HOSA Behavioral Health Exam 2025
Questions and Answers
Phrenology - ✔✔a popular theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our
mental abilities or character traits
Biological psychology - ✔✔the branch of psychology that links biology and behavior
Neuron - ✔✔a nerve cell
Sensory neurons - ✔✔neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory
receptors to the brain or spinal cord
Motor neurons - ✔✔neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal
cord to the muscles and glands
Interneurons - ✔✔neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate with
each other and regulate sensory and motor inputs
Dendrite (receive) - ✔✔the branches that extend from the nerve cell body. These receive
messages and conduct impulses towards the body
Axon (relay) - ✔✔the extension of the neuron that has fibers on the end that pass
information to other neurons or to muscles
Myelin sheath - ✔✔the layer of fatty tissue that encases the fibers of neurons in
segments and increases the transmission speed of impulses
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Action potential - ✔✔a neural impulse, or, a brief electrical charge that travels down an
axon
Threshold - ✔✔the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. This comes
from the level of excitatory signals minus inhibitory signals
Synapse - ✔✔the junction between the axon of the relaying neuron and the dendrite of
the receiving neuron. This is also known as the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft
Neurotransmitter - ✔✔a chemical messenger that crosses the synaptic gap between
neurons, binding to receptor sites on the dendrites of the receiving neuron.
Endorphins - ✔✔"morphine within," a natural opiatelike neurotransmitter linked to
pain control and pleasure
Acetylcholine - ✔✔a neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and
memory. Lack of this causes Alzheimer's
Dopamine - ✔✔a neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention and
emotion. An excess causes schizophrenia and a lack causes tremors and Parkinson's
Serotonin - ✔✔affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. A lack leads to depression
Norepinephrine - ✔✔helps control alertness and arousal. A lack can depress
Gamma-butyric acid - ✔✔an inhibitory neurotransmitter. A lack is linked to seizures,
tremors, and insomnia
Glutamate - ✔✔major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory. An excess can
cause migraines or seizures
Reuptake - ✔✔a neurotransmitter's reabsorption of the sending neuron
Agonist molecules - ✔✔a molecule from outside the body that is similar enough to a
neurotransmitter to mimic its effects, like in certain opiate drugs
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Questions and Answers
Phrenology - ✔✔a popular theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our
mental abilities or character traits
Biological psychology - ✔✔the branch of psychology that links biology and behavior
Neuron - ✔✔a nerve cell
Sensory neurons - ✔✔neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory
receptors to the brain or spinal cord
Motor neurons - ✔✔neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal
cord to the muscles and glands
Interneurons - ✔✔neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate with
each other and regulate sensory and motor inputs
Dendrite (receive) - ✔✔the branches that extend from the nerve cell body. These receive
messages and conduct impulses towards the body
Axon (relay) - ✔✔the extension of the neuron that has fibers on the end that pass
information to other neurons or to muscles
Myelin sheath - ✔✔the layer of fatty tissue that encases the fibers of neurons in
segments and increases the transmission speed of impulses
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Action potential - ✔✔a neural impulse, or, a brief electrical charge that travels down an
axon
Threshold - ✔✔the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. This comes
from the level of excitatory signals minus inhibitory signals
Synapse - ✔✔the junction between the axon of the relaying neuron and the dendrite of
the receiving neuron. This is also known as the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft
Neurotransmitter - ✔✔a chemical messenger that crosses the synaptic gap between
neurons, binding to receptor sites on the dendrites of the receiving neuron.
Endorphins - ✔✔"morphine within," a natural opiatelike neurotransmitter linked to
pain control and pleasure
Acetylcholine - ✔✔a neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and
memory. Lack of this causes Alzheimer's
Dopamine - ✔✔a neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention and
emotion. An excess causes schizophrenia and a lack causes tremors and Parkinson's
Serotonin - ✔✔affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. A lack leads to depression
Norepinephrine - ✔✔helps control alertness and arousal. A lack can depress
Gamma-butyric acid - ✔✔an inhibitory neurotransmitter. A lack is linked to seizures,
tremors, and insomnia
Glutamate - ✔✔major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory. An excess can
cause migraines or seizures
Reuptake - ✔✔a neurotransmitter's reabsorption of the sending neuron
Agonist molecules - ✔✔a molecule from outside the body that is similar enough to a
neurotransmitter to mimic its effects, like in certain opiate drugs
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY OLIVIA WEST, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
