Brain, Mind, and Behavior: Sample Exam Questions

These questions are from previous exams in this class. This will give an idea of the kinds
of questions to expect on the exams this semester. Questions on this years exams will
test central concepts from this years lectures and readings.

1)

What is the most abundant element in the living human body by mass? Or, said another
way, which element contributes most to the total mass of a living human body?
a) hydrogen
b) carbon
c) oxygen
d) nitrogen
e) sodium

2) Movement of which of the following across the nerve-cell membrane would result in an EPSP?
a) K+
b) Na+
c) Cld) H2O
e) none of the above
3) An EPSP of +10 mV and an IPSP of -5 mV arrive at the same position on a postsynaptic
neuron at the exact same time. The resulting change in membrane potential, relative to
resting potential, is:
a) +10 mV followed by -5 mV
b) -5 mV followed by +10 mV
c) -5 mV
d) 0 mV
e) +5 mV
4) Saxitoxin:
a) causes paralysis by the same mechanism as TTX
b) causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning with symptoms in the CNS and PNS
c) causes illness in humans who consume newts
d) is produced by shellfish
e) all of the above
5) The primary structure of a protein is described by:
a) spatial arrangement of amino acids within local regions of a protein
b) linear sequence of amino acids
c) 3-dimensional arrangement of the protein and its interacting proteins
d) total 3-dimensional spatial arrangement of all the amino acids in a protein
e) none of the above

6) What is the best description of a gene?

a) a sequence of polypeptides
b) the building block of DNA
c) another word for codon
d) transferable through the blood
e) a fundamental unit of heredity
7) What vital piece of information provided by Rosalind Franklin quickly led Watson and Crick
to their discovery?
a) calculation showing that the backbone of DNA must be sugars and phosphates
b) the rule that certain combinations of nucleotides will form bonds
c) the discovery by Franklin that DNA must be a double helix
d) a new picture of DNA in B form
e) the structure of the triple axel
8) Storage vesicles contain:
a) a large amount of sodium ions
b) a large amount of potassium ions
c) neurotransmitter molecules
d) voltage-gated ion channels
e) ligand-gated ion channels
9) Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen form how many bonds, respectively?
a) 4, 1, 3, 2
b) 2, 2, 3, 4
c) 3, 1, 4, 2
d) 4, 2, 2, 3
e) 3, 1, 2, 2
10) In 1920 Otto Loewi discovered chemical signaling in the nervous system. Which part of
the animal nervous system did he use in his famous experiment?
a) brain
b) spinal cord
c) neuromuscular junction
d) sympathetic nervous system
e) heart
11) Which of the following is the major neurotransmitter in the parasympathetic branch of
the autonomic nervous system?
a) GABA
b) glutamate
c) norepinephrine
d) sodium ions
e) none of the above

12) Binding of GABA to its receptor leads to:

a) K+ flow out of the cell, producing a hyperpolarization
b) Na+ flow out of the cell, producing a hyperpolariation
c) Na+ flow into the cell, producing a depolarization
d) Cl- flow into the cell, producing a hyperpolarization
e) Cl- flow out of the cell, producing a depolarization
13) What is the approximate number of neurons found in the human brain?
a) 106
b) 1011
c) 1025
d) 1060
e) 10120
14) Which
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

of the following is true regarding the Na+/K+ pump:

1 ATP molecule is used to pump 2 sodium ions in and 3 potassium ions out
1 glucose molecule is used to pump 2 sodium ions out and 2 potassium ions in
1 ATP molecule is used to pump 3 sodium ions out and 2 potassium ions in
1 glucose molecule is used to pump 3 sodium ions in and 2 potassium ions out
1 ATP molecule is used to pump 3 sodium ions in and 2 potassium ions out

15) Which
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

of the following neurotransmitters is NOT made from an amino acid?

GABA
serotonin
acetylcholine
norepinephrine
dopamine

16) Saltatory conduction is the dancing motion of an action potential along:

a) a myelinated dendrite
b) a myelinated axon
c) an unmyelinated dendrite
d) an unmyelinated axon
e) any part of a neuron

17) The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems together are called the
_______________ nervous system, a part of the peripheral nervous system.
18) The parts of an axon between myelinated sections, first observed and described by the
Louis Ranvier in the 1800s, are called _____________ of Ranvier.
19) What is the name of the neurotransmitter that most commonly induces excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in the brain?
20) What is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain?

21) What type of organic chemical molecule is shown below?

H
|
NH2 C COOH
|
H

22) What protein is the single largest consumer of ATP in the brain?
23) Who was the famous scientist that inspired Max Delbrck to become interested in
studying biology during the 1930s?