UC Berkeley Psych 1 Exam 1 Questions with Complete Solution | Updated 2026/2027 | Graded A+

UC Berkeley Psych 1 Exam 1 Questions with Complete Solution | Updated 2026/2027 | Graded A+ neurons - answer-nerve cells where brain processes messages glia - answer-support the neurons in many ways--insulating, synchronizing activity, removing waste cell body - answer-contains nucleus dendrites - answer-widely branching ("tree"), receive transmissions axon - answer-single, long, thin, straight fiber, branches at tip action potential - answer-excitation that travels along an axon at a constant strength resting potential - answer-electrical polarization across membrane terminal bouton - answer-presynaptic ending neurotransmitter - answer-chemical that can activate receptors on other neurons post-synaptic neuron - answer-neuron on receiving end of synapseParkinson's disease - answer-1% of people over 50; difficulty initiating voluntary movement, slow movement, tremors, rigidity, depression dopamine - answer-neurotransmitter physiological explanation - answer-describes mechanism that produces a behavior evolutionary explanation - answer-relates behavior to the evolutionary history of the species electroencephalograph (EEG) - answer-uses electrodes on the scalp to record rapid changes in brain electrical activity magnetoencephalograph (MEG) - answer-records magnetic changes positron-emission tomography (PET) - answer-records radioactivity of various brain areas emitted from injected chemicals functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) - answer-uses magnetic detectors outside the head to compare the amounts of hemoglobin with and without oxygen in different brain areas central nervous system - answer-brain and spinal cord peripheral nervous system - answer-bundles of nerves between the spinal cord and the rest of the body cerebral cortex - answer-outer covering of forebrainoccipital lobe - answer-rear of head, specialized for vision; damage causes cortical blindness temporal lobe - answer-sides of head, hearing and complex aspects of vision parietal lobe - answer-forward from occipital, specialized for body senses primary somatosensory cortex - answer-back end of parietal lobe, cells sensitive to touch in different body areas frontal lobe - answer-forward end; includes PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX primary motor cortex - answer-important for planned control of fine movements prefrontal cortex - answer-back of frontal lobe pons and medulla - answer-control muscles of head spinal cord - answer-controls muscles from neck down and reflexes reflexes - answer-rapid, automatic response to a stimulus cerebellum - answer-part of hindbrain; important for aim or timing autonomic nervous system - answer-controls internal organs, heart, etc. endocrine system - answer-glands that produce hormones and release them into the bloodhormones - answer-chemicals released by glands and conveyed by the blood to alter activity in various organs corpus callosum - answer-set of axons that connect left and right hemispheres of cerebral cortex epilepsy - answer-condition in which cells somewhere in brain emit abnormal rhythmic, spontaneous impulses binding problem - answer-question of how separate brain areas combine forces to produce a unified perception of a single object stimulants - answer-drugs that increase energy, alertness, and activity depressants - answer-drugs that decrease arousal alcohol - answer-class of molecules that includes methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol); ethanol=drinks tranquilizers; anxiolytic drugs - answer-help people relax narcotics - answer-drugs that produce drowsiness, insensitivity to pain, decreases responsiveness opiates - answer-either natural drugs derived from opium poppy or synthetic drugs with a chemical structure resembling natural opiatesendorphins - answer-bind to the opiate receptors; neurotransmitters that inhibit the release of substance P and thereby weaken pain sensations hallucinogens - answer-drugs that induce sensory distortions stimuli - answer-energies from the world around us that affect us receptors - answer-specialized cells that convert environmental energies into signals for the nervous system electromagnetic spectrum - answer-light; continuum of all the frequencies of radiated energy pupil - answer-adjustable opening in the eye though which light enters iris - answer-colored structure on the surface of the eye retina - answer-layer of visual receptors covering the back surface of the eyeball cornea - answer-rigid transparent structure on the outer surface of the eyeball lens - answer-flexible structure that can vary in thickness accommodate - answer-the eye's ability to adjust its focus for objects at different distances fovea - answer-central area of the human retinapresbyopia - answer-impaired ability to focus on nearby objects because of decreased flexibility of the lens (presby=old) myopia - answer-nearsighted hyperopia - answer-farsightedness glaucoma - answer-increased pressure within eyeball; can damage optic nerve and impair peripheral vision, creating tunnel vision cataract - answer-disorder in which the lens becomes cloudy cones - answer-adapted for color vision (fovea) rods - answer-adapted for vision in dim light (most)