MCAT SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY FINAL
EXAM STUDY GUIDE /TEST BANK WITH 500
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
ALREADY GRADED A(2024/2025 UPDATE)
What are sensory/afferent neurons responsible for?
Transmitting sensory information from receptors to the spinal cord and brain.
What are motor/efferent neurons responsible for?
Transmitting motor information from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.
Interneurons
Located predominantly in the brain and spinal cord and are often linked to reflexive
behavior.
What are the components of the central nervous system?
Brain and spinal cord
What is the function and components of the peripheral nervous system?
Nerve tissue and fibers outside the brain and spinal cord; the PNS connects the CNS to
the rest of the body and can be subdivided into somatic and autonomic nervous
systems.
What is the function and components of the somatic nervous system?
Made up of sensory and motor neurons distributed throughout the skin, joints, and
muscles.
Connects the central nervous system to the muscles that control voluntary movements
and reflex arcs.
What is the function and components of the autonomic nervous system?
Regulates involuntary functions such as heartbeat, body temperature, respiration,
digestion, and secretions from glands. The ANS is subdivided into two categories:
the parasympathetic nervous system and sympathetic nervous system.
What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?
,Conserves energy.
"Rest and digest" response.
What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system?
Uses energy and is activated by stress.
"Fight or flight" response.
Which neurotransmitter mediates the sympathetic nervous system?
Epinephrine
Which neurotransmitter mediates the parasympathetic nervous system?
Acetylcholine
What are the 3 layers of meninges in the brain from superficial to deep?
1. Dura mater
2. Arachnoid mater
3. Pia mater
Where is cerebrospinal fluid produced?
Choroid plexus in the ventricles of the brain.
Cerebral cortex
The outer layer of the brain that controls consciousness, memory, and language.
What anatomical structures are located in the forebrain?
Basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and hypothalamus.
What is the function of the basal ganglia?
Movement and motor control.
What is the function of the hippocampus?
Learning and memory.
What is the function of the amygdala?
Emotions and fear.
What is the function of the thalamus?
Sensory relay station. Thalamus receives the sensory impulse the thalamus sorts and
transmits them to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
,Maintaining homeostasis; sleep-wake cycles, temperature, blood pH regulation, glands,
etc.
What anatomical structures are found in the midbrain?
Superior and inferior colliculus.
What is the function of the superior colliculus?
Vision/ocular muscles
What is the function of the inferior colliculus?
Hearing/auditory
What anatomical structures are found in the hindbrain?
Cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and reticular formation.
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Balance and coordination.
What is the function of the medulla oblangata?
Relays messages between your spinal cord and brain; and is essential for regulating
your cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
What is the function of the reticular formation?
Arousal and alertness.
Computed tomography (CT)
Brain-imaging method using computer-controlled X-rays of the brain.
Electroencephalography (EEG)
Sensitive electrodes are placed on the scalp to measure voltages produced by brain
activity (i.e. electricity).
Positron emission tomography (PET)
A method of brain imaging that assesses metabolic activity by using a radioactive
substance injected into the bloodstream.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A method of imaging that uses a magnetic field to interact with hydrogen to map out
hydrogen dense regions in the body.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
MRI technique that measures changes associated with blood flow; also used to monitor
neural activity.
, What is the function of the lateral hypothalamus?
Hunger center; it is able to detect when the body needs more food/fluids.
What is the function of the ventromedial hypothalamus?
Satiety/fullness center; signals to stop eating.
What is the function of the anterior hypothalamus?
Controls sexual behavior.
What is the function of the pineal gland?
Secretes melatonin; regulates circadian rhythms.
What is the function of the frontal lobe?
Manages executive functioning, perception, memory, emotion, impulse control, and
long-term planning; contains the prefrontal cortex, motor cortex and Broca's area.
What is the function of the temporal lobe?
Hearing
What is the function of the occipital lobe?
Vision
What is the function of the parietal lobe?
Somatosensory processing; this projection area is the destination for all incoming
sensory signals for touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
What are the 4 lobes of the brain?
1. Frontal
2. Parietal
3. Temporal
4. Occipital
What does the left hemisphere of the brain mediate?
Dominant hemisphere; associated with language production and comprehension, logic,
and math skills.
What does the right hemisphere of the brain mediate?
Non-dominant hemisphere; associated with intuition, creativity, music cognition, and
spatial processing.
Acetylcholine
EXAM STUDY GUIDE /TEST BANK WITH 500
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
ALREADY GRADED A(2024/2025 UPDATE)
What are sensory/afferent neurons responsible for?
Transmitting sensory information from receptors to the spinal cord and brain.
What are motor/efferent neurons responsible for?
Transmitting motor information from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.
Interneurons
Located predominantly in the brain and spinal cord and are often linked to reflexive
behavior.
What are the components of the central nervous system?
Brain and spinal cord
What is the function and components of the peripheral nervous system?
Nerve tissue and fibers outside the brain and spinal cord; the PNS connects the CNS to
the rest of the body and can be subdivided into somatic and autonomic nervous
systems.
What is the function and components of the somatic nervous system?
Made up of sensory and motor neurons distributed throughout the skin, joints, and
muscles.
Connects the central nervous system to the muscles that control voluntary movements
and reflex arcs.
What is the function and components of the autonomic nervous system?
Regulates involuntary functions such as heartbeat, body temperature, respiration,
digestion, and secretions from glands. The ANS is subdivided into two categories:
the parasympathetic nervous system and sympathetic nervous system.
What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?
,Conserves energy.
"Rest and digest" response.
What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system?
Uses energy and is activated by stress.
"Fight or flight" response.
Which neurotransmitter mediates the sympathetic nervous system?
Epinephrine
Which neurotransmitter mediates the parasympathetic nervous system?
Acetylcholine
What are the 3 layers of meninges in the brain from superficial to deep?
1. Dura mater
2. Arachnoid mater
3. Pia mater
Where is cerebrospinal fluid produced?
Choroid plexus in the ventricles of the brain.
Cerebral cortex
The outer layer of the brain that controls consciousness, memory, and language.
What anatomical structures are located in the forebrain?
Basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and hypothalamus.
What is the function of the basal ganglia?
Movement and motor control.
What is the function of the hippocampus?
Learning and memory.
What is the function of the amygdala?
Emotions and fear.
What is the function of the thalamus?
Sensory relay station. Thalamus receives the sensory impulse the thalamus sorts and
transmits them to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex.
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
,Maintaining homeostasis; sleep-wake cycles, temperature, blood pH regulation, glands,
etc.
What anatomical structures are found in the midbrain?
Superior and inferior colliculus.
What is the function of the superior colliculus?
Vision/ocular muscles
What is the function of the inferior colliculus?
Hearing/auditory
What anatomical structures are found in the hindbrain?
Cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and reticular formation.
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Balance and coordination.
What is the function of the medulla oblangata?
Relays messages between your spinal cord and brain; and is essential for regulating
your cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
What is the function of the reticular formation?
Arousal and alertness.
Computed tomography (CT)
Brain-imaging method using computer-controlled X-rays of the brain.
Electroencephalography (EEG)
Sensitive electrodes are placed on the scalp to measure voltages produced by brain
activity (i.e. electricity).
Positron emission tomography (PET)
A method of brain imaging that assesses metabolic activity by using a radioactive
substance injected into the bloodstream.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A method of imaging that uses a magnetic field to interact with hydrogen to map out
hydrogen dense regions in the body.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
MRI technique that measures changes associated with blood flow; also used to monitor
neural activity.
, What is the function of the lateral hypothalamus?
Hunger center; it is able to detect when the body needs more food/fluids.
What is the function of the ventromedial hypothalamus?
Satiety/fullness center; signals to stop eating.
What is the function of the anterior hypothalamus?
Controls sexual behavior.
What is the function of the pineal gland?
Secretes melatonin; regulates circadian rhythms.
What is the function of the frontal lobe?
Manages executive functioning, perception, memory, emotion, impulse control, and
long-term planning; contains the prefrontal cortex, motor cortex and Broca's area.
What is the function of the temporal lobe?
Hearing
What is the function of the occipital lobe?
Vision
What is the function of the parietal lobe?
Somatosensory processing; this projection area is the destination for all incoming
sensory signals for touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
What are the 4 lobes of the brain?
1. Frontal
2. Parietal
3. Temporal
4. Occipital
What does the left hemisphere of the brain mediate?
Dominant hemisphere; associated with language production and comprehension, logic,
and math skills.
What does the right hemisphere of the brain mediate?
Non-dominant hemisphere; associated with intuition, creativity, music cognition, and
spatial processing.
Acetylcholine
