is a single dendrite surrounded by multiple layers of tissue, ensuring it responds only to powerful mechanical stimuli.
Which of the following statements accurately relates the structure and function
of the sympathetic nervous system?
• A) The three-cell sympathetic pathway between the CNS and target tissue relates to
the fast reactions needed during stressful periods.
• B) The shorter distance traveled by sympathetic pathways facilitates the fast reactions
needed during stressful periods.
• C) The use of only a single neurotransmitter by sympathetic pathways leads to the fast
reactions needed during stressful periods.
• D) The direct sympathetic pathway from the CNS to target tissue promotes the fast
reactions needed during stressful periods.
B) The shorter distance traveled by sympathetic pathways facilitates the fast reactions needed during stressful periods.
As part of your research, you’re asked to describe a particular cell type
within the cortex. You first recognize that these cells have large axons
projecting throughout the brain. Based on this finding, which of the
following terms would best characterize this cell?
• A) Interneuron
• B) Multipolar neuron
• C) Pyramidal neuron
• D) Microglia
C) Pyramidal neuron
Following a traumatic brain injury, a patient reports trouble with both their
senses of hearing and smell, but notably not taste, vision, or sensation.
Which of the following would best explain this phenomenon?
• A) The injury was localized to the occipital lobe.
• B) The injury was localized to the temporal lobe.
• C) The injury was localized to the parietal lobe.
• D) The injury was localized to the frontal lobe.
B) The injury was localized to the temporal lobe.
Which of the following statements best describes the spinal tracts?
• A) They are groups of myelinated axons carrying information to and from the
brain.
• B) They are groups of unmyelinated axons carrying information to and from the
brain.
• C) They are groups of myelinated axons responsible for reflexes.
• D) They are groups of unmyelinated axons responsible for reflexes.
A) They are groups of myelinated axons carrying information to and from
the brain.