PYC1512 Psychology Exam Pack 2026 | Practice Questions, Past
Papers & Answers | Comprehensive Study Guide
Question 1
What are the two main parts of the human nervous system?
A) The brain and the heart
B) The central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
C) The somatic and the autonomic systems
D) The sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The human nervous system is made up of two parts: the central nervous system
(CNS), which consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS),
which consists of all the nerves that exit the brain and spinal cord.
Question 2
Which part of the peripheral nervous system controls the heart, intestines, and other organs?
A) The somatic nervous system
B) The autonomic nervous system (ANS)
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) The central nervous system
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is part of the PNS and controls the heart,
intestines, and other organs. It has some cell bodies within the brain and spinal cord and some in
clusters along the sides of the spinal cord.
,Question 3
The autonomic nervous system is composed of which two systems?
A) The central and peripheral systems
B) The somatic and the autonomic systems
C) The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
D) The hindbrain and the forebrain
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The ANS is composed of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic
nervous system, which work together to regulate involuntary bodily functions.
Question 4
What is the role of the hippocampus?
A) Regulating body temperature
B) Controlling emotional responses
C) Primarily associated with learning and memory
D) Processing visual information
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The hippocampus is primarily associated with learning and memory. It plays a crucial
role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, as well as
spatial navigation.
Question 5
Who is credited as the founder of modern genetics for his pioneering work on the inheritance of
traits in pea plants?
A) Sigmund Freud
,B) Carl Jung
C) Gregor Mendel
D) Ivan Pavlov
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Gregor Mendel is attributed to the field of genetics for his pioneering work on the
inheritance of traits in pea plants, which laid the foundation for the study of genetics.
Question 6
What is the part of a chromosome composed of DNA called?
A) A genome
B) A gene
C) A nucleotide
D) A protein
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The part of a chromosome composed of DNA is called a gene. Genes are the basic
units of heredity and contain the instructions for building and maintaining an organism.
Question 7
What does the genetic code refer to?
A) The number of chromosomes in a cell
B) The sequence of bases in DNA that determines the order of amino acids in a protein
C) The structure of the DNA double helix
D) The process of DNA replication
Correct Answer: B
, Explanation: The genetic code refers to the sequence of bases in DNA that determines the order of
amino acids in a protein. It serves as the instruction manual for protein synthesis within a cell.
Question 8
What are the three main types of RNA?
A) mRNA, tRNA, and pre-RNA
B) Messenger RNA (mRNA), Ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and Transfer RNA (tRNA)
C) DNA, RNA, and ATP
D) Single-stranded, double-stranded, and triple-stranded RNA
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The three main types of RNA are Messenger RNA (mRNA), Ribosomal RNA
(rRNA), and Transfer RNA (tRNA). Each type plays a specific role in protein synthesis within the
cell.
Question 9
What is epigenetics?
A) The study of gene sequencing
B) Changes in gene expression that are not a result of alterations in the DNA sequence
C) The process of DNA mutation
D) The study of inherited genetic disorders
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression that are not a result of alterations in
the DNA sequence. These changes can be influenced by environmental factors and can have a
significant impact on an individual's traits and health.
Papers & Answers | Comprehensive Study Guide
Question 1
What are the two main parts of the human nervous system?
A) The brain and the heart
B) The central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
C) The somatic and the autonomic systems
D) The sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The human nervous system is made up of two parts: the central nervous system
(CNS), which consists of the brain and spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS),
which consists of all the nerves that exit the brain and spinal cord.
Question 2
Which part of the peripheral nervous system controls the heart, intestines, and other organs?
A) The somatic nervous system
B) The autonomic nervous system (ANS)
C) The sympathetic nervous system
D) The central nervous system
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is part of the PNS and controls the heart,
intestines, and other organs. It has some cell bodies within the brain and spinal cord and some in
clusters along the sides of the spinal cord.
,Question 3
The autonomic nervous system is composed of which two systems?
A) The central and peripheral systems
B) The somatic and the autonomic systems
C) The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
D) The hindbrain and the forebrain
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The ANS is composed of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic
nervous system, which work together to regulate involuntary bodily functions.
Question 4
What is the role of the hippocampus?
A) Regulating body temperature
B) Controlling emotional responses
C) Primarily associated with learning and memory
D) Processing visual information
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The hippocampus is primarily associated with learning and memory. It plays a crucial
role in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, as well as
spatial navigation.
Question 5
Who is credited as the founder of modern genetics for his pioneering work on the inheritance of
traits in pea plants?
A) Sigmund Freud
,B) Carl Jung
C) Gregor Mendel
D) Ivan Pavlov
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Gregor Mendel is attributed to the field of genetics for his pioneering work on the
inheritance of traits in pea plants, which laid the foundation for the study of genetics.
Question 6
What is the part of a chromosome composed of DNA called?
A) A genome
B) A gene
C) A nucleotide
D) A protein
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The part of a chromosome composed of DNA is called a gene. Genes are the basic
units of heredity and contain the instructions for building and maintaining an organism.
Question 7
What does the genetic code refer to?
A) The number of chromosomes in a cell
B) The sequence of bases in DNA that determines the order of amino acids in a protein
C) The structure of the DNA double helix
D) The process of DNA replication
Correct Answer: B
, Explanation: The genetic code refers to the sequence of bases in DNA that determines the order of
amino acids in a protein. It serves as the instruction manual for protein synthesis within a cell.
Question 8
What are the three main types of RNA?
A) mRNA, tRNA, and pre-RNA
B) Messenger RNA (mRNA), Ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and Transfer RNA (tRNA)
C) DNA, RNA, and ATP
D) Single-stranded, double-stranded, and triple-stranded RNA
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The three main types of RNA are Messenger RNA (mRNA), Ribosomal RNA
(rRNA), and Transfer RNA (tRNA). Each type plays a specific role in protein synthesis within the
cell.
Question 9
What is epigenetics?
A) The study of gene sequencing
B) Changes in gene expression that are not a result of alterations in the DNA sequence
C) The process of DNA mutation
D) The study of inherited genetic disorders
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression that are not a result of alterations in
the DNA sequence. These changes can be influenced by environmental factors and can have a
significant impact on an individual's traits and health.
