COMPREHENSIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER GUIDE FOR HUMAN
BIOLOGY, 17TH EDITION BY SYLVIA S. MADER AND MICHAEL
WINDELSPECHT | FULL 2025–2026 EXAM COVERAGE (ALL
CHAPTERS)
Thalamus - ANSWER ✓
Two masses of gray matter that receive sensory input (except smell)
and relay it to the cerebrum.
Pineal gland - ANSWER ✓
Secretes melatonin, regulating circadian rhythms.
What does cerebellum do? - ANSWER ✓
Maintains posture and balance; coordinates smooth voluntary
movements.
What does the brain stem have? - ANSWER ✓
Midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata.
Pons - ANSWER ✓
Transmits signals between the cerebellum and the rest of the CNS.
What does reticular activating system (RAS) do? - ANSWER ✓
Arouses the cerebrum and filters irrelevant sensory stimuli.
Limbic system - ANSWER ✓
Integrates emotions, reasoning, and memory.
Amygdala - ANSWER ✓
Generates fear responses and links danger to memories.
Hippocampus - ANSWER ✓
Crucial for learning and memory formation.
,Memory - ANSWER ✓
The ability to recall past events.
Learning - ANSWER ✓
Ability to retain and apply previous experiences.
Short-term memory - ANSWER ✓
Stored in the prefrontal cortex.
Long-term memory - ANSWER ✓
Memorized facts and knowledge.
Semantic memory - ANSWER ✓
Memorized numbers, words, and concepts.
Episodic memory - ANSWER ✓
Memorized personal experiences and events.
Skill memory - ANSWER ✓
Memory used for motor activities and skills.
Hippocampus is a bridge to what? - ANSWER ✓
Links memory storage sites with areas where memories are used.
Broca’s area - ANSWER ✓
Responsible for speech production.
Wernicke’s area - ANSWER ✓
Responsible for language comprehension.
Left hemisphere for speech - ANSWER ✓
Handles verbal, logical, analytical, and rational tasks.
Right hemisphere for speech - ANSWER ✓
Handles nonverbal, visuospatial, intuitive, and creative tasks.
,Ganglia - ANSWER ✓
Collections of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS.
Sympathetic - ANSWER ✓
Activates fight or flight responses: increases heart rate, dilates
airways, inhibits digestion and urination; norepinephrine is released.
Parasympathetic - ANSWER ✓
Stimulates digestion, slows heart rate, and acetylcholine is released.
Dopamine - ANSWER ✓
Regulates mood and helps coordinate voluntary movements.
Why do we need acetylcholine? - ANSWER ✓
Supports memory circuits in the brain.
Why do we need norepinephrine? - ANSWER ✓
Involved in dreaming, alertness, and mood regulation.
GABA - ANSWER ✓
Inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS that blocks neural impulses.
Neuromodulators - ANSWER ✓
Alter the release or effect of a neurotransmitter on neurons.
Xanax increases what? - ANSWER ✓
Enhances GABA activity, reducing anxiety.
What does Prozac do? - ANSWER ✓
Raises norepinephrine and serotonin levels, alleviating depression.
, What do antipsychotic drugs do? - ANSWER ✓
Reduce dopamine activity to manage psychotic symptoms.
What does caffeine interfere with? - ANSWER ✓
Blocks the effects of inhibitory neurotransmitters.
What do opiates do? - ANSWER ✓
Bind to endorphin receptors, reducing pain and promoting well-being.
Psychological dependence - ANSWER ✓
Craving for a substance due to mental reliance.
Physical dependence - ANSWER ✓
Tolerance develops; larger doses are required to achieve the same
effect, and withdrawal symptoms occur.
Alcohol influences what? - ANSWER ✓
Affects GABA, serotonin, and dopamine signaling.
Where is alcohol primarily metabolized? - ANSWER ✓
In the liver, which can lead to fat buildup.
Cirrhosis - ANSWER ✓
Liver cells die, harden, and become discolored.
Nicotine does what? - ANSWER ✓
Stimulates epinephrine release, increases blood sugar, and produces
pleasurable sensations.
What does cocaine do? - ANSWER ✓
Blocks dopamine reuptake at synapses, increasing neural activity.
biomolecules - ANSWER ✓ complex biological substances that living
organisms produce from simple elements and compounds they take in
BIOLOGY, 17TH EDITION BY SYLVIA S. MADER AND MICHAEL
WINDELSPECHT | FULL 2025–2026 EXAM COVERAGE (ALL
CHAPTERS)
Thalamus - ANSWER ✓
Two masses of gray matter that receive sensory input (except smell)
and relay it to the cerebrum.
Pineal gland - ANSWER ✓
Secretes melatonin, regulating circadian rhythms.
What does cerebellum do? - ANSWER ✓
Maintains posture and balance; coordinates smooth voluntary
movements.
What does the brain stem have? - ANSWER ✓
Midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata.
Pons - ANSWER ✓
Transmits signals between the cerebellum and the rest of the CNS.
What does reticular activating system (RAS) do? - ANSWER ✓
Arouses the cerebrum and filters irrelevant sensory stimuli.
Limbic system - ANSWER ✓
Integrates emotions, reasoning, and memory.
Amygdala - ANSWER ✓
Generates fear responses and links danger to memories.
Hippocampus - ANSWER ✓
Crucial for learning and memory formation.
,Memory - ANSWER ✓
The ability to recall past events.
Learning - ANSWER ✓
Ability to retain and apply previous experiences.
Short-term memory - ANSWER ✓
Stored in the prefrontal cortex.
Long-term memory - ANSWER ✓
Memorized facts and knowledge.
Semantic memory - ANSWER ✓
Memorized numbers, words, and concepts.
Episodic memory - ANSWER ✓
Memorized personal experiences and events.
Skill memory - ANSWER ✓
Memory used for motor activities and skills.
Hippocampus is a bridge to what? - ANSWER ✓
Links memory storage sites with areas where memories are used.
Broca’s area - ANSWER ✓
Responsible for speech production.
Wernicke’s area - ANSWER ✓
Responsible for language comprehension.
Left hemisphere for speech - ANSWER ✓
Handles verbal, logical, analytical, and rational tasks.
Right hemisphere for speech - ANSWER ✓
Handles nonverbal, visuospatial, intuitive, and creative tasks.
,Ganglia - ANSWER ✓
Collections of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS.
Sympathetic - ANSWER ✓
Activates fight or flight responses: increases heart rate, dilates
airways, inhibits digestion and urination; norepinephrine is released.
Parasympathetic - ANSWER ✓
Stimulates digestion, slows heart rate, and acetylcholine is released.
Dopamine - ANSWER ✓
Regulates mood and helps coordinate voluntary movements.
Why do we need acetylcholine? - ANSWER ✓
Supports memory circuits in the brain.
Why do we need norepinephrine? - ANSWER ✓
Involved in dreaming, alertness, and mood regulation.
GABA - ANSWER ✓
Inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS that blocks neural impulses.
Neuromodulators - ANSWER ✓
Alter the release or effect of a neurotransmitter on neurons.
Xanax increases what? - ANSWER ✓
Enhances GABA activity, reducing anxiety.
What does Prozac do? - ANSWER ✓
Raises norepinephrine and serotonin levels, alleviating depression.
, What do antipsychotic drugs do? - ANSWER ✓
Reduce dopamine activity to manage psychotic symptoms.
What does caffeine interfere with? - ANSWER ✓
Blocks the effects of inhibitory neurotransmitters.
What do opiates do? - ANSWER ✓
Bind to endorphin receptors, reducing pain and promoting well-being.
Psychological dependence - ANSWER ✓
Craving for a substance due to mental reliance.
Physical dependence - ANSWER ✓
Tolerance develops; larger doses are required to achieve the same
effect, and withdrawal symptoms occur.
Alcohol influences what? - ANSWER ✓
Affects GABA, serotonin, and dopamine signaling.
Where is alcohol primarily metabolized? - ANSWER ✓
In the liver, which can lead to fat buildup.
Cirrhosis - ANSWER ✓
Liver cells die, harden, and become discolored.
Nicotine does what? - ANSWER ✓
Stimulates epinephrine release, increases blood sugar, and produces
pleasurable sensations.
What does cocaine do? - ANSWER ✓
Blocks dopamine reuptake at synapses, increasing neural activity.
biomolecules - ANSWER ✓ complex biological substances that living
organisms produce from simple elements and compounds they take in
