In the years following his accident, Christopher Reeve refused to give up even though doctors told him that he would never regain any of the functions that he had lost. In November 2000, Reeve astonished his doctor, John W. McDonald of Washington University Medical School, by deliberately raising the tip of his left index finger. How could this happen? Until a decade ago, the adult central nervous system was believed to be incapable of repair and regeneration (McDonald et al., 2002). Dr. McDonald and other researchers at Washington, knowing that more recent studies suggest that central nervous system tissue can regenerate to some degree, developed the Activity-Based Recovery program to exercise the muscles that had lost their function in the hope of stimulating function to return in those muscles (Washington University, 2002). Eventually, Reeve regained sensation over 70 percent of his body, was able to go for long periods without his respirator to help him breathe, and was also able to move his legs and arms while under water (Blakeslee, 2002; Nash, 2004).

Sadly, this courageous actor, director, and tireless crusader for funding for spinal cord injury research lost his fight. Following an infection, he went into cardiac arrest and died on October 10, 2004. Although the “Man of Steel” is gone, his courage and determination will continue to serve as a shining example to other victims of spinal cord injury (Associated Press, 2004).

Pick the best answer.

1. Which part of the neuron receives messages from other cells?
   1. axon
   2. dendrite
   3. soma
   4. myelin
2. Which one of the following is NOT a function of the myelin sheath?
   1. insulation from other axons
   2. speeds up the neural message
   3. protects the nerve fiber from damage
   4. aids in reuptake
3. When the neuron’s action potential is released, __________ ions are rushing into the axon through openings on the membrane.
   1. sodium
   2. potassium
   3. chloride
   4. oxygen
4. When the action potential reaches the end of the axon terminals, it causes the release of
   1. an electrical spark that sets off the next neuron.
   2. positively charged ions that excite the next cell.
   3. negatively charged ions that inhibit the next cell.
   4. neurotransmitters that excite or inhibit the next cell.
5. Receiving neurons have special __________ that fit the shape of certain molecules.
   1. synaptic vesicles
   2. gaps
   3. receptor sites
   4. branches
6. Which of the following is associated with sleep, mood, and appetite?
   1. acetylcholine
   2. GABA
   3. serotonin
   4. endorphin

Pick the best answer.

1. If you burn your finger, your immediate reaction will probably involve all BUT which of the following?
   1. the brain
   2. the spinal cord
   3. sensory neurons
   4. motor neurons
2. If you are typing on the computer keyboard, the motions of your fingers on the keys are probably being controlled by
   1. the autonomic nervous system.
   2. sensory pathway neurons.
   3. motor pathway neurons.
   4. autonomic neurons.
3. The neurons of the motor pathway control __________.
   1. stress reactions
   2. organs and glands
   3. involuntary muscles
   4. voluntary muscles
4. What type of cell is responsible for the reproduction of other cells of the body?
   1. blood cells
   2. stem cells
   3. neurons
   4. basal cells
5. Which of the following is NOT a function of the sympathetic division?
   1. increasing digestive activity to supply fuel for the body
   2. dilating the pupils of the eyes
   3. increasing the heart rate
   4. increasing the activity of the lungs
6. Which of the following would be active if you are sleeping?
   1. sympathetic division
   2. parasympathetic division
   3. somatic division
   4. motor division

Pick the best answer.

1. Which of the following techniques uses a radioactive sugar to look at the functioning of the brain?
   1. EEG
   2. CT
   3. MRI
   4. PET
2. Which brain structure is most responsible for our balance, posture, and muscle tone?
   1. medulla
   2. cerebellum
   3. reticular formation
   4. pons
3. Which brain structure would most likely result in death if damaged?
   1. medulla
   2. cerebellum
   3. reticular formation
   4. pons
4. If you were to develop a rare condition in which signals from your eyes were sent to the area of the brain that processes sound and signals from the ears were sent to the area of the brain that processes vision, which part of the brain would most likely be damaged?
   1. hippocampus
   2. hypothalamus
   3. thalamus
   4. amygdala
5. If you have problems storing away new memories, the damage is most likely in the __________ area of the brain.
   1. hippocampus
   2. hypothalamus
   3. cerebellum
   4. amygdala

Pick the best answer.

1. In which of the following lobes of the cortex would you find the primary auditory area?
   1. frontal
   2. temporal
   3. occipital
   4. parietal
2. Which of the following is the name for the thick band of neurons that connects the left and right sides of the cortex?
   1. fornix
   2. corpus callosum
   3. Wernicke’s area
   4. thalamus
3. The higher mental functions, such as thinking and problem solving, are found in the __________ lobe.
   1. frontal
   2. parietal
   3. temporal
   4. occipital
4. In an old Twilight Zone episode, a man wakes up one morning to find that people around him are using words that make no sense to him, and they also don’t seem to understand him. His wife tells him that their son forgot his dinosaur today, and when he looks puzzled, she holds up the son’s lunchbox and repeats, “You know, his dinosaur.” This man’s predicament is most like which of the following disorders?
   1. Wernicke’s aphasia
   2. Broca’s aphasia
   3. apraxia
   4. spatial neglect
5. When Dr. Ramachandran’s spatial neglect patient was asked to reach for the pen, she
   1. reached to the wrong side of the mirror.
   2. said she couldn’t see the pen.
   3. tried to reach through the mirror.
   4. successfully grabbed the pen.
6. If you are a split-brain patient, which of the following would be true?
   1. Objects in your left visual field would be easily named.
   2. Objects in your left visual field are invisible.
   3. Objects in your right visual field would be easily named.
   4. Objects in your right visual field are invisible.

Pick the best answer.

1. The endocrine glands secrete chemicals called
   1. pheromones into the bloodstream.
   2. hormones into the bloodstream.
   3. pheromones onto bodily tissues.
   4. hormones onto bodily tissues.
2. Andrew never really grew to be very tall. The doctor told his parents that Andrew’s __________ gland did not secrete enough growth hormone, causing his small stature.
   1. pituitary
   2. adrenal
   3. thyroid
   4. pancreas
3. If the pancreas secretes too little insulin, it causes
   1. diabetes.
   2. hypoglycemia.
   3. hypothyroidism.
   4. virilism.