NEUROBIOLOGY FINAL EXAM ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔glial cells - ✔✔A nervous system cell that provides physical and metabolic support to
neurons, including neuronal insulation and communication, and nutrient and waste
transport
✔✔glutamate - ✔✔An all-purpose excitatory neurotransmitter
✔✔gonad - ✔✔Secretes sexual hormones, which are important in reproduction;
mediates both sexual motivation and behavior
✔✔heterozygous - ✔✔Consisting of two different alleles
✔✔homozygous - ✔✔Consisting of two identical alleles
✔✔hormone - ✔✔Chemical messenger released by endocrine glands
✔✔identical twins - ✔✔Twins that develop from the same sperm and egg
✔✔inhibitory neurotransmitter - ✔✔A neurotransmitter that decreases the likelihood that
a neuron will have an action potential
✔✔ion pumps - ✔✔Doors in the cell membrane that maintain resting potential
✔✔ions - ✔✔Electrically charged particles; can be positive or negative
✔✔lesion studies - ✔✔A method of studying the brain by observing changes in behavior
that are associated with specific locations of brain damage
✔✔magnetoencephalography (MEG) - ✔✔A neuroimaging technique that involves
measuring, via the scalp, the magnetic fields produced by electric currents in the brain
✔✔magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - ✔✔A neuroimaging technique that uses
magnetic fields to produce pictures of organs and tissues
✔✔mutation - ✔✔A sudden, permanent change in a gene
✔✔myelin sheath - ✔✔The fatty substance that coats the axon and acts as an insulator,
increasing the speed at which a signal travels
✔✔neurons - ✔✔Cells in the nervous system that act as interconnected information
processors; essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system
, ✔✔neurotransmitters - ✔✔The chemical messengers of the nervous system
✔✔nodes of Ranvier - ✔✔Gaps in the myelin sheath along the axon
✔✔norepinephrine - ✔✔Neurotransmitter involved in increasing vigilance
✔✔oxycodone - ✔✔Synthetic opioid that acts on inhibitory endorphin receptors; agonist;
depressant
✔✔pancreas - ✔✔An internal organ that secretes hormones that regulate blood sugar
levels (i.e., insulin and glucagon)
✔✔phenotype - ✔✔Refers to an individual's inherited physical characteristics, which are
a combination of genetic and environmental influences
✔✔pituitary gland - ✔✔Secretes a number of key hormones, which regulate fluid levels
in the body, and a number of messenger hormones, which direct the activity of other
glands in the endocrine system
✔✔polygenic - ✔✔Multiple genes affecting a given trait
✔✔positron emission tomography (PET) scan - ✔✔Involves injecting individuals with a
mildly radioactive substance and monitoring changes in blood flow to different regions of
the brain
✔✔postsynaptic neuron - ✔✔The neuron that receives neurotransmitters after they
have crossed a synapse
✔✔presynaptic neuron - ✔✔The neuron that releases neurotransmitters
✔✔psychotropic medications - ✔✔Drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring
neurotransmitter balance
✔✔Punnett square - ✔✔A tool used to predict how genes will interact in the production
of offspring
✔✔range of reaction - ✔✔Asserts that our genes set the boundaries within which we
can operate, and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where in that
range we will fall
✔✔receptors - ✔✔Proteins on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach;
neurotransmitters fit into specific proteins like a key into a lock
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔glial cells - ✔✔A nervous system cell that provides physical and metabolic support to
neurons, including neuronal insulation and communication, and nutrient and waste
transport
✔✔glutamate - ✔✔An all-purpose excitatory neurotransmitter
✔✔gonad - ✔✔Secretes sexual hormones, which are important in reproduction;
mediates both sexual motivation and behavior
✔✔heterozygous - ✔✔Consisting of two different alleles
✔✔homozygous - ✔✔Consisting of two identical alleles
✔✔hormone - ✔✔Chemical messenger released by endocrine glands
✔✔identical twins - ✔✔Twins that develop from the same sperm and egg
✔✔inhibitory neurotransmitter - ✔✔A neurotransmitter that decreases the likelihood that
a neuron will have an action potential
✔✔ion pumps - ✔✔Doors in the cell membrane that maintain resting potential
✔✔ions - ✔✔Electrically charged particles; can be positive or negative
✔✔lesion studies - ✔✔A method of studying the brain by observing changes in behavior
that are associated with specific locations of brain damage
✔✔magnetoencephalography (MEG) - ✔✔A neuroimaging technique that involves
measuring, via the scalp, the magnetic fields produced by electric currents in the brain
✔✔magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - ✔✔A neuroimaging technique that uses
magnetic fields to produce pictures of organs and tissues
✔✔mutation - ✔✔A sudden, permanent change in a gene
✔✔myelin sheath - ✔✔The fatty substance that coats the axon and acts as an insulator,
increasing the speed at which a signal travels
✔✔neurons - ✔✔Cells in the nervous system that act as interconnected information
processors; essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system
, ✔✔neurotransmitters - ✔✔The chemical messengers of the nervous system
✔✔nodes of Ranvier - ✔✔Gaps in the myelin sheath along the axon
✔✔norepinephrine - ✔✔Neurotransmitter involved in increasing vigilance
✔✔oxycodone - ✔✔Synthetic opioid that acts on inhibitory endorphin receptors; agonist;
depressant
✔✔pancreas - ✔✔An internal organ that secretes hormones that regulate blood sugar
levels (i.e., insulin and glucagon)
✔✔phenotype - ✔✔Refers to an individual's inherited physical characteristics, which are
a combination of genetic and environmental influences
✔✔pituitary gland - ✔✔Secretes a number of key hormones, which regulate fluid levels
in the body, and a number of messenger hormones, which direct the activity of other
glands in the endocrine system
✔✔polygenic - ✔✔Multiple genes affecting a given trait
✔✔positron emission tomography (PET) scan - ✔✔Involves injecting individuals with a
mildly radioactive substance and monitoring changes in blood flow to different regions of
the brain
✔✔postsynaptic neuron - ✔✔The neuron that receives neurotransmitters after they
have crossed a synapse
✔✔presynaptic neuron - ✔✔The neuron that releases neurotransmitters
✔✔psychotropic medications - ✔✔Drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring
neurotransmitter balance
✔✔Punnett square - ✔✔A tool used to predict how genes will interact in the production
of offspring
✔✔range of reaction - ✔✔Asserts that our genes set the boundaries within which we
can operate, and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where in that
range we will fall
✔✔receptors - ✔✔Proteins on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach;
neurotransmitters fit into specific proteins like a key into a lock
