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KU BIOL 600 FINAL EXAM Questions with
Detailed Verified Answers
Question: Scientists discovered a new animal species with nerve cells
physiologically similar to nerve cells found in other animals. The
membrane potential when only sodium ions can move across the
membrane was measured at +116 mV. What is the sodium concentration
outside the nerve cell if the sodium concentration inside the cell is 1 mM?
a) 1 M
b) 0.232 M
c) 0.116 M
d) 0.58 M
e) 0.1 M
Ans✅ ✅: 0.1 M
Question: All of the following are true statements about the action
potential EXCEPT:
a) Opening of the voltage-gated Na-channels will move the membrane
potential to the equilibrium potential of Na.
b) Opening of voltage-gated K-channels will move the membrane
potential to the equilibrium potential of K.
c) The Hodgkin cycle causes the fast change in membrane potential
during the rising phase of the action potential.
d) The falling phase of the AP is mainly due to the movement of K+ ions.
e) Voltage-gated Na-channels stay open longer than voltage-gated K-
channels.
Ans✅ ✅: Voltage-gated Na-channels stay open longer than voltage-gated K-
channels.
Question: Which chemical binds to the nicotinic ACh receptor?
a) muscarine
b) atropine
c) norepinephrine
d) glutamate
e) curare
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Ans✅ ✅: curare
Question: The period of excitability of neuron during which both Na+
and K+ activation can occur is called the
a) interphase period.
b) relative refractory period.
c) absolute refractory period.
d) hyperexcitable period.
e) latent period
Ans✅ ✅: relative refractory period
Question: Excitation of the rod cell by blue light results in the
production of an action potential in the connected bipolar cell
Ans✅ ✅: false
Question: The process that produces the most ATP molecules per
molecule of glucose is
a) substrate-level phosphorylation.
b) oxidative phosphorylation.
c) anaerobic glycolysis.
d) aerobic glycolysis.
e) Krebs (citric acid) cycle.
Ans✅ ✅: oxidative phosphorylation
Question: Stimulation of a hair cell results in changes in the hair cell
membrane such as
a) opening of voltage-gated Na+ channels.
b) opening of voltage-gated K+ channels.
c) answers a and b.
d) none of the above.
Ans✅ ✅: none, elevated Ca2+ levels stimulate the neurotransmitter release at the
glutamatergic synapses
Question: What is the general purpose of positive feedback
mechanisms?
a) To maintain a constant internal environment
b) To anticipate changes in the environment
c) To return a variable toward the set point
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d) To bring about a rapid change in the body
Ans✅ ✅: To bring about a rapid change in the body
Question: You are designing a drug. You would like to deliver the drug
by creating a skin patch that contains the drug and allows the drug to
diffuse through the layers of the skin to reach the underlying tissues and
bloodstream. Which of these chemical changes might you make to
increase the number of drug molecules that diffuse through the layers of
skin cells?
a) Increasing the number of nitrogen atoms in the drug
b) Decreasing the number of nonpolar groups in the drug
c) Decreasing the number of polar groups in the drug
d) Increasing the number of oxygen atoms in the drug
Ans✅ ✅: Decreasing the number of polar groups in the drug
Question: What category do hair cells in the organ of Corti belong to?
a) Mechanoreceptors
b) Chemoreceptors
c) Nociceptors
d) Photoreceptors
e) Proprioceptors
Ans✅ ✅: Mechanoreceptors
Question: What comes first in the release of neurotransmitters from
synaptic vesicles?
a) fusion.
b) priming.
c) docking.
d) opening of K+ channels
Ans✅ ✅: docking.
Question: A complete lesion (destruction) of the left lateral geniculate
nucleus produces which one of the following visual field defects?
a) loss of lateral inhibition
b) loss of the left visual field
c) loss of both left and right visual field
d) loss of color vision.
e) none of the above
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Ans✅ ✅: E
Question: 13. The optic nerve is composed of axons from which of the
following retinal cell types?
a) bipolar
b) ganglion
c) amacrine
d) horizontal
e) answers a and b
Ans✅ ✅: b) ganglion
Question: 14. The physiological explanation for our ability to
differentiate among sounds of different pitches (frequencies) is because
a) hair cells respond to high pitch sound by moving into one direction and
to low pitch by moving into the opposite direction.
b) the basilar membrane depolarizes and hyperpolarizes at multiple
locations depending on pitch.
c) hair cells at different locations on the basilar membrane respond to
different sound frequencies.
d) the basilar membrane has more hair cells near the oval window and
fewer hair cells near the apex.
e) high frequency sounds allows K+ to enter the hair cells and low
frequency sounds allows Na+ to enter the hair cells.
Ans✅ ✅: c) hair cells at different locations on the basilar membrane respond to
different sound frequencies.
Question: 15. The length constant of a neuron
a) is length of an constant axon.
b) stops the domino effect.
c) causes the axon to shrink in volume.
d) None of the above.
Ans✅ ✅: d) None of the above.
Question: 16. Saltatory conduction of an action potential is ....
a) an example of increasing the speed of AP conduction by negative
feedback.
b) an example of increasing the speed of AP conduction by positive
feedback.
KU BIOL 600 FINAL EXAM Questions with
Detailed Verified Answers
Question: Scientists discovered a new animal species with nerve cells
physiologically similar to nerve cells found in other animals. The
membrane potential when only sodium ions can move across the
membrane was measured at +116 mV. What is the sodium concentration
outside the nerve cell if the sodium concentration inside the cell is 1 mM?
a) 1 M
b) 0.232 M
c) 0.116 M
d) 0.58 M
e) 0.1 M
Ans✅ ✅: 0.1 M
Question: All of the following are true statements about the action
potential EXCEPT:
a) Opening of the voltage-gated Na-channels will move the membrane
potential to the equilibrium potential of Na.
b) Opening of voltage-gated K-channels will move the membrane
potential to the equilibrium potential of K.
c) The Hodgkin cycle causes the fast change in membrane potential
during the rising phase of the action potential.
d) The falling phase of the AP is mainly due to the movement of K+ ions.
e) Voltage-gated Na-channels stay open longer than voltage-gated K-
channels.
Ans✅ ✅: Voltage-gated Na-channels stay open longer than voltage-gated K-
channels.
Question: Which chemical binds to the nicotinic ACh receptor?
a) muscarine
b) atropine
c) norepinephrine
d) glutamate
e) curare
, Page | 2
Ans✅ ✅: curare
Question: The period of excitability of neuron during which both Na+
and K+ activation can occur is called the
a) interphase period.
b) relative refractory period.
c) absolute refractory period.
d) hyperexcitable period.
e) latent period
Ans✅ ✅: relative refractory period
Question: Excitation of the rod cell by blue light results in the
production of an action potential in the connected bipolar cell
Ans✅ ✅: false
Question: The process that produces the most ATP molecules per
molecule of glucose is
a) substrate-level phosphorylation.
b) oxidative phosphorylation.
c) anaerobic glycolysis.
d) aerobic glycolysis.
e) Krebs (citric acid) cycle.
Ans✅ ✅: oxidative phosphorylation
Question: Stimulation of a hair cell results in changes in the hair cell
membrane such as
a) opening of voltage-gated Na+ channels.
b) opening of voltage-gated K+ channels.
c) answers a and b.
d) none of the above.
Ans✅ ✅: none, elevated Ca2+ levels stimulate the neurotransmitter release at the
glutamatergic synapses
Question: What is the general purpose of positive feedback
mechanisms?
a) To maintain a constant internal environment
b) To anticipate changes in the environment
c) To return a variable toward the set point
, Page | 3
d) To bring about a rapid change in the body
Ans✅ ✅: To bring about a rapid change in the body
Question: You are designing a drug. You would like to deliver the drug
by creating a skin patch that contains the drug and allows the drug to
diffuse through the layers of the skin to reach the underlying tissues and
bloodstream. Which of these chemical changes might you make to
increase the number of drug molecules that diffuse through the layers of
skin cells?
a) Increasing the number of nitrogen atoms in the drug
b) Decreasing the number of nonpolar groups in the drug
c) Decreasing the number of polar groups in the drug
d) Increasing the number of oxygen atoms in the drug
Ans✅ ✅: Decreasing the number of polar groups in the drug
Question: What category do hair cells in the organ of Corti belong to?
a) Mechanoreceptors
b) Chemoreceptors
c) Nociceptors
d) Photoreceptors
e) Proprioceptors
Ans✅ ✅: Mechanoreceptors
Question: What comes first in the release of neurotransmitters from
synaptic vesicles?
a) fusion.
b) priming.
c) docking.
d) opening of K+ channels
Ans✅ ✅: docking.
Question: A complete lesion (destruction) of the left lateral geniculate
nucleus produces which one of the following visual field defects?
a) loss of lateral inhibition
b) loss of the left visual field
c) loss of both left and right visual field
d) loss of color vision.
e) none of the above
, Page | 4
Ans✅ ✅: E
Question: 13. The optic nerve is composed of axons from which of the
following retinal cell types?
a) bipolar
b) ganglion
c) amacrine
d) horizontal
e) answers a and b
Ans✅ ✅: b) ganglion
Question: 14. The physiological explanation for our ability to
differentiate among sounds of different pitches (frequencies) is because
a) hair cells respond to high pitch sound by moving into one direction and
to low pitch by moving into the opposite direction.
b) the basilar membrane depolarizes and hyperpolarizes at multiple
locations depending on pitch.
c) hair cells at different locations on the basilar membrane respond to
different sound frequencies.
d) the basilar membrane has more hair cells near the oval window and
fewer hair cells near the apex.
e) high frequency sounds allows K+ to enter the hair cells and low
frequency sounds allows Na+ to enter the hair cells.
Ans✅ ✅: c) hair cells at different locations on the basilar membrane respond to
different sound frequencies.
Question: 15. The length constant of a neuron
a) is length of an constant axon.
b) stops the domino effect.
c) causes the axon to shrink in volume.
d) None of the above.
Ans✅ ✅: d) None of the above.
Question: 16. Saltatory conduction of an action potential is ....
a) an example of increasing the speed of AP conduction by negative
feedback.
b) an example of increasing the speed of AP conduction by positive
feedback.
