AP Psychology : Neurons and Action Potentials

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Neurons And Action Potentials

Which is not a part of a neuron?

Possible Answers:

soma (cell body)

axon

dendrites

cell wall

Correct answer:

cell wall

Explanation:

Cell wall is a cell organelle found in plants, bacteria and archea; it is not found in neurons. The soma is the cells body of the neuron, this is where the nucleus contained but the dendrites and axon are not part of the soma. Dendrites are short branched extensions of a neuron where impulses are received in the synapses and transmitted to the soma. Axons are the long threadlike part of the neuron that conduct the impulses from the soma to other cells. 

Example Question #12 : Neurons And Action Potentials

Select the answers which correctly fill in the blanks:

The ________ are the message-receiving fibers on one end of a neuron, and the ________ are the message-sending fibers on the other end of a neuron.

Possible Answers:

dendrites; axons

axons; soma

dendrites; aminos

soma; stimuli

axons; dendrites

Correct answer:

dendrites; axons

Explanation:

The axons of one neuron release neurotransmitters which are received by the dendrites of the adjacent neuron.

Example Question #13 : Neurons And Action Potentials

Neurons fire based on which principle?

Possible Answers:

None of the other answers

All-Half-or-Nothing Principle

The Principles of Psychology

Principle of Voluntary Exchange

All-or-Nothing Principle

Correct answer:

All-or-Nothing Principle

Explanation:

Neurons fire according to the All-or-Nothing Principle, meaning that they will either fire completely or not at all. There is no in-between or half-fire.

Example Question #12 : Neurons And Action Potentials

Neurons that are responsible for relaying messages from the sensory organs to the central nervous system are ____________.

Possible Answers:

interneurons

afferent neurons

efferent neurons

brain neurons

Correct answer:

afferent neurons

Explanation:

Afferent neurons, also known as sensory neurons, are the neurons that relay information to the central nervous system from the sensory organs. Efferent neurons are the motor neurons that carry the nerve impulses away from the central nervous system to the effectors. Interneurons are the neurons that transmit impulses between other neurons. 

Example Question #902 : Individual Psychology And Behavior

Myelin sheaths insulate the axon of a neuron allowing for more efficient transmission of an action potential. These sheaths are made from ___________.

Possible Answers:

glial cells

other neurons

blood cells

skin cells

Correct answer:

glial cells

Explanation:

Glial cells are specialized cells found in the central nervous system. Myelin sheaths are made up of glial cells that insulate the axon of a neuron.  

Example Question #14 : Neurons And Action Potentials

Which part of the neuron receives information from other cells and relays it to the cell body?

Possible Answers:

Axons

Synapse

Dendrites

Cell branches

Nucleus

Correct answer:

Dendrites

Explanation:

Dendrites are the part of the cell that receive information from other neurons and relay it to the cell body. This is easy to remember if you visualize a diagram of the neuron because dendrites look like branches coming out of the cell body. 

As for the other answers, axons transmit information to other neurons (as opposed to receiving it), cell branches do not exist (that was a trick answer choice because dendrites look like branches), the synapse is the slight gap between two neurons through which electrical signals pass, and the nucleus is the part of the cell body that contains chromosomes. 

Example Question #15 : Neurons And Action Potentials

Which of the following describes one function of an interneuron? 

Possible Answers:

It insulates axons

It helps produce movement

It connects sensory neurons and motor neurons

It conveys information from the outside world to the brain

It transmits information across the synapse

Correct answer:

It connects sensory neurons and motor neurons

Explanation:

Interneurons connect sensory neurons to motor neurons. 

It is motor neurons that help produce movement, sensory neurons that convey information from the outside world to the brain, myelin sheaths that insulate axons, and neurotransmitters that transmit information across the synapse. 

Example Question #1312 : Ap Psychology

What is the name of the time after a neuron fires?

Possible Answers:

Refractory period

Synapse

Resting potential

Action potential

Correct answer:

Refractory period

Explanation:

The time frame when a neuron cannot fire because it has just fired is called the refractory period. 

Example Question #16 : Neurons And Action Potentials

What causes the synaptic vesicle to move towards and fuse with the cell membrane allowing for release of neurotransmitter?

Possible Answers:

Nodes of Ranvier

Resting potential

Action potential

Refractory period

Correct answer:

Action potential

Explanation:

Action potentials travel down the axon to the axon terminal. When an action potential arrives in the axon terminal it signals the synaptic vesicles to move toward the cell membrane. The synaptic vesicle fuses with the cell membrane and releases neurotransmitter. 

Example Question #906 : Individual Psychology And Behavior

When leftover neurotransmitter is present in the synapse there is a process that allows the neurotransmitter to be reabsorbed by the releasing neuron. What is this process called?

Possible Answers:

Reuptake

Release

Inhibitory

Excitatory

Correct answer:

Reuptake

Explanation:

Reuptake is a term used to describe the process of a neuron absorbing the remaining neurotransmitter back into the axon terminal for release. SSRIs used to treat depression, they function by inhibiting this reuptake process for serotonin.

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