Test Bank for The Mind’s Machine: Foundations of Brain and Behavior 5th
Edition Watson & Breedlove |All 1-15 Chapters Covered With Questions And
Verified Solutions With Detailed Rationales And Case Studies.
, TABLE OF CONTENT
Chapter 1: Structure and Function: Neuroanatomy and
Research Methods
Chapter 2: Neurophysiology: The Generation, Transmission,
and Integration of Neural Signals
Chapter 3: The Chemistry of Behavior: Neurotransmitters
and Neuropharmacology
Chapter 4: Development of the Brain
Chapter 5: The Sensorimotor System
Chapter 6: Hearing, Balance, Taste, and Smell
Chapter 7: Vision: From Eye to Brain
Chapter 8: Hormones and Sex
Chapter 9: Homeostasis: Active Regulation of the Internal
Environment
Chapter 10: Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Chapter 11: Emotions, Aggression, and Stress
Chapter 12: Psychopathology: The Biology of Behavioral
Disorders
Chapter 13: Memory and Learning
Chapter 14: Attention and Higher Cognition
Chapter 15: Language and Lateralization
, Structure and Function: Neuroanatomy and Research Methods
How to Use This Guide
This guide covers the core concepts from Chapter 1 topics typically found in introductory behavioral
neuroscience courses: neuroanatomical orientation and terminology, the organization of the nervous
system, the cells of the nervous system, protective structures of the brain, and the major research
methods used to study brain–behavior relationships. Each question includes the correct answer, an
explanation of why each incorrect option is wrong, and a detailed rationale to reinforce the
underlying concept. A case study with applied questions appears at the end.
Part 1: Multiple-Choice Questions
Question 1. In standard neuroanatomical terminology, a structure described as 'rostral' is located
toward the:
A. Tail end of the nervous system
B. Head end / nose end of the nervous system ✓ Correct Answer
C. Top of the brain (skull surface)
D. Belly side of the body
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: This describes 'caudal,' not rostral — caudal comes from the Latin for 'tail.'
C: This describes 'dorsal,' which refers to the back or top surface, not the head-end axis.
D: This describes 'ventral,' the belly-side direction, which is a different axis than rostral–caudal.
Rationale: Rostral–caudal is one of the three main anatomical axes. 'Rostral' derives from the Latin
rostrum ('beak' or 'nose'), so it points toward the front of the head in most animals. In the human
brain, because of the forebrain's roughly 90-degree flexure during development, 'rostral' effectively
points toward the face for the forebrain but the terminology still follows the body's long axis in the
brainstem and spinal cord.
Question 2. A brain section that divides the brain into left and right halves is called a:
A. Horizontal (axial) section
B. Coronal (frontal) section
C. Sagittal section ✓ Correct Answer
D. Transverse section of the spinal cord
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: A horizontal section is a plane parallel to the ground, separating dorsal from ventral portions.
, B: A coronal section is a vertical plane separating anterior (front) from posterior (back) portions.
D: 'Transverse' is used for the spinal cord and is equivalent to a cross-section perpendicular to its
long axis, not a left–right division of the whole brain.
Rationale: The sagittal plane runs front-to-back and divides the brain into left and right portions. A
'midsagittal' section splits the brain into two symmetric halves along the midline, while a
'parasagittal' section is offset from the midline. Knowing the three cardinal planes — sagittal,
coronal, and horizontal — is essential for interpreting brain images and lesion diagrams.
Question 3. Which term correctly describes a structure located toward the midline of the brain, as
opposed to toward the side?
A. Lateral
B. Medial ✓ Correct Answer
C. Dorsal
D. Ipsilateral
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: 'Lateral' means toward the side, away from the midline — the opposite of what is described.
C: 'Dorsal' refers to the top/back surface, an entirely different axis from medial–lateral.
D: 'Ipsilateral' means on the same side as a reference structure; it does not by itself indicate
distance from the midline.
Rationale: Medial–lateral is the third cardinal axis (with rostral–caudal and dorsal–ventral).
Structures near the brain's midline (e.g., the thalamus) are medial; structures farther out (e.g., the
temporal lobe cortex) are lateral. These relative terms are always used in comparison to another
structure or the midline itself.
Question 4. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is best defined as:
A. The brain and spinal cord only
B. All neural tissue outside the brain and spinal cord ✓ Correct Answer
C. Only the cranial nerves
D. The autonomic nervous system exclusively
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: This describes the central nervous system (CNS), not the PNS.
C: Cranial nerves are one component of the PNS, but the PNS also includes spinal nerves and the
enteric/autonomic ganglia; it is not limited to cranial nerves.
D: The autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions) is a subdivision
of the PNS, not the whole of it — the PNS also includes the somatic nervous system.
Rationale: The nervous system is divided into the CNS (brain and spinal cord) and PNS (everything
else — cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and their ganglia). The PNS itself further divides into the somatic
nervous system (skeletal muscle control and sensory input) and the autonomic nervous system
(smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands), the latter split into sympathetic and parasympathetic
branches.
Edition Watson & Breedlove |All 1-15 Chapters Covered With Questions And
Verified Solutions With Detailed Rationales And Case Studies.
, TABLE OF CONTENT
Chapter 1: Structure and Function: Neuroanatomy and
Research Methods
Chapter 2: Neurophysiology: The Generation, Transmission,
and Integration of Neural Signals
Chapter 3: The Chemistry of Behavior: Neurotransmitters
and Neuropharmacology
Chapter 4: Development of the Brain
Chapter 5: The Sensorimotor System
Chapter 6: Hearing, Balance, Taste, and Smell
Chapter 7: Vision: From Eye to Brain
Chapter 8: Hormones and Sex
Chapter 9: Homeostasis: Active Regulation of the Internal
Environment
Chapter 10: Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Chapter 11: Emotions, Aggression, and Stress
Chapter 12: Psychopathology: The Biology of Behavioral
Disorders
Chapter 13: Memory and Learning
Chapter 14: Attention and Higher Cognition
Chapter 15: Language and Lateralization
, Structure and Function: Neuroanatomy and Research Methods
How to Use This Guide
This guide covers the core concepts from Chapter 1 topics typically found in introductory behavioral
neuroscience courses: neuroanatomical orientation and terminology, the organization of the nervous
system, the cells of the nervous system, protective structures of the brain, and the major research
methods used to study brain–behavior relationships. Each question includes the correct answer, an
explanation of why each incorrect option is wrong, and a detailed rationale to reinforce the
underlying concept. A case study with applied questions appears at the end.
Part 1: Multiple-Choice Questions
Question 1. In standard neuroanatomical terminology, a structure described as 'rostral' is located
toward the:
A. Tail end of the nervous system
B. Head end / nose end of the nervous system ✓ Correct Answer
C. Top of the brain (skull surface)
D. Belly side of the body
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: This describes 'caudal,' not rostral — caudal comes from the Latin for 'tail.'
C: This describes 'dorsal,' which refers to the back or top surface, not the head-end axis.
D: This describes 'ventral,' the belly-side direction, which is a different axis than rostral–caudal.
Rationale: Rostral–caudal is one of the three main anatomical axes. 'Rostral' derives from the Latin
rostrum ('beak' or 'nose'), so it points toward the front of the head in most animals. In the human
brain, because of the forebrain's roughly 90-degree flexure during development, 'rostral' effectively
points toward the face for the forebrain but the terminology still follows the body's long axis in the
brainstem and spinal cord.
Question 2. A brain section that divides the brain into left and right halves is called a:
A. Horizontal (axial) section
B. Coronal (frontal) section
C. Sagittal section ✓ Correct Answer
D. Transverse section of the spinal cord
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: A horizontal section is a plane parallel to the ground, separating dorsal from ventral portions.
, B: A coronal section is a vertical plane separating anterior (front) from posterior (back) portions.
D: 'Transverse' is used for the spinal cord and is equivalent to a cross-section perpendicular to its
long axis, not a left–right division of the whole brain.
Rationale: The sagittal plane runs front-to-back and divides the brain into left and right portions. A
'midsagittal' section splits the brain into two symmetric halves along the midline, while a
'parasagittal' section is offset from the midline. Knowing the three cardinal planes — sagittal,
coronal, and horizontal — is essential for interpreting brain images and lesion diagrams.
Question 3. Which term correctly describes a structure located toward the midline of the brain, as
opposed to toward the side?
A. Lateral
B. Medial ✓ Correct Answer
C. Dorsal
D. Ipsilateral
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: 'Lateral' means toward the side, away from the midline — the opposite of what is described.
C: 'Dorsal' refers to the top/back surface, an entirely different axis from medial–lateral.
D: 'Ipsilateral' means on the same side as a reference structure; it does not by itself indicate
distance from the midline.
Rationale: Medial–lateral is the third cardinal axis (with rostral–caudal and dorsal–ventral).
Structures near the brain's midline (e.g., the thalamus) are medial; structures farther out (e.g., the
temporal lobe cortex) are lateral. These relative terms are always used in comparison to another
structure or the midline itself.
Question 4. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is best defined as:
A. The brain and spinal cord only
B. All neural tissue outside the brain and spinal cord ✓ Correct Answer
C. Only the cranial nerves
D. The autonomic nervous system exclusively
Why the other options are incorrect:
A: This describes the central nervous system (CNS), not the PNS.
C: Cranial nerves are one component of the PNS, but the PNS also includes spinal nerves and the
enteric/autonomic ganglia; it is not limited to cranial nerves.
D: The autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions) is a subdivision
of the PNS, not the whole of it — the PNS also includes the somatic nervous system.
Rationale: The nervous system is divided into the CNS (brain and spinal cord) and PNS (everything
else — cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and their ganglia). The PNS itself further divides into the somatic
nervous system (skeletal muscle control and sensory input) and the autonomic nervous system
(smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands), the latter split into sympathetic and parasympathetic
branches.
