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6.1 Neurons & Organisation β Test 1
Q1. The cells that support, nourish and protect neurons are the:β Neuroglia (glial cells)
Q2. Myelin-producing cells in the central nervous system are the:β Oligodendrocytes
Q3. Myelination of neurons in the peripheral nervous system is provided by:β Schwann cells
Q4. The brain cells capable of phagocytosis as part of the immune defence are the:β Microglia
Q5. The dendrites of a neuron mainly:β Carry impulses toward the cell body
Q6. Interneurons (intermediate neurons) are found within the:β Central nervous system
Q7. The myelin sheath covers the:β Nerve fibre (axon)
Q8. The largest part of the human brain is the:β Cerebrum
Q9. The part of the brain controlling muscular coordination, balance and posture is the:β Cerebellum
Q10. Broca's area of the brain controls:β Speech production
Q11. The pons Varolii connects the:β Cerebrum (and the two cerebellar hemispheres) and relays between brain regions
Q12. Humans have 12 pairs of:β Cranial nerves
Q13. The human body has how many pairs of spinal nerves?β 31
Q14. Which cranial nerve has both sensory and motor functions and innervates the gut and heart?β Vagus nerve (X)
Q15. The outermost covering (meninx) of the brain is the:β Dura mater
Q16. Visual information from the eyes is received and processed mainly in the:β Occipital lobe
6.1 Neurons & Organisation β Test 2
Q17. The corpus callosum is a nerve tract that connects the:β Two cerebral hemispheres
Q18. The part of the brain that acts as a relay station for sensory information (except smell) is the:β Thalamus
Q19. The nervous structure controlling involuntary functions such as heartbeat and breathing is the:β Medulla oblongata
Q20. Effector (motor) neurons carry impulses from the spinal cord toward the:β Muscles and glands (via the ventral root)
Q21. The portion of the nervous system that controls bodily functions without conscious direction is the:β Autonomic nervous system
Q22. The somatic nervous system controls:β Skeletal (voluntary) muscle
Q23. The neurotransmitter released at most postganglionic sympathetic nerve terminals is:β Noradrenaline (norepinephrine)
Q24. The chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mature mammalian central nervous system is:β GABA
Q25. A shortage of acetylcholine in the brain is closely associated with:β Alzheimer's disease
Q26. Death of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain causes:β Parkinson's disease
Q27. The function of GABA in the central nervous system is:β Neuronal inhibition
Q28. An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a record of the electrical activity of the:β Brain
Q29. The hippocampus is particularly important for:β Formation of new memories and spatial navigation
Q30. The part of the brain often called the 'seat of emotions' is the:β Limbic system
Q31. The 'fight or flight' response is triggered by the:β Sympathetic nervous system
Q32. The cell bodies of motor neurons that directly drive skeletal muscle (alpha motor neurons) lie in the:β Ventral horn of the spinal cord
6.1 Neurons & Organisation β Test 3
Q33. A non-myelinated nerve fibre is typically a:β Postganglionic autonomic fibre
Q34. Schwann cells contribute to peripheral nerve impulse transmission by:β Forming the myelin sheath that enables saltatory conduction
Q35. Higher intelligence in humans is attributed mainly to a well-developed:β Cerebrum (cerebral cortex)
Q36. The cerebellum's functions include all of the following EXCEPT:β Generating conscious thought and reasoning
Q37. The part of the brain that links the nervous and endocrine systems and regulates hunger, thirst and temperature is the:β Hypothalamus
Q38. In a typical reflex arc, the impulse passes in the order:β Receptor β sensory neuron β interneuron β motor neuron β effector
Q39. Stretch reflexes (such as the knee-jerk) are initiated by receptors called:β Muscle spindles
Q40. Acetylcholine applied to skeletal muscle causes contraction, but applied to the heart it:β Slows the heart (it inhibits cardiac activity)
Q41. In mammals, which is generally true about myelination?β Axons are myelinated
Q42. Which of the following is NOT a glial (neuroglial) cell?β Granule neuron
Q43. The mammillary bodies, involved in memory, are part of the:β Hypothalamus
Q44. Astrocytes, a type of glial cell, function to:β Support neurons and help form the bloodβbrain barrier
Q45. Sensory (afferent) neurons conduct impulses:β From receptors toward the central nervous system
Q46. The brain vesicle that gives rise to the optic vesicles, retina and hypothalamic regions is the:β Prosencephalon (forebrain)
Q47. The right cerebral hemisphere is often called the 'picture side' of the human brain because it specialises in:β Spatial and visualβpattern processing
6.1 Neurons & Organisation β Test 4
Q48. In the correct embryological matching, the midbrain corresponds to the:β Mesencephalon
Q49. The cerebellum receives a copy of the motor plan from the motor cortex before a movement, allowing it to:β Compare intended and actual movement and correct errors
Q50. The frontal lobe of the brain is mainly concerned with:β Thinking, planning and emotional control
Q51. The approximate number of neurons in the adult human brain is on the order of:β About 86 billion (β10ΒΉΒΉ)
Q52. When activity in the reticular formation drops markedly, the result is:β Sleep (reduced arousal)
Q53. Damage to the hippocampus and related areas characteristically:β Spares old memories but prevents forming new ones
Q54. The memory used when a trained driver drives a car almost automatically is:β Non-declarative (procedural) memory
Q55. The thalamus serves as a sensory relay station for all senses EXCEPT:β Smell (olfaction)
Q56. The brain region acting as a 'GPS' for spatial navigation, containing place cells, is the:β Hippocampus
Q57. Movement of the tongue is controlled mainly by the:β Hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII)
Q58. The neurotransmitter released at postganglionic sympathetic nerve terminals (apart from sweat glands) is:β Noradrenaline
Q59. The deglutition (swallowing) centre is located in the:β Medulla oblongata
Q60. The structure NOT part of the central nervous system is the:β Spinal nerve
Q61. Dendrites of a neuron:β Carry impulses toward the cell body
Q62. The structure NOT found in the central nervous system among these is the:β Schwann cell
6.1 Neurons & Organisation β Test 5
Q63. In sensory neurons, the stimulus is conducted toward the cell body through the:β Dendrites
Q64. A non-myelinated nerve fibre among the following is the:β Autonomic postganglionic fibre
Q65. The structure responsible for involuntary bodily functions, such as control of the gut and glands, is the:β Autonomic nervous system
Q66. The brain centre that controls body temperature and the urge to eat is the:β Hypothalamus
Q67. Visual information from the eyes is received by the:β Occipital lobe
Q68. The outermost (toughest) covering of the brain is the:β Dura mater
Q69. A cell that is positive for neuron-specific enolase and calbindin is most likely a:β Granule neuron
Q70. Surgical removal of the cerebellum in a bird would mainly result in:β Loss of balance and coordinated movement
Q71. Which is NOT an aspect of cerebellar function?β Generating conscious thought
Q72. Damage to Broca's area in the left hemisphere typically impairs the ability to:β Produce fluent speech
Q73. Wernicke's area of the brain is mainly responsible for:β Comprehension of language
Q74. The microglia of the central nervous system are derived from:β Immune (myeloid) precursors, unlike other glia
Q75. The portion of the autonomic system that dominates during 'rest and digest' is the:β Parasympathetic division
Q76. The cell bodies of sympathetic preganglionic neurons are located in the:β Lateral horn of the thoracolumbar spinal cord
Q77. Sympathetic postganglionic neurons that are cholinergic (an exception) innervate the:β Sweat glands
6.1 Neurons & Organisation β Test 6
Q78. The corpus callosum, when severed (split-brain), results in:β The two hemispheres being unable to share information
Q79. The cranial nerve that is purely sensory and carries the sense of smell is the:β Olfactory nerve (I)
Q80. A mixed cranial nerve carrying both sensory and motor fibres is the:β Facial nerve (VII)
Q81. Lewy bodies, abnormal protein aggregates, are found in the:β Brain (in Parkinson's disease)
Q82. Synaptic pruning, the removal of excess synapses, is most prominent during:β Childhood and adolescence
Q83. The 'fight or flight' response is mediated by the:β Sympathetic nervous system
Q84. Glial cells that line the brain ventricles and help circulate cerebrospinal fluid are the:β Ependymal cells
Q85. The largest part of the human brain, responsible for higher functions, is the:β Cerebrum
Q86. The part of the brain that maintains balance and equilibrium, working with the inner ear, is the:β Cerebellum
Q87. The number of pairs of cranial nerves in humans is:β 12
Q88. The autonomic ganglion where preganglionic sympathetic fibres synapse is found in the:β Sympathetic chain (paravertebral ganglia)
Q89. GABA acts in the central nervous system mainly to:β Inhibit neurons (reduce firing)
Q90. Damage to the language areas of the brain causing impaired language is termed:β Aphasia
Q91. The part of the brainstem connecting the cerebrum with the cerebellum and relaying signals is the:β Pons
Q92. The reflex contraction of a muscle when it is stretched depends on receptors called:β Muscle spindles
6.1 Neurons & Organisation β Test 7
Q93. In the stretch reflex, the receptor and effector are, respectively, the:β Muscle spindle and the same muscle
Q94. Neuron-rich grey matter of the spinal cord lies:β Centrally (surrounded by white matter)
Q95. Functional imaging of brain activity linked to a cognitive task is best done using:β Functional MRI (fMRI)
Q96. The branch of the autonomic system that uses acetylcholine at both its ganglionic and target synapses is the:β Parasympathetic division
Q97. Reaction time and reflexes are fastest when the pathway involved is a:β Simple spinal reflex (bypassing the brain)
Q98. The myelin of a single internode in the peripheral nervous system is formed by:β One Schwann cell
Q99. The reticular activating system is chiefly responsible for:β Maintaining wakefulness and arousal
Q100. The grey matter of the cerebrum (cerebral cortex) is located:β On the outer surface of the brain
Q101. The autonomic neurotransmitter acetylcholine acts on the heart through ____ receptors to slow it:β Muscarinic
Q102. Damage to the medulla oblongata is especially dangerous because it controls:β Heartbeat and breathing
Q103. The neuron type that connects sensory and motor neurons within the central nervous system is the:β Interneuron
Q104. The autonomic outflow that originates from cranial and sacral regions is the:β Parasympathetic outflow
Q105. A neuron that carries impulses from the central nervous system to muscles or glands is a:β Motor (efferent) neuron
Q106. The bloodβbrain barrier functions mainly to:β Protect the brain by controlling what enters from the blood
Q107. The neurotransmitter whose deficiency in the basal ganglia causes Parkinson's disease is:β Dopamine