Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What protects the peripheral nerves?

Layers of sheathing (correct)

Vertebrae

Myelin sheath

Skull

What is the function of the dendrites?

To produce energy for neuron activity

To carry impulses away from the cell body

To receive impulses from other neurons (correct)

To transmit impulses to the dendrites of the next neuron

What is the result of an injury to the spinal cord?

Loss of hearing

Blindness

Memory loss

Paralysis (correct)

How many times can a neuron fire per minute?

Hundreds Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the axon?

To carry impulses away from the cell body Signup and view all the answers

What is the all-or-none principle?

A neuron fires at full strength when stimulated Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the myelin sheath?

To speed the transmission of impulses Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of the destruction of the myelin sheath in multiple sclerosis?

Erratic and uncoordinated behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the peripheral nervous system?

To conduct information from bodily organs to the central nervous system and back to the organs Signup and view all the answers

What type of muscles are controlled by the autonomic nervous system?

Involuntary muscles Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the sympathetic nervous system?

To prepare the body for emergencies or strenuous activity Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of the parasympathetic nervous system on heart rate?

It reduces heart rate Signup and view all the answers

What type of activities are controlled by the somatic nervous system?

Voluntary activities Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on blood pressure?

It increases blood pressure Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the autonomic nervous system?

To control involuntary activities Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of the parasympathetic nervous system on digestion?

It enhances digestion Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the occipital lobe?

Processing visual signals Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the corpus callosum?

To connect the two hemispheres of the brain Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

Processing sensory information from the body Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of separating the brain hemispheres through split-brain operations?

Reduced number and severity of seizures Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of the frontal lobe?

Facilitating organization, planning, and creative thinking Signup and view all the answers

Why do psychologists study the brain?

To understand the role of the brain in behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of damage to the occipital lobe?

Visual problems Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome for individuals who have had split-brain operations?

Practically no change in intelligence, personality, and emotions Signup and view all the answers

What can an understanding of biological vulnerability markers help a health worker with?

Identifying those at greatest risk for psychopathology Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of individual differences in neuro-biologically based traits on treatment response?

They affect treatment response Signup and view all the answers

What might be an outcome of a pregnant woman severely injuring the right hemisphere of her brain?

Changes in behavior Signup and view all the answers

What might be an outcome of a person suffering a stroke that causes damage to the frontal lobes?

Changes in behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is a goal of developing new therapeutic approaches to treat pathological conditions?

To treat addiction and depression Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of considering biological processes in prevention and intervention research?

It provides ten good reasons for consideration Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of the pituitary gland in the release of sex hormones?

To trigger the release of sex hormones from sex glands Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between a chemical used as a neurotransmitter and a hormone?

The location of release and function Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of heredity?

The genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of twin studies in understanding the nature-nurture debate?

To determine the role of genetics in shaping behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of understanding the biological basis of behavior for healthcare practices?

It provides insights into how to alter the environment to influence behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the characteristics that a person inherits from their parents?

Nature Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of genes in the nature-nurture debate?

They interact with the environment to shape behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the finding that identical twins who grow up together are more alike on a specific trait than fraternal twins?

It implies that genes are important for that trait Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Nervous System

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of smaller branches of nerves that branch out from the spinal cord and reach other parts of the body.
The PNS conducts information from bodily organs to the central nervous system and takes information back to the organs.

The SNS controls voluntary activities, such as lifting your hand to turn a page.
The ANS controls involuntary activities, such as changes in heartbeat, blood pressure, or pupil size.
The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for emergencies or strenuous activity, speeding up the heart and constricting/relaxing arteries.
The parasympathetic nervous system conserves energy and enhances the body's ability to recover from strenuous activity, reducing heart rate and blood pressure.

Protection of the Nervous System

The brain is protected by the skull and several layers of sheathing.
The spinal cord is protected by the vertebrae.
The peripheral nerves are protected by layers of sheathing.
The bony protection of the spinal cord is vital, and an injury to the spinal cord could prevent message transmission between the brain and muscles, leading to paralysis.

Neurons

Neurons are the elementary components of the nervous system.
The human body contains billions of neurons.
Messages to and from the brain travel along nerves, which are strings of long, thin cells called neurons.
The neuron can fire (burn) over and over again, hundreds of times a minute.
Transmission between neurons occurs when the cells are stimulated past a minimum point and emit a signal.
The neuron fires according to the all-or-none principle, which states that when a neuron fires, it does so at full strength.

Basic Parts of a Neuron

Cell body: contains the nucleus and produces energy needed to fuel neuron activity.
Dendrites: short, thin fibers that receive impulses from other neurons and send them to the cell body.
Axon: a long fiber that carries impulses away from the cell body toward the dendrites of the next neuron.
Axon terminals: small fibers that branch out at the end of the axon.
Myelin sheath: a white fatty substance that protects and insulates the axon, speeding transmission of impulses.

Cerebral Hemisphere

The cerebral hemisphere is connected by a band of fibers called the corpus callosum.
Each cerebral hemisphere has deep grooves, marking regions or lobes.
The occipital lobe processes visual signals, and damage to this area can cause visual problems.
The parietal lobe is concerned with information from the senses from all over the body.
The temporal lobe is concerned with hearing, memory, emotion, and speaking.
The frontal lobe is concerned with organization, planning, and creative thinking.

Split-Brain Operations

In a normal brain, the two hemispheres communicate through the corpus callosum.
Separating the brain hemispheres can lessen the number and severity of seizures but also implies that the brain cannot communicate with each other.
Research on split-brain patients has presented evidence that each hemisphere of the brain is unique with specialized functions and skills.

The Role of the Brain in Behavior

The brain influences behavior through the release of chemicals as neurotransmitters or hormones.
Norepinephrine is a hormone when secreted into the blood by the adrenal glands but a neurotransmitter when released by the sympathetic motor neurons of the peripheral nervous system.

Heredity, Environment, and Behavior

Heredity is the genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring.
The nature-nurture debate refers to the role of biological makeup (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture) in shaping behavior.
Genes are the basic units of heredity, reproduced and passed along from parent to child.
Twin studies show that genes are important for certain traits, but the environment can also influence behavior.

Implications for Practice

Understanding the biological basis of behavior can inform healthcare practices, such as identifying those at greatest risk for psychopathology and developing new therapeutic approaches.

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Description

Test your knowledge of the peripheral nervous system, including its functions and branches, and how it interacts with the central nervous system.