Test Questions Version 2 Flashcards
Maintaining homeostasis is necessary for proper health. Appropriate amounts of fluid and electrolytes are essential. In our case studies about the med student and the earthquake survivor who was trapped for several days, we learned about dehydration. But what about over-hydration? A low sodium concentration in the body (hyponatremia) can be caused by too much water. Which of the following are important roles for sodium in the body?
A. Blood pressure control
B. Fluid balance
C. Neuron function
D. Muscle function
E. All of the above
E
The normal blood sodium level is 135 to 145 mEq/L. Hyponatremia refers to a decrease in serum sodium concentration (< 135 mEq/L milliequivalents/liter) caused by an excess of water relative to solute. A study in The new England Journal of Medicine reported that out of 488 runners who ran The Boston Marathon, thirteen percent had hyponatremia and 0.6 percent had critical hyponatremia (120 mmol per liter or less). When the sodium level in your blood is too low____
A. osmoreceptor cells will sense a change in osmotic pressure
B. extra water goes into your cells and makes them swell, which can be dangerous especially in the brain, since the brain cannot expand past the skull.
C. extra water comes out of your cells and makes them shrink, which can cause your skin to wrinkle
D. Both A and B
E. None of the above
D
Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune, neuromuscular disease that can cause weakness in the muscles that allow for breathing. In myasthenia gravis, antibodies block receptors for acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, which prevents the muscle from contracting (see the figure below). The inability to ventilate adequately due to a neuromuscular disease such as Myasthenia gravis can disrupt homeostasis and can cause ____
A. An increase in blood carbon dioxide
B. Respiratory acidosis
C. An increase in blood pH
D. A and B only
E. A, B and C
D
Postural hypotension (also known as orthostatic hypotension) refers to a drop in blood pressure that happens when a person stands up after sitting or lying down. Which of the following occurs in the process of restoring homeostasis when this happens?
A. When the blood pressure falls, baroreceptors are stretched less
B. Osmoreceptors detect changes in oxygen and H+ levels
C. Due to the low blood pressure, baroreceptors increase their rate of firing action potentials to the cardiac control centers in the midbrain
D. There is an increase in the rate and depth of breathing which results in an increase in plasma CO2 levels
E. None of the above.
A
The American black bear can hibernate for up to 6 months. During this period, they do not eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. They elicit minimal movements and typically do not leave their dens. They can suppress their metabolism to 25% of basal rates and regulate their body temperature from 30-36 degrees Celsius. What are some ways animals can regulate their body temperature (or thermoregulate)?
A. Respond to high temperatures by vasoconstricting surface blood vessels which results in a higher heat transfer from the skin and cools the body down.
B. Transmit action potentials along motor neurons to the smooth muscle surrounding the arterioles in the skin to cause shivering
C. Utilize a counter current mechanism for blood flow in arteries and veins that are adjacent
D. A and C only
E. B and C only
C
Structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) go together! The four basic tissue types are__
A. Endothelial, Cartilage, Nervous, Muscle
B. Endothelial, Nervous, Muscle, Connective
C. Cardiac, Smooth, Skeletal, Epithelial
D. Adipose, Blood, Bone, Cardiac
E. None of the above
E
Glioblastoma is a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord. It grows quickly and can invade and destroy healthy tissue. There’s no cure for glioblastoma. Glioblastoma forms from cells called astrocytes. Astrocytes ____
A. are found in the PNS
B. are phagocytic cells that ingest and break down pathogens
C. produce cerebrospinal fluid
D. form myelin sheaths in the CNS
E. None of the above
E
Electrical synapses are also known as gap junctions and are direct points of contact between the cytoplasm of adjacent neurons. Gap junctions represent a low-resistance pathway that allows charged particles and small molecules to flow freely in either direction and couples the electrical activity of adjoining cells. Which of the following is (are) TRUE with regard to electrical synapse?
A. Electrical synapses connect cardiac muscle cells
B. A gap junction is composed of proteins called connexons
C. Electrical synapse transmit signals faster than chemical synapses
D. All of the above (A, B and C)
E. None of the above
D
The equilibrium potential (in mV) across the membrane of a cell for a singly charged positive ion (Eion)_____
A. can be calculated to be about +60mV for potassium
B. can be predicted using the Nerst equation
C. is known as the resting membrane potential
D. can be predicted using the Goldman equation
E. is reached when the distribution of Na+ is 15mM outside the cell, and the distribution of K+ is 5mM inside the cell
B
. In class, we learned about a number of different ion channels and how they are gated (such as voltage gated, ligand gated, mechanically gated, etc.) and what can happen if there is a mutation in them, such as with our case study on Malignant Hyperthermia. Regarding ion channels, which of the following is (are) TRUE statement(s).
A. Calcium ion channels (such as the Ryanodine receptors, RyR) are located on the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skeletal muscle.
B. Nodes of Ranvier have a high density of voltage gated Na+ and K+ channels
C. Ligand gated Ca++ channels are found at the terminal of axons and facilitate the movement and fusion of synaptic vesicles to the plasma membrane for the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse
D. A, B and C are correct
E. Only A and B are true
E
An action potential occurs when the membrane potential of a specific cell rapidly rises and falls. In neurons, action potentials play a central role in cell–cell communication. With regard to action potentials, _____
A. The size of an action potential is related to the intensity of the stimulus or the amount of neurotransmitter released.
B. Axons with a smaller diameter will conduct action potentials faster than larger diameter axons because larger axons have more resistance.
C. Action potentials are conducted in a detrimental fashion, meaning that their magnitude decreases as they spread over the plasma membrane.
D. The size (or magnitude) of an action potential evoked during the relative refractory period can be smaller than normal
E. The conduction velocity of an action potentials is slower when the membrane resistance is greater.
D
In certain diseases, medicines that are used to increase particular neurotransmitters are found to be beneficial. Which neurotransmitters are usually most helpful in the treatment of: Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, ADHD, and Depression respectively?
A. Glycine, Enkephalins, Norepinephrine, GABA
B. Morphine, Nitrous Oxide, Dopamine, Glutamate,
C. Dopamine, Acetylcholine, Norepinephrine, Serotonin
D. Acetylcholine, Endorphins, Glycine, Nitrous Oxide
E. None of the above
C
Neurotransmitters can be characterized as excitatory, inhibitory or modulatory. Which of the following is a/are TRUE statement(s) with regard to neurotransmission?
A. IPSP’s can occur when K+ enters the cell
B. A depolarizing graded potential can cause an action potential
C. Temporal summation can be defined as: summation of EPSPs produced by the firing of different presynaptic neurons
D. EPSP’s can occur when Cl- enters the cell
E. Both B and C
B
As animals evolved, there became a greater need for an increasingly complex and adept nervous system. In the 4-week embryo, the brain can be divided into 3 major components. In the 5-week embryo, the brain is even more specialized and can be divided into 5 major components. The adult brain has many specialized regions. Which of the following brain regions in the 5-week embryo correspond correctly with regions in the adult brain?
A. metencephalon: cerebellum and pons
B. diencephalon: medulla oblongata
C. mesencephalon: thalamus
D. forebrain: diencephalon
E. All of the above
A
Meningitis is an infection and inflammation of the fluid and membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. A bacterial or viral infection usually causes swelling and can produce headache, fever, and a stiff neck. The cranial meninges ___
A. are comprised of the pia mater, arachnoid mater, and dura mater with the pia mater residing closest to the skull.
B. provide structural support for blood vessels
C. cover the brain but are not found in the spinal cord
D. are composed of endothelial cells and tight junctions
E. None of the above
B
The cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) can be infected in Meningitis and if untreated, Meningitis can be fatal.
The CSF ___
A. can be found in the subarachnoid space
B. is produced by microglial cells
C. is secreted by cells in the reticular formation
D. flows through the corpus callosum to reach both brain hemispheres
E. none of the above
A
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia worldwide. Hippocampal atrophy and ventricular enlargement have been associated with AD. The ventricular system ___
A. are cavities in the brain filled with cerebral spinal fluid.
B. are comprised of four ventricles: two lateral ventricles, the third ventricle, and the fourth ventricle.
C. can help absorb the shock if there is a head injury
D. both A and C
E. A, B and C
E
We used to think of brains as symmetrical, functioning in the same way on the left and right sides, but we now know that this is not so. From the small brains of insects to variously sized brains of vertebrates, including humans, the left and right sides process information differently and control different patterns of behavior. This is known as lateralization. Which of the following are TRUE statements regarding the brain?
A. The left cerebral hemisphere responds to sensory signals from the right side of the body and
controls movements on right side of body. The right hemisphere responds and controls
movement on left side of body.
B. Hemispheres are connected by thick axon bundles (the corpus callosum) which enables the exchange of information between the hemispheres.
C. The right hemisphere functions to focus on details (such as recognizing a particular face in a crowd), spoken and written language, abstract reasoning and math; but not things like music and art.
D. Language areas, such as Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas are found in the right hemisphere.
E. Both A and B
E
If a person suffers a stoke in the parietal lobe, he most likely may have difficulty with ____
A. vision
B. the perception and integration of stimuli from the senses
C. executive function
D. the coordination and refinement of body movements
E. All of the above
B
Which of the following is correctly matched?
A. Produces different levels of alertness or consciousness: Ascending reticular formation
B. Controls body temperature, hunger, thirst: Hypothalamus
C. Coordinates/refines body movements by information integration and comparison: Cerebellum
D. Both B and C
E. A, B and C
E
In our case study on opioids, we learned a great deal about how drugs work on the brain to produce pleasure, tolerance and addiction. Which of the following statements are TRUE?
A. The natural opiates of the body are endorphins and enkephalins
B. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure.
C. The Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) is part of the midbrain and is involved in pleasure pathway/reward circuit.
D. Only A and B
E. A, B and C
E
The most prominent signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease occur when the neurons in a particular part of the brain become impaired or die. What is this part of the brain and what does it primarily control?
A. Primary somatosensory area; proprioception
B. Basal ganglia; voluntary movement
C. Thalamus; information relay
D. Hypothalamus; memory and learning
E. Cerebellum; breathing
B
A lobotomy is a type of brain surgery that became popular in the 1930s as a treatment for mental health conditions such a schizophrenia. It involves severing the connection between the frontal lobe and other parts of the brain. Many lobotomized patients exhibited reduced tension and agitation, but many also showed other affects such as apathy, passivity, lack of initiative, poor ability to concentrate, and a generally decreased depth and intensity of emotional response to life. Some died as a result of the procedure. Which of the following is/are a primary function of the frontal lobe?
A. balance and coordination
B. language comprehension
C. executive functions such as decision making, planning etc.
D. blood pressure and heart rate control
E. speaking and swallowing
C
Our nervous systems are highly organized. For example, the autonomic system _____
A. refers to collections of motor neurons (ganglia) situated in the head, neck, thorax, abdomen, and pelvis, and to the axonal connections of these neurons
B. is usually voluntary and controls body movements that are conscious
C. has two divisions, the CNS and the PNS
D. is a subdivision of the afferent system
E. None of the above
A