Understanding Brain and Perception Concepts

What was phrenology, and why is it significant in the history of our understanding of the brain?

• A valid scientific method for studying brain function

• An early attempt to localize brain functions, now discredited

• A modern neuroimaging technique

• A surgical procedure to treat brain disorders

What typically happens to excess neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft?

• Excess is reabsorbed by the sending neuron

• Excess becomes new neurons

• Excess is broken down by cells

• Excess is tossed out of cell

What primarily determines whether neural activity increases or decreases?

• The type of neurotransmitter released

• The size of the neuron

• The length of the axon

• The amount of myelin present

What is required for a nerve impulse to fire a signal down the axon, and what is this process called once it is started?

• Switch; synaptic transmission

• Threshold potential; action potential

• Synaptic hole; synaptic firing

• Receptor site; neural transmission

According to the Opponent Process Theory, which of the following color pairs does NOT exist?

• Red-Green

• Blue-Yellow

• Black-White

• Orange-Purple

What is the term for the minimum level of stimulus intensity needed to detect a stimulus half the time?

• Indifference threshold

• Just Noticeable Difference

• Absolute change

• Weber's law

Which of the following is a monocular cue for depth perception?

• Interposition

• Linear perspective

• Texture gradient

• All the above

What is the function of the corpus callosum in the brain?

• To process audio information

• To connect the two hemispheres

• To control sensory functions

• To regulate reflexes

Which part of the eye is responsible for changing shape to focus on near or far objects?

• Cornea

• Retina

• Lens

• Pupil

What is the main function of rods in the retina?

• Color vision

• Vision in bright light

• Vision in low light

• Depth perception