All AP Biology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #4 : Understanding The Spinal Cord
What is the correct order of the spinal meninges from superficial to deep?
Dura mater, pia mater, arachnoid mater
Arachnoid mater, dura mater, pia mater
Dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
Arachnoid mater, pia mater, dura mater
Pia mater, dura mater, arachnoid mater
Dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
The correct answer is dura mater, arachnoid and lastly the pia mater. The meninges surround the brain and spinal cord in the central nervous system and are made up of three layers. The outermost layer is the dura mater, beneath it lies the arachnoid and below that is the pia mater.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Afferent And Efferent Neurons
Which of the following correctly pairs the signal to the type of nervous pathway?
Cold water on your hand follows an efferent pathway
Walking follows an afferent pathway
Breathing follows an afferent pathway
A bug walking on your leg follows an efferent pathway
Blinking follows an efferent pathway
Blinking follows an efferent pathway
Efferent pathways carry signals away from the central nervous system. Essentially, they are signals that your brain sends to tell your body to do something, like blinking. Afferent signals come from outside stimuli and tell your brain what they are sensing, such as temperature. Afferent neurons bring stimuli to the brain, where the signal is integrated and processed. The brain then coordinates a response via efferent signals back to the rest of the body.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Afferent And Efferent Neurons
Where do motor outputs from the brain exit the spinal cord?
Dorsal root
Intervertebral foramen
Ventral root
Anterior root
Posterior root
Ventral root
The ventral root of the spinal cord is located anteriorly, while the dorsal root is located posteriorly. Afferent neurons enter the spinal cord through the dorsal root, carrying signals from the body to the brain. Efferent neurons exit the spinal cord from the ventral root before interfacing with their target muscles.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Afferent And Efferent Neurons
Which of the following answers explains the typical succession of neuronal communication from receiving sensory input to generating a muscle response?
Interneuron, efferent neuron, afferent neuron
Afferent neuron, efferent neuron, interneuron
Afferent neuron, interneuron, efferent neuron
Efferent neuron, interneuron, afferent neuron
Afferent neuron, interneuron, efferent neuron
The typical response pattern is that a sensory afferent neuron receives the external stimulus and communicates with an interneuron. The information is then interpreted, and a response is sent through efferent motor neurons to the appropriate portion of the body. Afferent neurons communicate information from the stimulus to the brain/spinal cord. Efferent neurons communicate information from the brain/spinal cord to the appropriate portion of the body.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Afferent And Efferent Neurons
If you touch a hot pan, __________ neurons tell your brain "it's hot!" and __________ neurons are used to quickly move your hand away
afferent . . . efferent
efferent . . . afferent
sympathetic . . . parasympathetic
peripheral nervous system . . . central nervous system
parasympathetic . . . sympathetic
afferent . . . efferent
Afferent neurons are sensory neurons that carry nerve impulses from sensory stimuli towards the central nervous system and brain, while efferent neurons are motor neurons that carry neural impulses away from the central nervous systme and towards muscles to cause movement.
In this case, the afferent neuron would carry sensory information from your hand to your brain, letting it know your body is touching something hot. Your brain would then process this information and use efferent neurons to tell the arm muscle to contract and move your hand away.
Example Question #1 : Understanding Afferent And Efferent Neurons
Afferent neurons are often associated with __________ function, while efferent neurons are often associated with __________ function.
motor or effector . . . sensory or input
sensory or input . . . motor or effector
motor or input . . . sensory or effector
sensory or effector . . . motor or input
sensory or input . . . motor or effector
A good way to remember afferent vs. efferent neurons is: Afferent Arrives, Efferent Exits.
Afferent neurons are neurons whose axons travel towards (or bringing information to) a central point, while an efferent neuron is a cell that sends an axon (or carries information) away from a central point. For example, if the central point in question is the brain, sensory neurons are afferent because they send information to the brain, while motor neurons are efferent because they carry information from the brain to effector organs like muscles or glands. It is crucial to keep in mind exactly which structure is the current focus of the discussion, since the terms "afferent" and "efferent" are relative to the direction of information transmission.
Example Question #1 : Neural Physiology
What kind of reflex does not require processing by the brain?
Suckling reflex
Somatic reflex
Accomodation reflex
Monosynaptic reflex
Acoustic reflex
Monosynaptic reflex
Monosynaptic reflexes do not require a neuron between the pre-synaptic and post-synaptic neuron, and do not require input from the brain. These reflexes can be triggered even in brain-dead individuals. The knee-jerk reflex is an example of a monosynaptic reflex.
The accommodation reflex is used to adjust the focus of the eye. The acoustic reflex reduces sound intensity by adjusting the bones of the middle ear. The suckling reflex is the complicated reflex of an infant mammal being able to breast feed. Somatic reflexes are a broad category simply involving muscle reflexes. Some of these reflexes involve input from the brain, while others (like the knee-jerk reflex) do not.
Example Question #1 : Neural Physiology
Which of these physiological changes occurs when the sympathetic nervous system is activated?
Glucose is converted to glycogen
Pupils constrict
Rate of digestion increases
Heart rate increases
Reproductive processes are heightened
Heart rate increases
The sympathetic nervous system is activated during times of stress, and is responsible for initiating the "fight or flight" response. Part of this response in an increase in heart rate, allowing better conduction of blood and delivery of oxygen throughout the body.
The other answer options are effects of parasympathetic stimulation, which allows for rest. During this time, the body stores energy from glucose into glycogen, and allows for digestion and reproduction.
Example Question #1 : Neural Physiology
Which of the following is true about cells at resting potential?
They have a resting potential of –30mV relative to the outside of the cell
There is a higher concentration of sodium inside of the cell
A sodium-potassium pump keeps the membrane polarized
There is a higher concentration of potassium outside of the cell
A sodium-potassium pump keeps the membrane polarized
By pumping two positively-charged potassium molecules in for every three positively-charged sodium molecules that are pumped out of the cell, the sodium-potassium pump maintains a resting potential of –70mV relative to outside of the cell. This function is important for creating an electrochemical gradient along the neuron.
Remember that sodium flows down its gradient to enter the cell during depolarization, while potassium flows down its gradient to exit a cell after an action potential, causing hyperpolarization during the refractory period.
Example Question #2 : Understanding Action Potentials
The opening of a neuron's voltage-gated sodium channels is followed by all except which of the following actions?
Depolarization, as the membrane potential climbs to +35mV
Opening of the potassium channel to allow for repolarization of the membrane
Sodium continues to flood in due to a lower concentration of the molecule inside of the membrane
Action potential is propagated in both directions of the axon
Action potential is propagated in both directions of the axon
After the sodium channel is opened, sodium rushes into the cell down its concentration gradient (as previously created by the sodium-potassium pump). This causes depolarization of the membrane as its potential reaches a value of +35mV, which is eventually lowered by the opening of the potassium channels. This leads to hyperpolarization, which prevents the signal from traveling backwards.