SCB 204.1738, 1739
Robyn O’Kane, Ph.D.
Spring I 2008
Use the following figure to answer Questions 1-4 below:
1. What had to happen immediately before the action at number 1 could occur?
A. A graded potential in the axon
B. Exocytosis of the neurotransmitter
C. An action potential reached the synaptic terminal
D. Ligand-gated channels opened
2. The membrane at number 3 is the
A. presynaptic membrane.
B. postsynaptic membrane.
3. Which of the following ions will cause an IPSP due to the action at number 4?
A. K+
B. Na+
C. Ca2+
D. All of these ions will cause an IPSP.
4. If this is occurring in an autonomic ganglion, what is the neurotransmitter?
A. Norepinephrine
B. Acetylcholine
C. Serotonin
D. Melatonin
E. Either acetylcholine or norepinephrine
5. Sensory neurons
A. are typically unipolar.
B. carry efferent information.
C. typically have their cell bodies in an anterior root ganglion.
D. are unipolar only for the special senses.
6. The distal end of the spinal cord
A. is called the conus medullaris.
B. ends at the level of the coccyx.
C. sends nerves out that form the cauda equina.
D. A and B are correct.
E. A and C are correct.
7. Opening of which channel causes the rapid depolarization of the action potential?
A. Voltage-gated K+
B. Ligand-gated K+
C. Voltage-gated Na+
D. Ligand-gated Na+
E. All of the above
Answer Questions 8-10 below as they apply to deep vibratory sensations.
8. Which type of graded potential will be produced?
A. Generator
B. Receptor
9. What type of receptor are they classified as?
A. Chemoreceptor B. Photoreceptor C. Mechanoreceptor
D. Osmoreceptors
10. Where is the axon terminal of the first-order neuron located?
A. Spinal cord
B. Medulla
C. Thalamus
D. Primary sensory area
11. During the absolute refractory period of an action potential,
A. the Na+ inactivation gates are closed.
B. a suprathreshold stimulus can stimulate another action potential.
C. the K+ channels are closed.
D. the transmembrane potential is depolarizing.
12. A monosynaptic reflex
A. is contralateral.
B. is ipsilateral.
C. can be contralateral or ipsilateral.
D. includes the crossed extensor reflex.
13. Lower somatic motor neuronal cell bodies are located in the
A. anterior gray horns.
C. posterior root ganglia.
B. posterior gray horns.
D. lateral gray horns.
Use the following figure to answer Questions 14-16 below:
Central sulcus
14. What is the function of the area marked by #4?
A. Generates somatic sensory awareness.
B. Generates somatic motor impulses.
C. Generates autonomic sensory awareness.
D. Generates autonomic motor impulses.
15. Vision information is sent to which numbered area?
A. 3
B. 22
C. 43
D. 17
16. Nonfluent aphasia will result if which numbered area is destroyed?
A. 11
B. 17
C. 45
D. 22
Match the following cranial nerves with their functions:
17. I
A. Eye movement
18. III
B. Chewing
19. V
C. Tongue movement during swallowing
20. VII
D. Olfaction
21. XII
E. Secretion of saliva and tears
Use the following figure to answer Questions 22-26 below:
22. Which letter represents the major relay center of the brain?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. E
23. Letter B
A. receives stimulation from the hypothalamus.
B. allows visual information to cross to the other side of the brain.
C. transmits olfactory information.
D. is responsible for reflex actions due to auditory input.
24. Information from proprioceptors is transmitted to letter
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. E
25. Which cranial nerves have their nuclei housed in letter C?
A. None of them.
B. All 12 of them.
C. III and IV
D. V through VIII
E. VIII through XII
26. Communication between the two hemispheres via commissural tracts occurs because
of which lettered structure?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
E. E
27. Spinal nerves
A. carry sensory information.
B. carry motor information.
C. are a part of the peripheral nervous system.
D. All of the above are correct.
E. A and C are correct only.
28. Autonomic control is regulated by the
A. thalamus.
B. hypothalamus.
C. midbrain.
D. primary sensory area.
29. The blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier
A. is found in the ventricles.
B. is found in the circumventricular organs only.
C. is formed from astrocytes.
D. only exists where there is a blood-brain barrier.
30. Which of the following is correct regarding the parasympathetic and sympathetic
motor pathways?
A. Parasympathetic preganglionic fibers are longer than parasympathetic postganglionic
B. All sympathetic motor pathways involve only one motor neuron, but parasympathetic
motor pathways involve two motor neurons in series.
C. Parasympathetic preganglionic fibers are Type C fibers whereas sympathetic
preganglionic fibers are Type B fibers.
D. Parasympathetic preganglionic fibers have their cell bodies in the lateral gray horn of
the thoracic regions of the spinal cord.
31. Which neuroglia are important for regulating the chemical composition of the
interstitial fluid around neurons?
A. Astrocytes
B. Microglia
C. Satellite cells
D. A and B are correct.
E. A and C are correct.
32. Which of the following reflexes is contralateral?
A. Stretch
B. Crossed extensor
C. Flexor
D. Patella
33. Which of the following is correct regarding the blood-brain barrier?
A. Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by the fluid that leaks out of the capillaries.
B. It’s found in circumventricular organs only.
C. Ependymal cells ensure the strength of this barrier.
D. It’s due to tight junctions between the endothelial cells of capillaries.
34. Sound waves are transduced into graded potentials (and then action potentials) when
A. the cupula moves and distorts the stereocilia on the hair cells.
B. the otolithic membrane moves and distorts the stereocilia on the hair cells.
C. the basilar membrane moves the hair cells and the stereocilia embedded in the
tectorial membrane become distorted.
D. All of the above can cause transduction of sound waves into action potentials.
35. After listening to loud music in your headphones for 2 years, you start to think you
can’t hear quite as well as before. Why might this be happening?
A. You acquired nerve deafness due to breaking the stereocilia (hairs) on the hair cells in
your cochlea.
B. You acquired conduction deafness due to a blockage of sound waves into the cochlea.
C. The loud music triggered vertigo.
D. After 2 years, the loud music resulted in nystagmus.
36. Perilymph is found in all of the following areas EXCEPT
A. scala vestibuli.
B. middle ear.
C. bony labyrinth.
D. semicircular canals.
37. When you are on the subway and it makes a quick turn, what part of your inner ear
allows you to maintain your balance?
A. Utricle and saccule
B. Semicircular ducts
C. Cochlea
D. All of the above
38. If the bipolar cells in the retina stop receiving IPSPs from the photoreceptors,
A. ganglion cells are more likely to send an action potential to the thalamus.
B. that means a person has gone into a dark area.
C. the primary visual area is less likely to receive a signal.
D. the superior colliculi won’t be involved at all.
39. Which of the following is correct regarding transduction of light?
A. Going from dark to light causes the levels of cGMP to increase.
B. Going from dark to light causes the transmembrane potential of the bipolar cells to
become less negative (more positive).
C. Going from dark to light causes the ligand-gated Na+ channels in the photoreceptors
to open.
D. Going from dark to light causes the release of glutamate from the photoreceptors to
40. The cornea is bathed with ___________ on its external surface and _____________
on its internal surface.
A. lacrimal secretions; water
B. sebaceous gland secretions; lacrimal secretions
C. vitreous humor; lacrimal secretions
D. lacrimal secretions; aqueous humor
41. A person with presbyopia
A. will have a very long near-point-of-vision.
B. needs a diverging corrective lens.
C. has myopia as well.
D. has an irregular curvature to his cornea or lens.
42. When reading your textbook, which of the following is true?
A. Your ciliary muscles are relaxed.
B. Your suspensory muscles are tight.
C. The light rays undergo a lot of convergence when they pass through your lens.
D. Only your rods are activated.
Olfaction and Gustation
43. All of the following are correct about olfaction EXCEPT
A. Olfactory receptor cells are bipolar neurons.
B. Olfactory information synapses in the thalamus.
C. Olfaction typically occurs due to a second messenger system within the bipolar
D. Olfactory information is sent to the limbic system.
44. Who will be most likely to suffer from hyposmia?
A. A male smoker, aged 25.
B. A male smoker, aged 65
C. A male non-smoker, aged 25
D. A male non-smoker, aged 65
45. All of the following are the same between olfactory receptor cells and gustatory
receptor cells EXCEPT
A. They have “hairs” with receptors for molecules.
B. They both produce generator potentials.
C. They are surrounded by supporting cells and basal cells.
D. They are considered chemoreceptors.
46. What are the two types of papillae that are responsible for the majority of taste
sensation in an adult?
A. Circumvallate and foliate
B. Foliate and fungiform
C. Circumvallate and fungiform
D. Filiform and circumvallate
Short Answer Question
Midterm Exam, Spring I 2008
Pick any sensation (except reflex) and explain its route (be specific) to the central
nervous system. Then explain the motor response – pathway to the effector (just the
main pathway, but be specific).
1. You cannot use a reflex.
2. The sensation you pick has to have a motor response (for example, if you feel an itch,
the motor response is to scratch it).