Test Bank
to accompany
Neuroscience, Sixth Edition
Purves • Augustine • Fitzpatrick • Hall • LaMantia • Mooney • Platt • White
Chapter 1: Studying the Nervous System
Multiple Choice
1. Which part of DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA?
a. Exon
b. Intron
c. Promoter
d. Non-coding DNA
e. Regulatory DNA
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Genetics and Genomics
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
2. Genomics is the analysis of
a. coding DNA sequences for a species.
b. regulatory DNA sequences for an individual organism and a species.
c. coding and regulatory DNA sequences for a species.
d. coding and regulatory DNA sequences for an individual organism.
e. coding and regulatory DNA of an individual organism or a
species. Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Genetics and Genomics
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
3. Which of Camillo Golgi’s contributions enabled Santiago Ramón y Cajal to make
observations that suggested that nerve cells are discrete entities?
a. Articulation of the neuron doctrine
b. Identifying the organelle later called the Golgi apparatus
c. Development of a staining method based on impregnation with silver salts
d. Improving the understanding of the pathophysiology of malaria
e. Articulation of the reticular theory of nerve cell
communication Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
4. The major proponent(s) of the neuron doctrine was(were)
a. Camillo Golgi.
b. Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
c. Charles Sherrington.
d. Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Charles Sherrington.
,e. Camillo Golgi and Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
5. Which function is a characteristic primarily of neurons only, and not glia?
a. Transmits action potentials
b. Supports electrical signals
c. Repairs the nervous system
d. Prevents regeneration of the nervous system
e. Produces myelin
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
6. In which part of a neuron would most of the endoplasmic reticulum be concentrated?
a. Postsynaptic terminal
b. Presynaptic terminal
c. Axon
d. Cell body
e. Dendrite
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
7. Which intracellular component facilitates the processes of endocytosis and exocytosis
underlying synaptic communication?
a. Mitochondria
b. Endoplasmic reticulum
c. Cytoskeleton
d. Golgi apparatus
e. Nucleus
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
8. Most neurons have
a. one axon hillock (initial segment).
b. multiple axon hillocks (initial segments).
c. one dendrite.
d. one axon hillock (initial segment) and one dendrite.
e. multiple axon hillocks (initial segments) and one dendrite.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Neurons
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
,9. Which statement best describes the function of a neuron with multiple, highly
branched dendrites and one axon?
a. It passes information directly to multiple neurons.
b. It cannot integrate information from multiple neurons.
c. It receives information from only one other neuron.
d. It integrates information from many neurons.
e. The information it receives will not be relayed.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Neurons
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
10. Which statement best describes most neurons?
a. They receive information via axons.
b. They transmit information to other cells via dendrites.
c. They are polarized.
d. They conduct signals bidirectionally.
e. They transmit electrical signals via cytoplasmic continuity.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Neurons
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
11. Compared with projection neurons, axons of local circuit neurons (interneurons)
a. are longer.
b. are shorter.
c. have more synapses.
d. have more branches.
e. reach more postsynaptic neurons.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Neurons
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
12. An action potential is a(n) change in the electrical potential across the nerve
cell membrane.
a. single
b. all-or-nothing
c. permanent
d. random
e. unidirectional
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Neurons
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
13. The part of a synapse to which the contents of synaptic vesicles bind is called the
a. presynaptic terminal.
b. synaptic ending.
c. axon terminal.
,d. terminal bouton.
e. receptor.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Neurons
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
14. Which cell produces myelin in the nerves of the peripheral nervous system?
a. Astrocyte
b. Neuron
c. Schwann cell
d. Microglia
e. Neural progenitor cell
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Glial Cells
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
15. Which glial cell type serves as a resident immune cell in the central nervous system?
a. Glial stem cell
b. Astrocyte
c. Microglia
d. Oligodendrocyte
e. Schwann cell
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: Glial Cells
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
16. In the mature central nervous system, glial stem cells with the properties of
astrocytes can give rise to
a. astrocytes.
b. neurons.
c. oligodendrocytes.
d. astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
e. astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Glial Cells
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
17. Refer to the figure.
,Which method was used to visualize the retinal neurons shown?
a. Cresyl violet staining
b. Intracellular injection of a fluorescent dye
c. Intracellular injection of an enzyme
d. Silver impregnation (the Golgi method)
e. Nissl stain
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Cellular Diversity in the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
18. The in situ hybridization method is based on
a. labeling specific neuronal components with antibodies.
b. using nucleic acid probes to detect mRNAs that encode specific genes.
c. using nucleic acid probes to detect specific proteins.
d. injecting a fluorescent dye into a neuron.
e. formation of an insoluble colored product within cell bodies.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Cellular Diversity in the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
19. In the knee-jerk reflex, the afferent neurons
a. innervate leg flexor muscles.
b. innervate leg flexor and extensor muscles.
c. innervate leg extensor muscles.
d. are sensory neurons.
e. are cranial nerves.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Neural Circuits
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
,20. What is the role of interneurons in the knee-jerk reflex?
a. Inhibition of motor neurons to all leg muscles
b. Amplification of the response
c. Dampen the pain of the hammer tap
d. Relaxation of flexor muscles
e. Transfer of signal from efferent to afferent neurons
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Neural Circuits
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
21. Refer to the figure.
The figure shows patterns of action potentials (vertical lines) in neurons that form the
neural circuits for the knee-jerk reflex. Which pattern represents the activity of a flexor
motor neuron?
a. Top
b. Second from the top
c. Third from the top
d. Bottom
e. None of the above
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: Neural Circuits
Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing
22. Which component represents the peripheral nervous system?
a. Nucleus (i.e., group of neurons)
b. Spinal nerve
c. Tract
d. Column
e. Commissure
Answer: b
,Textbook Reference: Organization of the Human Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
23. From which part of the nervous system do cells that innervate neuromuscular
junctions originate?
a. Central nervous system (CNS)
b. Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
c. Somatic motor division of PNS
d. Visceral motor division of PNS
e. Autonomic nervous system
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Organization of the Human Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
24. Why is the white matter lighter than the gray matter?
a. These are just historic terms not representative of real colors.
b. White matter is less dense than gray matter.
c. White matter is more translucent than gray matter.
d. White matter contains more Schwann cells, which are light in appearance.
e. White matter is richer in myelin, which reflects more light than gray matter.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Organization of the Human Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
25. The neurons whose synaptic connections with glandular cells trigger stomach
secretions are located in
a. the spinal cord.
b. the brain stem.
c. the ganglia located along the vertebral column.
d. front of the vertebral column.
e. the ganglia embedded in the wall of the stomach.
Answer: e
Textbook Reference: Organization of the Human Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
26. Neuroethology is the field devoted to studying complex behavior
a. through specifically designed behavioral tasks.
b. in the native environment.
c. in a laboratory.
d. during a limited number of trials.
e. using invasive methods.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: Analyzing Complex Behavior
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
27. Which brain research method is associated with the greatest safety concerns?
, a. Computerized tomography
b. Magnetic resonance imaging
c. Event related potential analysis
d. Electroencephalography
e. Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: Computerized Tomography
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
Short Answer
1. Draw a simple diagram of a neuron and label its components. In what ways are
neurons specialized for communication? How do these specialized features distinguish
neurons from other types of cells?
Answer: Neurons have axons and dendrites, structures for maintaining and transmitting
electrical potential, and synapses, all of which allow neurons to establish connections and
share information.
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
2. Glia are at least as numerous as neurons in the brain, yet neurons are the
predominant focus of neuroscience textbooks. Why?
Answer: Neurons generate and conduct electrical and chemical signals, while glia
primarily play a supporting role.
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous SystemBloom’s Level: 1.
Remembering
3. What was the substance of the disagreement between Golgi and Cajal that,
nevertheless, earned them both the 1906 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology?
Answer: Golgi was a proponent of the “reticular theory,” which stated that all nerve
cells are connected, whereas Cajal argued that nerve cells are discrete entities, which is
now known as the neuron doctrine.
Textbook Reference: Cellular Components of the Nervous System
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
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