Biol109: Old Exams - Dr. Sally Veregge 

Biology 109, Midterm 3, Fall 1994

Biology 109, Fall 1995

Biology 109, Fall 1996 Exam 1
Biology 109, Fall 1996 Exam 2
Biology 109, Fall 1996 Exam 3
Biology 109, Fall 1996 Exam 4

Biology 109, Fall 1997 Exam 1
Biology 109, Fall 1997 Exam 2
Biology 109, Fall 1997 Exam 4

Biology 109, Fall 1998, Exam 1
Biology 109, Fall 1998, Exam 2
Biology 109, Fall 1998, Exam 3
Biology 109, Fall 1998, Exam 4

Biology 109 Homepage
 


Biology 109-Midterm 3 

Fall 1994

Name________________________Code____________

I. Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer (2 points each)

1. Activation of a fusimotor neuron:

a. causes the relaxation of extrafusal muscle fibers
b. causes the contraction of intrafusal muscle fibers
c. makes the muscle spindle more sensitive to stretch
d. takes the tension off the muscle spindle
e. b and c
f. a, b, and c

2. Which of the following is sensitive to changes in muscle length, but NOT changes in velocity of muscle contraction?

a. Group Ia endings
b. Group II endings
c. Annulospiral endings
d. nuclear bag fibers
e. gamma motor neurons

3. Brunhilda the witch was injured in a flying accident.She exhibited the following symptoms: Paralysis in her lower right leg. Hyperactive reflexes in her lower right leg. Brunhilda most likely damaged:

a. the right lateral funiculus of the spinal cord
b. the left lateral funiculus of the spinal cord
c. the right dorsal funiculus of the spinal cord
d. the left dorsal funiculus of the spinal cord
e. the right ventral roots in the lumbar region of her spinal cord

4. Alcohol consumption will produces signs of ______________________damage, and Parkinson's disease is a result of _______________________damage.

a. basal ganglia/basal ganglia
b. cerebellar/cerebellar
c. lower motor neuron/upper motor neuron
d. basal ganglia/cerebellar
e. cerebellar/basal ganglia

II. Match the phrases above with the blanks in the table below. Numbers may be used MORE than once. There is ONLY ONE correct answer per blank. (2 points each)

1. excites lower motor neurons to extensors, inhibits lower motor neurons to flexors.

2. excites lower motor neurons to flexors, inhibits lower motor neurons to extensors.

3. activates lower motor neurons that innervate axial and proximal musculature

4. activates lower motor neurons that innervate distal musculature

5. regulates gross, unskilled voluntary movements (e.g., walking)

6. mediates reflexes necessary to maintain balance and equilibrium, assists in maintaining an upright posture.

7. controls voluntary, skilled movements of the distal extremities and is especially important in regulating fractional movements.

Tract............................Function........Effect on exten. or flex........ Effects on ax., prox., or dist. muscles

Corticospinal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vestibulospinal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pontine Reticulospinal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rubrospinal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medullary Reticulospinal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Short Answer/Fill-In

1. Define reflex. (5 points)

2. List three functions of the basal ganglia. (3 points)

3. Give an example of a primary functional deficit and a secondary functional deficit. (4 points)

4. In lecture I said that extrapyramidal system is another name for the __________________.(4 pts)

5. Write your own question and answer it. (2 points)

IV. Essay Questions

1.a) Define upper motor neuron and lower motor neuron. b) Compare and contrast the signs and symptoms of an upper motor neuron lesions with those of a lower motor neuron lesion. Be thorough! (You may use a table if it is easier for you). (15 points)

2. Compare and contrast the signs of basal ganglia damage with those of cerebellar damage. Be thorough! (You may use a table if you like) (15 points)

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Biology 109, Fall 1995 

Exam 1 Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place a four or five letter (or number) code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Glial cells are the most prevalent cell type in the nervous system. Discuss the function of each type of glial cell described in lecture. (24 points)

Name of Cell.....................................Function
_____________________________________________________________________

2. Compare and contrast a generator potential with an excitatory postsynaptic potential. Be throrough! Include a discuss of a) where each type of potential occurs, b) the cause of each poteneital, c) whether it is graded or all or none, d) depolarizing or hyperpolarizing, e) the type of ion channels involved, f) the direction of ion flux, g) whether the potential is excitatory or inhibitory, and h) the role that each potential plays in neuronal communication. (16 points)

II. Matching: Match the terms on the left with the phrases on the right. There is only one correct answer per blank. Each term can only be used once. (10 points)

a. Cell Body.......................__ lines up vesicles for release
b. Synaptic Vesicle...............____binds neurotransmitter in lock and key fashion
c. Microtubules...................____involved axoplasmic transport
d. Axon Hillock...................____site of synthesis of neurtransmitter synthesizing enzymes
e. Active Zone ...................____cell process that does NOT contain rough endoplasmic reticulum
f. Presynaptic Density............____initiation site of action potential
g. Dendrite.......................____involved in axoplasmic transport and form "tangles" associated with Alzheimer's disease
h. Axon...........................____site of release of neurotransmitter
i. Neurotransmitter Receptor......____membrane bound stuctures that contain neurotransmitter
j. Neurofilaments.................____site of release of neurotransmitter
k. Lipofuscin Granules
l. Centriole
m. Postsynaptic Density
n. Myelin

III. Short Answer

1. What are the three characteristics of the specialized capillary cells within the brain tissue that contribute to the blood brain barrier? (6 points)

____________________________, ___________________________, ________________________

2. What is the function of the blood/brain barrier? What types of substances can readily pass through the blood/brain barrier? (4 points)

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

3. Give an example of a demylinating disease?___________________________(2 points)

4. What direction does sodium flow during the depolarizing phase of an action potential? Why? (2 points)

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. During the depolarizing phase of the action potential, the membrane is most permeable to:

a. potassium
b. chloride
c. calcium
d. sodium
e. negatively charged protein (A-)

____2. During the repolarizing phase of the action potential, the membrane is most permeable to:

a. potassium
b. chloride
c. calcium
d. sodium
e. negatively charged protein

____3. During an inhibitory postsynaptic potential __________ would flow _________the neuron.

a. potassium/out of
b. potassium/into
c. chloride/out of
d. sodium/into
e. sodium/out of

____4. Influx of which ion into the presynaptic terminal triggers the release of neurotransmitter?

a. potassium
b. chloride
c. calcium
d. sodium
e. magnesium

____5. The bacteria, clostridium botulinum, produces a toxin that inhibits the release of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. To treat botulism, you would want to administer a drug that:

a. blocks acetylcholine receptors
b. blocks reuptake of acetylcholine
c. increases reuptake of acetylcholine
d. decreases synthesis of acetylcholine
e. blocks voltage-sensitive calcium channels

____6. Which of the following is NOT part of the blood/brain barrier?

a. dura mater
b. arachnoid
c. outer limiting membrane
d. parenchymal capillaries
e. choroid epithelial cells
f. b and c
g. a, c, and e
h. a, and c

____7. The most common type of neuron in the nervous system contains __________axon(s) and ________dendrite(s) and is called a ____________neuron.

a. one/one/bipolar
b. one/one/unipolar
c. one/one/multipolar
d. one/many/bipolar
e. one/many/unipolar
f. one/many/multipolar
g. many/one/multipolar

____8. An inhibitory postsynaptic potential will_________the neuron and move it ________threshold.

a. depolarize/away
b. depolarize/towards
c. hyperpolarize/away
d. hyperpolarize/towards
e. none of the above

____9. At resting membrane potential sodium is in higher concentration _______the cell and potassium is in higher concentration_________the cell.

a. inside/outside
b. inside/inside
c. outside/outside
d. outside/inside

___10. Which of the following factors is NOT responsible for establishing or maintaining the resting membrane potential?

a. the semipermeable membrane
b. the Na/K pump
c. the impermeable negatively charged proteins inside the cell
d. the high permeability of the membrane to potassium
e. the high permeability of the membrane to sodium

___11. Voltage-sensitive ion channels are involved in which of the processes below?

a. the action potential
b. the generator potential
c. the release of neurotransmitter
d. the influx of sodium ions when an excitatory neurotransmitter binds to its receptor
e. a and c
f. a, b, and c
g. all of the above

____12. The two factors that cause the action potential to repolarize are:

a. inactivation of sodium channels and closing of potassium channels
b. inactivation of sodium channels and opening of potassium channels
c. opening of sodium channels and inactivation of potassium channels
d. opening of sodium channels and opening of potassium channels

____13. When the membrane potential moves in a positive direction or towards the threshold for an action potential it is called:

a. depolarization
b. repolarization
c. hyperpolarization

____14. When a single neuron fires at a high frequency it can result in:

a. spatial summation
b. temporal summation
c. both spatial and temporal summation

___15. An endplate potential occurs at:

a. a sensory ending
b. the myoneural junction
c. a synapse between two neurons
d. an axon hillock

Questions from the TEXT:

Which type of synapse would be most effective in bringing the neuron to threshold for firing": axodendrotic or axosomatic?

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Biology 109, Fall 1996 

Exam 1 Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place a four or five letter (or number) code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. a) What is a synaptic potential? b) What role does synaptic transmission play in neuronal communication? c) Describe the sequence of events (steps) involved in synaptic transmission. (25 points)

2. a) Draw an action potential and label each of its phases. b) What ions are entering or leaving the cell during each of these phases. c) What is inactivation and what role does it play in the action potential? d) What is the function of the action potential? (25 points)

II. Matching: Match the terms on the left with the phrases on the right. There is only one correct answer per blank. Each term can only be used once. (12 points)

a. Oligodendrocyte..................____ forms myelin in the peripheral nervous system
b. Astrocyte........................____ unmyelinated ending of an axon
c. Schwann Cell....................____ forms tight junctions
d. Choroid Epithelial Cell..........____ forms myelin in the central nervous system
e Reactive Microglia...............____ surrounds the neuromuscular junction
f. Tanycyte........................____ glia cell found in dorsal root ganglia
g. Teloglia.........................____ many of these arise from the soma in multipolar neurons
h. Telodendria ......................____ cilia help with the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid
i. Ependymocyte.....................____ takes up neurotransmitters and potassium
j. Satellite Cell...................____ surround circumventricular organs
k. Dendrite..........................____ somatosensory neurons
l. Axon.............................____ transformed blood cells that phagocytize debris in the CNS
m. Unipolar Neuron
n. Bipolar Neuron
l. Multipolar Neuron

III. Short Answer

1. a) What is a graded potential? b) List three examples of graded potentials. (4 points)

a) _____________________________________________________________________

b) ____________________________, ___________________________, ______________________

2. What is the function of inhibitory post-synaptic potentials? (2 points)

________________________________________________________________________

3. What structures make up the blood/brain barrier? (4 points)

_________________, __________________, _______________________, ___________________

4. The resting membrane potential is established when the energy of the ___________ ___________ is equal to the energy of the __________ ____________. (2 points)

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. During an excitatory postsynaptic potential __________ would flow _________the neuron.

a. chloride/out of
b. potassium/into
c. chloride/into of
d. sodium/into
e. sodium/out of

____2. During a generator potential __________ would flow _________the neuron.

a. potassium/into
b. chloride/out of
c. calcium/into
d. sodium/into
e. sodium/out of

____3. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the blood/brain barrier?

a. tight junctions
b. permits water soluble substances to pass through the barrier
c. permits lipid soluble substances to pass through the barrier
d. no fenestrations
e. no pinocytosis

____4. At resting membrane potential chloride is in higher concentration _______the cell and sodium is in higher concentration_________the cell.

a. inside/outside
b. inside/inside
c. outside/outside
d. outside/inside

____5. Mature neurons cannot divide because they lack:

a. microtubules
b. mitochondria
c. rough endoplasmic reticulum
d. centrioles
e. b and d

____6. When many neurons simultaneously release transmitter onto a postsynaptic neuron it results in:

a. spatial summation
b. temporal summation
c. both spatial and temporal summation

___ 7. The amplitude of a generator potential is proportional to the ___________ of the stimulus.

a. duration
b. intensity
c. modality
d. location
e. all of the above

___ 8. In which region of the neuron does protein synthesis occur:

a. dendrite
b. soma
c. axon
d. presynaptic terminal
e. a and b
f. a, b, and c
g. all of the above

___ 9. _____________are associate with aging, while _______________are observed in Alzheimer's disease.

a. neurofibrillary tangles/lipofuscin granules
b. vesicles/neurofibrillary tangles
c. lipofuscin granules/neurofibrillary tangles
d. microtubles/lipofuscin granules
e. lipofuscin granules/microtubules

V. Questions from the TEXT:

1. a) What is a cerebrovascular accident? b) Briefly describe the two types of cerebrovascular accident? c) How does a cerebrovascular accident differ from a transient ischemic attack? (5 points)

2. a) What does Cohen mean when she talks about the nervous system having "phylogenetic layers?" 5 pt
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Biology 109, Fall 1996nbsp;

Exam 2 Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place YOUR code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Your client was injured in a traffic accident. His medical record states that he has discriminative touch, vibration, and proprioceptive deficits on the left side of his upper and lower body. No other somatosensory or motor deficits are noted. A) What tract/pathway was damaged? B) Describe (or draw) this tract in detail. C) Where is the pathway damaged (i.e., what side, where in the nervous system- be as specific as possible)? Explain your rationale (reasoning) for your answer to C. D) Could damage at another location in the nervous system produce the same deficit? Explain. E) What problems might this client have performing the activities of daily living? (25 points)

2. Fill in the table below. (25 points)

Note: This table is not shown, but is the table in your syllabus that lists all the sensory tracts.

II. Matching: Match the terms on the left with the phrases on the right. There is only one best answer per blank. Each term can only be used once. (6 points)

a. alpha motor neuron...............____ nuclear chain fiber
b. gamma motor neuron...............____ also called fusimotor neuron
c. intrafusal muscle fiber..........____ causes contraction of skeletal muscle
d. extrafusal muscle fiber..........____ group II ending
e. annulospiral ending..............____ muscle fiber outside of muscle spindle
f. flower spray ending..............____ group Ia ending
g. golgi tendon organ

III. Short Answer

1. a) List four locations in the nervous system where lower motor neurons could be damaged. (8 points)

1__________________ , 2_______________ ,3 ___________________ , 4 ___________________

2. What are the symptoms of lower motor neuron damage? (5 points)

3. With lower motor neuron damage, are the deficits contralateral or ipsilateral? _____________(3 points)

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors) are used to treat:

a. parkinson's disease
b. depression
c. schizophrenia
d. cerebral palsy
e. multiple sclerosis

____2. The _______fibers are ___________ and conduct slow pain information.

a. C fibers/unmyelinated
b. C/myelinated
c. A delta/myelinated
d. A delta/unmyelinated
e. group II/myelinated

____3. Which of the following contains information about pain?

a. medial lemniscus
b. spinothalamic tract
c. thalamus
d. A and C
e. B and C

____4. Which of the following is involved in the emotional aspects of pain and arousing the organism?

a. spinothalamic tract
b. spinoreticulothalamic tract
c. intralaminar nuclei
d. A and B
e. B and C

____5. Astereognosia in the right side of the body would result from damage to the:

a. right primary somatosensory cortex
b. right somatosensory association cortex
c. left primary somatosensory cortex
d. left somatosensory association cortex
e. A and D

____6. Ipsilateral hypesthesia would result from damage to the:

a. primary somatosensory cortex
b. somatosensory association cortex
c. spinothalamic tract
d. dorsal columns
e. dorsal roots

___ 7. Which of the following receives input from small diameter (A delta, C fibers) axons?

a. spinothalamic tract
b. dorsal columns
c. muscle spindle
d. all of the above

___ 8. Stimulation of which of the following will produce relief from pain?

a. ventral posterior thalamic nucleus
b. periaqueductal gray
c. small diameter unmyelinated axons
d. B and C
e. A, B, and C

___ 9. Which of the following are involved in the "descending influences" on pain perception?

a. spinothalamic tract
b. raphe spinal tract
c. large diameter primary afferents
d. small diameter primary afferents
e. dorsal columns

V. Questions from the TEXT:

1. In chapter three of your text, Stern talks about the "receptive field." What is a receptive field? (5 pts)

2. What is the difference between slowly adapting and rapidly adapting receptors? What type of information does each type of receptor tend to convey? (5 pts)




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Biology 109, Fall 1996  

Exam 3 Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place YOUR code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Your client was injured in an accident four months ago. Assuming that s/he has only motor deficits. How would you go about determining what region of the nervous system was damaged? Be thorough. Remember that your therapeutic plan depends on the deficits that your client is experiencing. (24 points).

2. Describe the three functional regions of the cerebellum. Include the name and the functions of each region and the inputs and outputs of the region. In your description, try to point out how the inputs and outputs relate to the function of each region. (24 points)

II. Matching: Match the terms on the left with the phrases on the right. There is only one best answer per blank. Each term can only be used once. (12 points)

1. medullary reticulospinal tract ..........____ gross stereotyped movements, excitatory to flexors

2. lateral corticospinal tract ..............____ coordinates reflexes that involve more than one region of the spinal cord; originates and terminates in spinal cord

3. corticobulbar fibers (tract) ............____ activates lower motor neurons that innervate facial muscle

4. pontine reticulospinal tract ............____ the newest tract from an evolutionary perspective

5. rubrospinal tract ........................____ originates in the brainstem and is part of the dorsolateral system

6. vestibulospinal tract ....................____ important in eye movements and posture

7. anterior corticospinal tract

8. propriospinal tract

9. pontocerebellar fibers

III. Short Answer

1. Indicate whether the deficits below are associated with:
1. upper motor neuron damage,
2. lower motor neuron damage
3. both upper and lower motor neuron damage

Example: 3 paresis (i.e., both upper and lower motor neuron damage can cause paresis)

___spasticity
___hypertonia
___hyperreflexia
___muscle atrophy
___paralysis
___ipsilateral motor deficit
___contralateral motor deficit
___localized deficit
___motor deficit below the level of the lesion

2. What structures are part of the cognitive circuit, but not the motor circuit of the basal ganglia? (3 pts)

3. What is an upper motor neuron? What is a lower motor neuron? (4 points)

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. The muscle spindle contains:

A. lower motor neurons and primary sensory neurons
B. lower motor neurons
C. primary sensory neurons
D. tertiary sensory neurons
E. upper motor neurons and primary sensory neuron

____2. Which of the following are involved in the very earliest stages of voluntary movement?

A. primary motor cortex and cerebellum
B. premotor cortex and primary motor cortex
C. supplementary motor cortex and basal ganglia
D. primary motor cortex and basal ganglia
E. supplementary motor cortex and cerebellum

____3. Which of the following is a sign of basal ganglia damage:

A. hypotonia
B. akinesia
C. dysmetria
D. nystagmus
F. paralysis
G. athetosis
H. A, B, and G
I. B and G
J. All of the above

___4. Which of the following is a function of the basal ganglia?

A. motor learning
B. coordination of movements
C. initiation of movements
D. regulation of balance
E. direct activation of upper motor neuron pathways
F. A, B, C
G. A, C, and E
H. C and E

____5. Damage to the internal capsule (posterior limb) commonly results from a stroke. What type of deficit might you expect to see from internal capsule damage?

A. ipsilateral hypesthesia and hemiplegia
B. contralateral hypesthesia and hemiplegia
C. contralateral nystagmus and loss of balance
D. ipsilateral nystagmus and loss of balance

E. B and C

____6. Which of the following are associated with the phasic stretch reflex?

A. nuclear chain fibers and group Ia afferents
B. nuclear bag fibers and group Ia afferents
C. group II afferents and group Ia afferents
D. group Ib afferents and nuclear bag fibers
E. static gamma motor neurons and group Ia afferents

____7. (Bonus question) Your brain is currently the consistency of:

A. cheddar cheese
B. cottage cheese
C. firm jello
D. a Hershey's chocolate bar with almonds, heated to a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit
E. consistency is not a word one uses when describing your brain

Questions from your text and library research:

1. Describe the Golgi Tendon Organ reflex, including a description of the reflex circuit. What is another name for this reflex? What is the hypothesized function of the GTO reflex? (6 points)

2. Describe a therapeutic technique that uses spinal cord reflexes. (4 points)




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Biology 109, Fall 1996  

Exam 4

Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place YOUR code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.v I. Essay Questions

1. What is autonomic dysreflexia? What causes it? Explain in detail what produces the variety of symptoms observed in autonomic dysreflexia? Why is it life threatening? How is it treated? (25 points).

2. Describe the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Is Parkinson's disease an example of a primary functional deficit or a secondary functional deficit? Explain your answer. What is the difference between a primary functional deficit and a secondary functional deficit? (25 points)

II. Matching: Match the terms on the left with the phrases on the right. There is only one best answer per blank. Each term can only be used once. (12 points)

a. caudate nucleus........................____ most of the inputs to the basal ganglia go here
b. subthalamic nucleus ..................____ involved in Parkinson's disease
c. substantia nigra........................____ damage to this structure produces ballistic movements
d. ventral anterior thalamic nucleus....____ damage to this structure produces cognitive deficits
e. lentiform nucleus.....................____ has excitatory outputs to the cerebral cortex
f. neostriatum ...........................____ major outputs of the basal ganglia come from this structure
g. globus pallidus

III. Short Answer

1. a) What are four functions of the limbic system. (8 points)

1__________________ , 2__________________ ,3 ___________________ , 4 ___________________

2. The parasympathetic division of the ANS is also called the ______________division and the sympathetic division is also called the ______________division. (4 points)

3. What is declarative memory? What are the two types of declarative memory? (6)

4. What is a dyskinesia? (2)

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. Which of the following is not a major input to the basal ganglia?

A. corticostriate fibers
B. subthalamic fasciculus
C. nigrostriate fibers
D. striatopallidal fibers
E. nigrostriate fibers

____2. Activation of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system causes ____________of the pupil and ___________gastric motility:

A. constriction/increased
B. constriction/decreased
C. dilation/increased
D. dilation/decreased

____3. Damage to which of the regions below will eliminate bowel and bladder reflexes?

A. the primary and premotor cortex
B. the lumber spinal cord
C. the sacral spinal cord
D. the hypothalamus
E. C and D

___4. Which of the following structures is the major output of the limbic system?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. prefrontal cortex
D. amygdala
E. septal areal

____5. Which of the following structures is thought to be involved in panic attacks and anxiety disorders?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. prefrontal cortex
D. amygdala
E. septal area

____6. Which of the following regions of the brain is thought to be necessary for the conscious experience of emotions?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. prefrontal cortex
D. amygdala
E. supplementary motor cortex

____7. Which region of the limbic systems would you expect to be most likely involved in drug abuse?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. prefrontal cortex
D. amygdala
E. septal area

___ 8. Briefly explain your answer to number 7. (2 points)

___9. Write your own multiple choice question and answer it.

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Biology 109, Fall 1997 Exam 1 

Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place a four or five letter (or number) code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Compare and contrast a generator potential with an action potential. For example, discuss a) the function of each potential, b) where each potential occurs, c) what causes each potential, d) what ion channels and ions are involved in each potential, e) whether the potential is graded or all or none, etc. (25 points)

2. a) What is the resting membrane potential? b) What factors contribute to establishing and maintaining the resting membrane potential? c) What is the function of the resting membrane potential? (25 points)

II. Matching: Match the phrases on the left with the terms on the right. There is only one correct answer per blank. Each term can only be used once. (12 points)

1. forms myelin around multiple .......................................__Oligodendrocyte

2. unmyelinated endings of an axon .....................................__Astrocyte

3. forms a cell layer with tight junctions ..............................__Schwann Cell

4. forms myelin around a single segment of a single axon ..........__Choroid Epithelial Cell

5. transformed blood cells that phagocytize debris in the CNS .....__Bipolar Neuron

6. surrounds the neuromuscular junction ..............................__Radial Glia

7. glia cell found in dorsal root ganglia .................................__Unipolar neuron

8. neuronal process that generally receives information ...............__Axon

9. lines the cerebral ventricles ..........................................__Telodendria

10. causes endothelial cells to form tight junctions ..................__Ependymocyte

11. surrounds circumventricular organs ................................__Satellite Cell

12. somatosensory neuron ...............................................__Dendrite

13. surrounds neuromuscular junction

14. has high concentration of voltage-sensitive sodium channels

15. helps neurons migrate to the correct location during development

16. motor neuron

17. neuron in the retina

III. Short Answer

1. a) What does the term equilibrium mean? b) When is equilibrium achieved across the neuronal membrane? (4 points)

2. a) What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a blood/brain barrier? (4 points)

3. What technique can be used to temporarily open the blood/brain barrier? to synthesize a drug that passes through the blood brain barrier? Explain how these techniques work. (4 points)

4. Why are most brain cancers of glial origin and not neuronal origin? (2 points)

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. During an action potential __________ would flow _________the neuron.

a. chloride/out of
b. potassium/into
c. chloride/into of
d. sodium/into
e. sodium/out of

____2. During a generator potential __________ would flow _________the neuron.

a. potassium/into
b. chloride/out of
c. calcium/into
d. sodium/into
e. sodium/out of

____3. Which of the following is a characteristic of the blood/brain barrier?

a. tight junctions
b. permits water soluble substances to pass through the barrier
c. permits lipid soluble substances to pass through the barrier
d. no fenestrations
e. no pinocytosis
f. a, c, d, e
g. a, b, c, e
h. all of the above

____4. At resting membrane potential chloride is in higher concentration _______the cell and sodium is in higher concentration_________the cell.

a. inside/outside
b. inside/inside
c. outside/outside
d. outside/inside

____5. The amplitude of a generator potential is proportional to the ___________ of the stimulus.

a. duration
b. intensity
c. modality
d. location
e. all of the above

___ 6. In which region of the neuron does protein synthesis NOT occur:

a. dendrite
b. soma
c. axon
d. presynaptic terminal
e. a and b
f. c and d
g. all of the above

___ 7. _________are associate with aging, while __________are observed in Alzheimer's disease.

a. neurofibrillary tangles/lipofuscin granules
b. vesicles/neurofibrillary tangles
c. lipofuscin granules/neurofibrillary tangles
d. microtubules/lipofuscin granules
e. lipofuscin granules/microtubules

___8. In a typical chemical synapse, which of the following would you find associated with the presynaptic terminal?

a. neurotransmitter-sensitive ion channel
b. active zone
c. neurotransmitter receptor
d. voltage-sensitive calcium channel
e. synaptic vesicle
f. a, b, d, e
g. b, d, e
h. all of the above

___9. Given the starting concentrations of the substance Q+Z- below and the fact that the membrane that divides the container is permeable to Z-, but not to Q+, what are the most likely concentrations of Q+ and Z- when equilibrium conditions are reached? Explain your answer. (2 points for the answer and 2 points for the explaination.)

a. b. c. d. e.

V. Question from the TEXT: What does Cohen mean when she talks about the nervous system having "phylogenetic layers?"(4 pts)




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Biology 109, Fall 1997  

Exam 2 Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place YOUR code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Your client was injured in an airline accident. Her medical record states that she has discriminative touch, vibration, and proprioceptive deficits on the right side of her upper and lower body. No other somatosensory or motor deficits are noted. A) What tract/pathway was damaged? B) Describe (or draw) this tract in detail. C) Where is the pathway damaged (i.e., what side, where in the nervous system- be as specific as possible)? Explain your rationale (reasoning) for your answer to C. D) Could damage at another location in the nervous system produce the same deficit? Explain. E) What problems might this client have performing the activities of daily living? (25 points)

2. Discuss Melzak and Wall's Gate Theory. Be thorough! Include details! (20 points)

II. Number the steps below in the order in which they occur (i.e., the first event that occurs will be number one, the last event that occurs will be number ten. (10 points)

___neurotransmitter is released from the presynaptic terminal
___the action potential depolarizes the presynaptic terminal
___calcium enters the presynaptic terminal
___the postsynaptic neuron depolarizes
___neurotransmitter is removed by reuptake, diffusion, or degradation
___the neurotransmitter diffuses across the synaptic cleft
___voltage-sensitive calcium channels open
___transmitter-sensitive sodium channels open
___neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron
___sodium moves into the postsynaptic neuron

III. Short Answer

1. a) List four locations in the nervous system where primary sensory neurons could be damaged. (8 points)

1_____________________ , 2____________________ ,3 __________________ , 4___________________

2. What is temporal summation? (5 points)

3. You are given the task of developing a drug to treat a central nervous system disorder. How would you proceed with your assignment? (3 points)

4. List three ways in which an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP) differs from an excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP). (6 points)

1.

2.

3.

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. The phenothiazines are used to treat:

a. parkinson's disease
b. depression
c. schizophrenia
d. cerebral palsey
e. multiple sclerosis

____2. The _______fibers are ___________ and conduct slow pain information.

a. C fibers/unmyelinated
b. C/myelinated
c. A delta/myelinated
d. A delta/unmyelinated
e. group II/myelinated

____3. Which of the following contains information about pain?

a. medial lemniscus
b. spinothalamic tract
c. thalamus
d. A and C
e. B and C

____4. Which of the following is involved in the emotional aspects of pain and arousing the organism?

a. spinoreticulothalamic tract
b. intralaminar nuclei
c. spinothalamic tract
d. A and B
e. B and C
f. A, B, and C

____5. Astereognosia in the left side of the body would result from damage to the:

a. right primary somatosensory cortex
b. right somatosensory association cortex
c. left primary somatosensory cortex
d. left somatosensory association cortex
e. A and D

____6. Ipsilateral hypesthesia would result from damage to the:

a. primary somatosensory cortex
b. somatosensory association cortex
c. spinothalamic tract
d. spinal nerves
e. dorsal columns

___ 7. Which of the following receives input from large diameter, myelinated axons?

a. spinothalamic tract
b. spinoreticulothalamic tract
c. dorsal columns
d. dorsospinocerebellar tract
e. a and b
f. c and d

___ 8. Stimulation of which of the following will produce relief from pain?

a. ventral posterior thalamic nucleus
b. periaqueductal gray
c. small diameter unmyelinated axons
d. intralaminar nucleus
e. B and C
f. A, B, and C

___ 9. A contralateral deficit in pain and temperature would result from damage to the:

a. spinothalamic tract
b. raphe spinal tract
c. large diameter primary afferents
d. small diameter primary afferents
e. dorsal columns

V. Questions from the TEXT:

1. In chapter three of your text, Stern talks about the "receptive field." What is a receptive field? (5 pts)

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Biology 109, Fall 1997  

Exam 4

Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place YOUR code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Compare and contrast declarative memory with non-declarative memory. Include in your discussion the anatomical regions associated with each type of memory and a description of the role that each region plays in memory (if known). Be thorough (i.e., discuss all aspects of each type of memory). (24 points)

2. What is autonomic dysreflexia? What causes it? Explain in detail what produces the variety of symptoms observed in autonomic dysreflexia? Why is it life threatening? How is it treated? (24 points).

I. Fill in the blanks in the table below. (2 pts each)

EFFECTS OF ACTIVATING THE TWO DIVISIONS OF THE ANS

Organ....................................Sympathetic Effects....................Parasympathetic Effects

Blood Vessel
Heart
Vessels in Skeletal Muscle
Gut
Bronchi (Lungs)

III. Short Answer

1. a) What are four functions of the limbic system. (8 points)

1__________________ , 2__________________ ,3 _________________ , 4 _________________

2. The parasympathetic division of the ANS is also called the ______________division and the sympathetic division is also called the ______________division. (2 points)

3. What is emotional memory? (3)

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

____1. A neuron that carries sensory information about the fullness of an organ is called a:

A. visceral afferent B. visceral efferent C. somatic afferent D. somatic efferent

____2. Which of the following best describes the role of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system:

A. it activates the organism for "fight or flight"
B. it is involved in conserving energy and "vegetative functions"
C. it always has effects that are opposite to those of the sympathetic division of the ANS
D. it is involved in sensing the fullness of organs, visceral pain, and blood pressure
E. all of the above

____3. Damage to which of the regions below will eliminate bowel and bladder reflexes?

A. the primary and premotor cortex
B. the lumber spinal cord
C. the sacral spinal cord
D. the hypothalamus
E. C and D

___4. Which of the following structures is the major output of the limbic system?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. prefrontal cortex
D. amygdala
E. septal area

____5. Which of the following structures is thought to be involved in panic attacks and anxiety disorders?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. prefrontal cortex
D. amygdala
E. septal area

____6. Which of the following regions of the brain is thought to be necessary for the conscious experience of emotions?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. prefrontal cortex
D. amygdala
E. supplementary motor cortex

____7. Which region of the limbic systems would you expect to be most likely involved in drug abuse?

A. hippocampus
B. hypothalamus
C. nucleus accumbens
D. amygdala
E. prefrontal cortex

___ 8. Briefly explain your answer to number 7. (2 points)

___9. Which of the following is NOT included in the limbic system?

A. fornix
B. hippocampus
C. mammillary bodies
D. anterior thalamic nucleus
E. ventral posterior thalamci nucleus

___10. Write your own multiple choice question and answer it.

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Biology 109, Fall 1998 

Exam 1

Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place a four or five letter (or number) code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Describe the factors that are responsible for establishing and maintaining the resting membrane potential. Be thorough. (25 points)

a. Semipermeable membrane- The semipermeable membrane allows some substances to pass through the membrane readily (e.g., potassium) while other cannot pass through (e.g., negatively charged proteins) or pass through poorly (e.g., sodium).

b. Negatively charged protein- The presence of an excess of negatively charged protein within the cell that cannot pass through the semipermeable membrane contributes to the establishment of the membrane potential.

c. The permeability of the membrane to potassium at rest: The membrane is permeable to potassium at rest. Potassium is higher in concentration inside the cell than outside. When potassium moves down its concentration gradient (from inside to outside) to try to achieve on equal concentration on both sides of the membrane, the negatively charged protein cannot follow (because the membrane is not permeable to it). Thus, the negatively charged protein is left behind and a negative charge develops within the cell. In turn, because positively charged potassium ions move to the outside of the cell, a positive charge develops on the outside, and a charge gradient develops. The energy of the charge gradient counteracts the energy of the concentration gradient for potassium. When the two energies are equal and opposite, potassium stops moving and equilibrium is reached. At equilibrium there is still more potassium inside that outside and still more negative charges inside than outside. Thus there is a charge difference (potential) across the membrane which we call the resting membrane potential.

d. The sodium/potassium pump: Even though the membrane is not very permeable to sodium at rest, some sodium leaks across the membrane in exchange for potassium. Eventually this leakage would call the RMP to run down. The sodium/potassium pump counteracts this leakage by pumping sodium out of the cell in exchange for pumping potassium in.

2. Draw an action potential. On your drawing label each phase of the action potential and describe what events underlie each of these phases. Be thorough--this means include All the details or, in other words, do not leave out any details. What is the function of the action potential? (25 points)

The action potential has a rising (upward phase) that is the depolarizing phase and is caused by the opening of voltage-sensitive sodium channels and the subsequent inward movement of positively charged sodium ions. The opening of the voltage-sensitive sodium channels occurs when some stimulus, like a synaptic potential or generator potential) depolarizes the membrane to threshold. It is at the threshold membrane potential that the voltage-sensitive sodium channels open.

The falling (downward) phase of the action potential is the repolarizing phase. Two events underlay this phase: 1) delayed, voltage-sensitive potassium channels open allowing positively charged potassium ions to leave the cell, and 2) voltage-sensitive sodium channels close, preventing further entry of sodium into the cell.

II. Matching: Match the terms on the left with the phrases on the right. There is only one correct answer per blank. Items on the left can only be used more than once and some items may not be used. (10 points)

a. astrocyte....................__I__found in peripheral ganglia

b. radial glia..................__F__forms myelin around many axons

c. oligodendrocyte.............__G__found around circumventricular organs

d. reactive microglia.........._H__found around neuromuscular junction

e. resting microglia...........__B__helps guide neurons during

development f. Schwann cell................__A__causes capillaries to form tight junctions

g. tanycyte....................__F__forms myelin around a single axon

h. teloglia....................__C_ thought to be a blood cell

i. satellite cell..............__A__regulates electrolyte concentration in extracellular fluid

................................____uptake of neurotransmitter

III. Short Answer

1. What are three characteristics of the choroid capillaries found within the choroid epithelium. (6 points)

have fenestrations, have loose junctions,exhibit pinocytosis

2. What is lissencephaly? What is one proposed cause of lissencephaly? (4 points)

A condition where the cerebral cortex does not fully developing resulting in a smooth cortical surface. One proposed cause of this condition is defective neuronal migration during development.

3. What is the function of the presynaptic density? to align vesicles for release from the active zone (2 points)

4. What regions of the neuron contain rough endoplasmic reticulum? What does this mean for those regions that don't have rough endoplasmic reticulum. (2 point)

The soma and dendrites. The axon does not contain rough ER and therefore protein synthesis cannot occur in the axon. The axon relies on axonal transport to get proteins from the soma.

5. What is a synapse. What happens at a synapse? (4 points)

A close apposition between two neurons that is specialized for chemical communication. Chemical neurotransmission

6. Describe the characteristics of a voltage-sensitive channel. (4 points)

It is a charged, transmembrane protein that changes its conformation (to create a channel) when the membrane potential is changes (i.e., reaches threshold).

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

__G__1. Vesicles containing neurotransmitter would be found in:

a. axon hillock
b. postsynaptic membrane
c. presynaptic terminal
d. bouton
e. glia cell
f. a and c
g. c and d
e. b, c, and d

__E__2. During the repolarizing phase of the action potential, the membrane is LEAST permeable to:

a. potassium
b. chloride
c. calcium
d. sodium
e. negatively charged protein

__E__3. In which region of the neuron would one find the centriole?

a. axon hillock
b. postsynaptic membrane
c. presynaptic terminal
d. nucleus
e. none

__F__4. Which of the following is part of the blood/brain barrier?

a. dura mater
b. arachnoid
c. outer limiting membrane
d. parenchymal capillaries
e. choroid epithelial cells
f. b, d and e
g. a, c, and e
h. a, and c

__C__5. When the membrane potential moves in a negative direction, more negative than the resting membrane potential, it is called:

a. depolarization
b. repolarization
c. hyperpolarization

__A__6. The type of neuron commonly found in special sensory organs like the retina of the eye contains __________axon(s) and ________dendrite(s) and is called a ____________neuron.

a. one/one/bipolar
b. one/one/unipolar
c. one/one/multipolar
d. one/many/bipolar
e. one/many/unipolar
f. one/many/multipolar
g. many/one/multipolar

__A__7. A stimulus that _______the resting membrane potential will make the membrane potential ______.

a. depolarizes/more positive
b. depolarizes/more negative
c. hyperpolarizes/more positive
d. hyperpolarizes/less negative
e. none of the above

__C__8. At resting membrane potential potassium is in lower concentration _______the cell and chloride is in higher concentration_________the cell.

a. inside/outside
b. inside/inside
c. outside/outside
d. outside/inside

__E_9. Which of the following factors is NOT responsible for establishing or maintaining the resting membrane potential?

a. the semipermeable membrane
b. the Na/K pump
c. the impermeable negatively charged proteins inside the cell
d. the high permeability of the membrane to potassium
e. the high permeability of the membrane to sodium

__C__10. In the neuron, equilibrium is defined as a state where:

a. all ions are equal on both sides of the membrane
b. potassium ions are equal on both sides of the membrane
c. the is no longer any net movement of ions
d. negatively charged proteins do not move
e. all of the above

Questions from the TEXT: (8 points) Extra Credit

Which type of synapse would be most effective in bringing the neuron to threshold for firing and why?

axodendritic
axosomatic

Answer: axosomatic; Because the initiation site for an action potential is usually at the axon hillock, it is this region of membrane that is most critical to depolarize. Synaptic potentials that occur closer to the axon hillock have more influence on the initiation site than those that occur further away; therefore, an axosomatic synapse will exert more influence over the initiation site than an axodendritic synapse.




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Biology 109, Fall 1998 

Exam 2 Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place YOUR code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions 1. Compare and contrast an EPSP with a generator potential. Include a discussion of ALL similarities and differences between the two types of potentials. (22 points)

EPSP is an graded, excitatory, depolarizing potential that is elicited by a transmitter binding to a postsynaptic receptor. When the transmitter binds to the receptor, a transmitter-sensitive sodium channel opens which allows the influx of sodium into the postsynaptic neuron. An EPSP is terminated by degradation of the transmitter, reuptake of the transmitter, and diffusion of the transmitter away from the synapse. An EPSP occurs at a synapse.

A generator potential is also a graded, excitatory, depolarizing potential that occurs in a sensory ending of a sensory neuron. It is elicited when a sensory stimulus (e.g., touch, heat, nociceptive stimulus) stimulates the sensory ending. The stimulus causes stimulus-sensitive sodium channels to open which allows the influx of sodium into the postsynaptic neuron. A GP ends when the stimulus stops or if the sensory receptor adapts to the stimulus.

Both potentials take the neuron towards threshold for an Action Potential.

2. An MRI scan of your client's nervous system indicates that she has a tumor. Her medical record states that she has pain, temperature, and crude touch deficits on the right side of her lower body (from the waist down). No other somatosensory or motor deficits are noted. A) What tract/pathway was damaged? B) Describe (or draw) this tract in detail. C) Where is the pathway damaged (i.e., what side, where in the nervous system- be as specific as possible)? Explain your rationale (reasoning) for your answer to C. D) Could damage at another location in the nervous system produce the same deficit? Explain. E) What problems might this client have performing the activities of daily living? (25 points)

A. Spinothalamic Tract

B.See the drawing in your syllabus: include all synapses, decussations, somoatotopic organization, location in the cord, and cortex

C. Left anterolateral white matter of the thoracic spinal cord. STT damage in the spinal cord produces contralateral deficits because the STT decussates immediately after entering the cord. The modalities described above are exclusively STT modalities. The STT is located in the anterolateral funiculus. I chose the thoracic cord because the deficits are from the waist down. It is unlikely that the damage was in the spinal nerves because one would also expect motor deficits. It is unlikely that the damage is in the dorsal roots because one would expect the deficit to be more localized unless many dorsal roots were damaged. It is unlikely that the damage was in the cortex, thalamus, of internal capsule because one would expect the DC/ML modalities to also be affected. The DC/ML and STT are significantly intermingled in the cortex, thalamus, and internal capsule.

D. It is not likely, but it is possible that many dorsal roots on the right side of the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral cord were damaged.

E. The client may injure herself because she is unable to sense potential damaging stimuli.

II. Indicate which of the steps below does or does not occur during INHIBITORY synaptic transmission. Put a Y (for yes) in the blank if the event occurs and an N (for no) if the event does not occur during inhibitory synaptic transmission. Read each statement very carefully. (11 points)

__y_neurotransmitter is released from the presynaptic terminal
__n_the postsynaptic neuron depolarizes
_y__the action potential depolarizes the presynaptic terminal
__n_calcium enters voltage-sensitive channels in the postsynaptic terminal
_n__transmitter-sensitive calcium channels open
__y_neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron
_y__neurotransmitter is removed by reuptake, diffusion, or degradation
_y__the neurotransmitter diffuses across the synaptic cleft
__n_potassium moves into the postsynaptic neuron
_n__chloride moves out of the postsynaptic neuron
__y_transmitter-sensitive potassium channels open

III. Short Answer

1. a) List three locations in the nervous system where third order (tertiary) sensory neurons could be damaged. (6 points)

1__primary sensory cortex___________________ , 2____internal capsule________________ ,3 _ventral posterior lateral thalamus_________________

2. Provide five points of evidence to support the statement that "pain is subjective." (5 points)

1. It can be perceived differently depending on one's culture
2. It can be perceived differently depending on the situation (e.g. battlefield analgesia
3. It can be perceived differently depending on past experience with pain.
4. It can be releived by things like kissing the injury
5. It can be releved by visualization

3. You are given the task of developing a drug to treat a central nervous system disorder. How would you proceed with your assignment? (3 points)

a. Find out what the mechanisms of the disorder is, for example, is it a disorder of synaptic transmission.

b. Try to develop a drug that addresses the mechanism: If the disease is one of synaptic transmission, try to develop a drug that alters synaptic transmission. If it is a disease that affects ion channels, try to develop a drug that acts on ion channels. An so on...

4. List three ways in which the spinothalamic tract differs from the spinoreticulothalamic tract. (9 points)

1.STT gets input from A beta fibers more than C fibers; SRTT gets input mainlin from C fibers

2. STT projects to the VPL; SRTT projects to the intralaminal nuclues

3. STT projects to the primary somatosensory cortex; SRTT projects widely to the cortex

4. STT is involved in localizing pain and fast pain; SRTT is involved in slow pain and producing the emotional aspects of pain and arousing the organism.

5. Give an example of a tract that carries information for conscious awareness of somatosensation. (2 pts)
STT or DC/ML
IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

_E___1. Which of the following is a demyelinating disease?
a. Parkinson's disease
b. depression
c. schizophrenia
d. Huntington's chorea
e. multiple sclerosis

__G__2. Which of the following contains information about proprioception from the lower body?
a. ventrospinocerebellar tract
b. fasciculus cuneatus
c. cuneocerebellar tract
d. dorsospinal cerebellar tract
e. lateral region of the postcentral gyrus
f. all of the above
g. a and d
h. c and e
i. a, d, and e

__D__3. Which of the following contains information about discriminative touch?
a. medial lemniscus
b. spinothalamic tract
c. thalamus
d. A and C
e. B and C

__E__4. Which of the following is involved in the emotional aspects of pain and arousing the organism?
a. ventral posterior thalamic nucleus
b. intralaminar nuclei
c. spinothalamic tract
d. reticular formation
e. B and D
f. A, B, and C
g. A, B, and D

__B__5. Astereognosia in the left side of the body would result from damage to the:
a. right primary somatosensory cortex
b. right somatosensory association cortex
c. left primary somatosensory cortex
d. left somatosensory association cortex
e. A and D

_A___6. Contralateral hypesthesia would result from damage to the:
a. internal capsule
b. somatosensory association cortex
c. dorsal roots
d. spinal nerves
e. c and d

_F__ 7. Which of the following receives input from large diameter, myelinated axons?

a. spinothalamic tract
b. spinoreticulothalamic tract
c. dorsal columns
d. dorsospinocerebellar tract
e. a and b
f. c and d

_F__ 8. An ipsilateral deficit in pain, temperature, and crude touch would result from damage to the:

a. spinothalamic tract in the spinal cord
b. dorsal horn
c. large diameter primary afferents
d. small diameter primary afferents
e. dorsal columns
f. a and d
g. b and d
h. a, b, and d

_A__9. Primary sensory neurons have their cell bodies in the ____________and enter the spinal cord through the

____________. a. dorsal root ganglia/dorsal roots
b. ventral horn/ventral roots
c. nucleus gracilis and cuneatus/dorsal columns
d. dorsal horn/dorsal roots
e. spinal cord/ventral roots

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Biology 109, Fall 1998  

Exam 3 Code____________________

Please put your name on the back of the exam. Place YOUR code on the line above. This code will be used for posting grades. If you do not wish to have your grades posted, write "do not post" in the blank above.

I. Essay Questions

1. Your client received a neurological injury in an accident six months ago. Assuming that s/he has only motor and somatosensory deficits, A) How would you go about determining what region of the nervous system was damaged? Be thorough. B) If you discovered that your client had paralysis in the left ankle and foot, and touch, vibration, proprioception, pain, and temperature deficits in the left foot and ankle, what tests would you do to determine where the lesion was located? C) Based on the results of your tests, where is the lesion located? D) Thoroughly explain your answer in C. (25 points).

A) Somatosensory: I would test for deficits in somatosensory modalities on both sides of the body and anterior and posterior body from the head to the toes. Test for pain, temperature, and crude touch perception (spinothalamic tract modalities) and discriminative touch, vibration, and proprioception (DC/ML modalities). Compare perception on one side of the body with that on the other side. Motor: Observe and test the force and extent of voluntary movements of face, neck, limbs, trunk , looking for signs of paralysis or paresis. Test reflexes (comparing one side to the other) from the head to the toe to determine if they are normal, hypoactive, or hyeractive. Again, compare one side of the body with the other. Palpate muscles to determine if tone is normal or if there is hypotonia or hypertonia. Test the Babinski reflex. Look for signs of hemiplegia: extended lower limbs, flexed upper limbs, circumduction during walking. Test balance and posture.

B) I would test the reflexes in the foot and ankle and evaluate the muscle tone in the foot and ankle. I would test the Babinski reflex.

C) If I noted hyperreflexia, hypertonia, and a positive Babinski sign, I would determine that there was damage to an upper motor neuron tract. The damage could be in the right primary motor and somatosensory cortex in the foot region. If I noted hyporeflexia, hypotonia, and a negative Babinski sign, I would determine that the damage was to lower motor neurons, for example to a left peripheral nerve that supplies the ankle and foot or a few left spinal nerves that innervate the ankle and foot.

D) Based on my tests, I determined that there was lower motor neuron damage and somatosensory neuron damage in a left peripheral nerve. Explanation: The damage will be on the left side because axons in the peripheral nerve do not decussate before entering the cord. The hypotonia and hyporeflexia that I noted as well as the paresis is a sign of lower motor neuron damage. Neurons that carry all somatosensory modalities travel in peripheral nerves so peripheral nerve damage can affect all these modalities. The deficit is relatively localized (i.e., to the anlke and foot) which is consistent with peripheral nerve damage.

2. Describe the anatomy and physiology of the muscle spindle. Be thorough. That means tell me about each component of the muscle spindle and its function. (25 points)

The following components make up the muscle spindle:
1. nuclear chain fibers- these are intrafusal muscle fibers located within the spindle that are sensitive to changes in muscle length. They have a non-contractile equatorial region and a contractile polar region.
2. nuclear bag fibers- these are intrafusal muscle fibers located within the spindle that are sensitive to changes in muscle length and velocity of contraction. They have a non-contractile equatorial region and a contractile polar region.
3. annulospiral endings- these are sensory neurons that wrap around the nuclear bag and chain fibers. When the extrafusal muscle is elongated, the muscle spindle is stretched and this activates the annulospiral endings. These endings are sensitive to changes in muscle length and absolute muscle length.
4. flower spray endings- these are sensory neurons that make contact with mainly nuclear chain fibers in the equatorial region, close to the polar region. They sense absolute muscle length. When the extrafusal muscle is elongated, the spray endings will increase their firing rates and when the extrafusal muscle is shortened, the spray endings will decrease their firing rate.
5. gamma motor neurons- these are lower motor neurons that innervate the polar regions of both the nuclear chain and nuclear bag fibers. The gammas cause contraction of the polar region of the intrafusal muscle fibers which increases the tension on the equatorial region and "sensitizes" the spindle. The gammas keep the spindle sensitive to changes in length and velocity of contraction throughout the whole extent of the muscle contraction, thus the spindle is "always" providing information to the CNS.

II. Matching: Match the terms on the right with the phrases on the left. There is only one best answer per blank, HOWEVER the answers on the right may be used more than once. (20 points)

a. vestibulocerebellum.................__C__ also called neocerebellum
b. spinocerebellum.................__A__ mainly receives inputs from the vestibular apparatus
c. pontocerebellum..............__A__ floccularnodular lobe
.............B__ receives inputs from the spinocerebellar tracts
................................................__C__ is involved in motor planning
...................................................__B__ coordinates the moment to moment aspects of movements and muscle synergy
...................................................__C__ sends outputs (efferents) to cortex only
..................................................__C__ involved in regulation of fractional movements
.................................................__B__ influences dorsolateral and ventromedial upper motor neuron tracts
.................................................__C__ receives inputs from supplementary motor, primary motor, premotor, and association cortices

III. Short Answer

1. a) List four locations in the nervous system where upper motor neurons could be damaged.(4pt)

1-motor cortex , 2 -internal capsule ,3 -brainstem, 4 -spinal cord

2. Briefly describe the vestibulo-ocular reflex? What is the function of this reflex? (4)

When you move your head, visual images stay stable on your retina (i.e., they don't blur). To keep images from blurring when you move.

3. What is the difference between the dorsolateral group of upper motor neuron tracts and the ventromedial group? (6 points) The dorsolateral group (corticospinal tract and rubrospinal tract) are newer evolutionarily speaking and innervate distal musculature. The ventromedial group innervate axial and proximal musculature.

IV. Multiple Choice: Choose the Best answer. Write the letter indicating the best answer in the blank to the left of the question. (2 points each)

__B__1. A spinal nerve contains:
A. upper motor neurons and primary sensory neurons
B. lower motor neurons and primary sensory neurons
C. lower motor neurons
D. primary sensory neurons
E. tertiary sensory neurons

__F__2. Which of the following is NOT a sign of cerebellar damage:
A. hypotonia B. dysdiadochokinesia C. dysmetria D. nystagmus F. paralysis

__C__3. Which of the following is involved in the very earliest stages of voluntary movement?
A. primary motor cortex
B. premotor cortex
C. supplementary motor cortex

__C_4. Which of the following is NOT a sign of hemiplegia?
A. extended leg
B. circumduction in gait
C. extended arm
D. positive Babinski sign
E. lateral rotation of leg

__B__5. Which of the following is a motor nucleus of the thalamus?
A. ventral posterior lateral thalamic nucleus
B. ventral lateral thalamic nucleus
C. ventral posterior medial thalamic nucleus
D. intralaminar nucleus
E. A and B

__C__6. In Melzak and Wall's Gate Theory, stimulation of _________is thought to cause the pain relief associated with rubbing over the injured area.
A. C fibers
B. A delta fibers
C. A beta fibers
D. raphe spinal tract
E. A and D

__B__7. The signs of excessive alcohol intake mimic:
A. upper motor neuron damage
B. cerebellar damage
C. lower motor neuron damage
D. damage to somatosensory tracts
E. A and B

__D__8. Which of the following tracts regulates gross stereotyped movements and is excitatory to extensors?
A. lateral corticospinal tract
B. vestibulospinal tract
C. rubrospinal tract
D. pontine reticulospinal tract
E. medullary reticulospinal tract

____ 9. Write your own multiple choice questions and answer it correctly. (1 bonus point)

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Biology 109 (Midterm 4, Fall 1998) 

Code_______________ Please write your Name on the back of the exam.

I. Essay Questions

1. Compare and contrast an autonomic motor reflex with a somatic motor reflex. Be thorough! Discuss the anatomy and physiology of each reflex. (12 points)

See the table at the end of the ANS section in your syllabus. It does a compare and contrast.

2. Compare and contrast the motor loop of the basal ganglia with the cognitive loop. Be thorough. Discuss both the anatomy and function of each loop. (18)

The motor looop has inputs from all the cerebral cortex to the neostriatum. From the neostriatum the outputs go to the globus pallidus and from the GP to the Ventral Anterior Thalamic Nucleus. From the VA the outputs go to the Supplementary Motor Cortex. Function- is involve in initiation and cessation of movement and other aspects of regulating movements, especially ballistic movements.

The cognitive loop has inputs from all the cerebral cortex to the anterior portion of the caudate nucleus. From the caudate the outputs go the the globus pallidus and from the GP to the Dorsal Medial Thalamic Nucleus. From the DM the outputs go to the Prefrontal Cortex. The cognitive loop is involved in cognitive functions such as some aspects of memory and judgement.

II. Fill in the blanks in the table below. (2 pts each) EFFECTS OF ACTIVATING THE TWO DIVISIONS OF THE ANS

The sympathetic system causes constriction of most blood vessels, but dilation of vessels in the muscles. The parasympathetic system has no effect on blood vessels. The sympathetic system causes decreased motility and secretions in the gut; the parasympathetic system causes increased secretion and motolity in the gut. The sympathetic system causes dilation of the bronchi; the parasympathetic system causes constriction of the bronchi in the lungs.

III. Matching: Match the numbered terms with the phrases below. There is only one correct answer per blank and numbers can only be used once. (2 pts each) 1. preganglionic sympathetic neuron

3. postganglionic sympathetic neuron

2. preganglionic parasympathetic neuron

4. postganglionic parasympathetic neuron

___1_cell body located in the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord

___2_cell body located in the brainstem and sacral spinal cord

___3_cell body located in the paravertebral ganglia

___4_cell body often located in the visceral organ

IV. Matching: Match the terms on the left with the phrases on the right. There is only one best answer per blank. Each term can only be used once. (12 points)

a. caudate nucleus ___f_ most of the inputs to the basal ganglia go here

b. subthalamic nucleus ___c_ involved in Parkinson's disease

c. substantia nigra __b__ damage to this structure produces ballistic movements

d. ventral anterior thalamic nucleus __a__ damage to this structure produces cognitive deficits

e. lentiform nucleus ___d_ has excitatory outputs to the cerebral cortex

f. neostriatum __g__ major outputs of the basal ganglia come from this structure

g. globus pallidus

V. Short Answer.

1. Which division of the autonomic nervous system has localized affects on the organism? (2 points)

parasympathetic 2. What four types of organs or structures are innervated by the autonomic nervous system. I am referring to the four general categories of organs and structures described in the syllabus. (4 pts)

glands, smooth muscle, intrinsic plexus of gut, heart

3. The overall function of the autonomic nervous system is to maintain _homeostasis. (2 )

4. Special visceral afferents carry information about taste and smell. (4 pts)

5. Give an example of a secondary functional deficit. (2 pts)

tremors, athetoid movements, choreoform movements, hyperactive reflexes

6. What is a dyskinesia?

an abnormal involuntary movement

VI. Multiple Choice: Circle the BEST answer. (2 points each)

D1. Which of the following is NOT part of the motor division of the autonomic nervous system?
a. preganglionic neuron
b. postganglionic neuron
c. visceral efferents
d. visceral afferents
e. a and b
f. a, b, and c
g. all of the above

D2. If you were to design a drug to specifically facilitate the action of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, you would want it to:
a. block receptors for acetylcholine
b. block the reuptake of acetylcholine
c. block receptors for norepinephrine
d. block reuptake of norepinephrine
e. block reuptake of serotonin

D3. A lesion in which of the regions below would eliminate bowel and bladder reflexes:
a. lumbar spinal cord b. motor cortex c. limbic system d. sacral spinal cord e. a,b,c,d

A4. A neuron that carries sensory information about the fullness of an organ is called a:
a. visceral afferent b. visceral efferent c. somatic afferent d. somatic efferent

B5. A sensory receptor that is located in the gut would be called:
a. a proprioceptor b. an interoceptor c. an exteroceptor d. a tactile receptor e. happy

B6. Which of the following best describes the role of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system:
a. it activates the organism for "fight or flight"
b. it is involved in conserving energy and "vegetative functions"
c. it always has effects that are opposite to those of the sympathetic division of the ANS
d. it is involved in sensing the fullness of organs, visceral pain, and blood pressure
e. all of the above

G7. Which of the following occurs during autonomic dysreflexia?
a. increase in blood pressure
b. vasodilation in the upper body
c. vasoconstriction in the lower body
d. flushing and sweating
e. severe headache
f. all of the above
g. a, c, d, and e

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