nervous system critical thinking questions

12.1 Structure and Function of the Nervous System

Learning objectives.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Relate the anatomical structures to the basic functions of the nervous system.

• Identify the anatomical and functional divisions of the nervous system
• List the basic functions of the nervous system

The Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems

The picture you have in your mind of the nervous system probably includes the brain , the nervous tissue contained within the cranium, and the spinal cord , the extension of nervous tissue within the vertebral column. Additionally, the nervous tissue   that reach out from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body ( nerves)  are also part of the nervous system. We can anatomically divide the nervous system into two major regions: the  central nervous system (CNS) is the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the nerves ( Figure 12.1.1 ). The brain is contained within the cranial cavity of the skull, and the spinal cord is contained within the vertebral canal of the vertebral column. The peripheral nervous system is so named because it is in the periphery—meaning beyond the brain and spinal cord.

Functional Divisions of the Nervous System

In addition to the anatomical divisions listed above, the nervous system can also be divided on the basis of its functions. The nervous system is involved in receiving information about the environment around us (sensory functions, sensation ) and generating responses to that information (motor functions, responses ) and coordinating the two ( integration ).

Sensation . Sensation refers to receiving information about the environment, either what is happening outside (ie: heat from the sun) or inside the body (ie: heat from muscle activity). These sensations are known as stimuli (singular = stimulus ) and different sensory receptors are responsible for detecting different stimuli. Sensory information travels towards the CNS through the PNS nerves in the specific division known as the afferent (sensory) branch of the PNS. When information arises from sensory receptors in the skin, skeletal muscles, or joints, it is transmitted to the CNS using somatic sensory neurons; when information arises from sensory receptors in the blood vessels or internal organs, it is transmitted to the CNS using visceral sensory neurons.

Response. The nervous system produces a response in effector organs (such as muscles or glands) due to the sensory stimuli. The motor ( efferent ) branch of the PNS carries signals away from the CNS to the effector organs. When the effector organ is a skeletal muscle, the neuron carrying the information is called a somatic motor neuron; when the effector organ is cardiac or smooth muscle or glandular tissue, the neuron carrying the information is called an autonomic motor neuron. Voluntary responses are governed by somatic motor neurons and involuntary responses are governed by the autonomic motor neurons, which are discussed in the next section.

Integration . Stimuli that are detected by sensory structures are communicated to the nervous system where information is processed. In the CNS, information from some stimuli is compared with, or integrated with, information from other stimuli or memories of previous stimuli. Then, a motor neuron is activated to initiate a response from the effector organ. This process during which sensory information is processed and a motor response generated is called integration (see Figure 12.1.2 below).

Chapter Review

The nervous system can be separated into divisions on the basis of anatomy and physiology. The anatomical divisions are the central and peripheral nervous systems. The CNS is the brain and spinal cord. The PNS is everything else and includes afferent and efferent branches with further subdivisions for somatic, visceral and autonomic function. Functionally, the nervous system can be divided into those regions that are responsible for sensation, those that are responsible for integration, and those that are responsible for generating responses.

Review Questions

Critical thinking questions.

1. What responses are generated by the nervous system when you run on a treadmill? Include an example of each type of tissue that is under nervous system control.

2. When eating food, what anatomical and functional divisions of the nervous system are involved in the perceptual experience?

Answers for Critical Thinking Questions

• Running on a treadmill involves contraction of the skeletal muscles in the legs (efferent somatic motor), increase in contraction of the cardiac muscle of the heart (efferent autonomic motor), and the production and secretion of sweat in the skin to stay cool (sensation of temp = afferent visceral sensory, sweat gland activation = efferent autonomic motor).
• The perceptual experience of eating food refers to tasting food, both in terms of flavors and texture. The neurons responsible for sensing taste are afferent somatic neurons of the PNS.

This work, Anatomy & Physiology, is adapted from Anatomy & Physiology by OpenStax , licensed under CC BY . This edition, with revised content and artwork, is licensed under CC BY-SA except where otherwise noted.

Images, from Anatomy & Physiology by OpenStax , are licensed under CC BY except where otherwise noted.

Access the original for free at https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-introduction .

Anatomy & Physiology Copyright © 2019 by Lindsay M. Biga, Staci Bronson, Sierra Dawson, Amy Harwell, Robin Hopkins, Joel Kaufmann, Mike LeMaster, Philip Matern, Katie Morrison-Graham, Kristen Oja, Devon Quick, Jon Runyeon, OSU OERU, and OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons
• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

Critical Thinking Questions

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 79356

The theory of evolution by natural selection requires variability of a given trait. Why is variability necessary and where does it come from?

Cocaine has two effects on synaptic transmission: it impairs reuptake of dopamine and it causes more dopamine to be released into the synaptic cleft. Would cocaine be classified as an agonist or antagonist? Why?

Drugs such as lidocaine and novocaine act as Na + channel blockers. In other words, they prevent sodium from moving across the neuronal membrane. Why would this particular effect make these drugs such effective local anesthetics?

What are the implications of compromised immune function as a result of exposure to chronic stress?

Examine Figure 3.14 , illustrating the effects of sympathetic nervous system activation. How would all of these things play into the fight or flight response?

Before the advent of modern imaging techniques, scientists and clinicians relied on autopsies of people who suffered brain injury with resultant change in behavior to determine how different areas of the brain were affected. What are some of the limitations associated with this kind of approach?

Which of the techniques discussed would be viable options for you to determine how activity in the reticular formation is related to sleep and wakefulness? Why?

Hormone secretion is often regulated through a negative feedback mechanism, which means that once a hormone is secreted it will cause the hypothalamus and pituitary to shut down the production of signals necessary to secrete the hormone in the first place. Most oral contraceptives are made of small doses of estrogen and/or progesterone. Why would this be an effective means of contraception?

Chemical messengers are used in both the nervous system and the endocrine system. What properties do these two systems share? What properties are different? Which one would be faster? Which one would result in long-lasting changes?

Search form

You are here.

• CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

• Describe how the body’s mechanisms maintain homeostasis?
• Why is excretion important in order to achieve osmotic balance?
• What is the role of the accessory organs in digestion?
• What is the role of minerals in maintaining good health?
• Discuss why obesity is a growing epidemic.
• Describe the function of these terms and describe where they are located: main bronchus, trachea, alveoli.
• How does the structure of alveoli maximize gas exchange?
• Describe the cardiac cycle.
• What is a similarity and a difference between an exocrine gland and an endocrine gland?
• Describe how hormone receptors can play a role in affecting the size of the responses of tissues to hormones.
• Many hormone systems regulate body functions through opposing hormone actions. Describe how opposing hormone actions regulate blood-glucose levels?
• What movements occur at the hip joint and knees as you bend down to pick something up?
• How are neurons similar to other cells? How are they unique?
• What are the main functions of the spinal cord?
• What are the main differences between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system?
• What are the main functions of the sensorysomatic nervous system?
• About OpenStax College
• Customization
• Coverage and Scope
• Pedagogical Foundation and Features
• Art and Animations that Engage
• Senior Contributors
• Faculty Contributors and Reviewers
• Learning Resources
• Introduction
• Sensitivity or Response to Stimuli
• Reproduction
• Growth and Development
• Homeostasis
• Energy Processing
• Levels of Organization of Living Things Art CONNECTION
• The Diversity of Life Evolution in Action
• Branches of Biological Study Careers In Action
• Natural Sciences
• Scientific Inquiry
• Hypothesis Testing Art Connection
• Basic and Applied Science
• Reporting Scientific Work
• Themes and Concepts of Biology
• The Process of Science
• ART CONNECTION QUESTIONS
• REVIEW QUESTIONS
• Atoms Art Connection Evolution In Action
• Ionic Bonds
• Covalent Bonds
• Hydrogen Bonds
• van der Waals Interactions Careers In Action
• Water Is Polar
• Water Stabilizes Temperature
• Water Is an Excellent Solvent
• Water Is Cohesive
• Buffers, pH, Acids, and Bases
• Carbon Bonding
• Carbohydrates Careers In Action
• Steroids and Waxes
• Protein Structure
• Nucleic Acids
• DNA Double-Helical Structure
• The Building Blocks of Molecules
• Biological Molecules
• Light Microscopes
• Electron Microscopes Careers in Action
• Cell Theory
• Components of Prokaryotic Cells
• Eukaryotic Cells
• The Plasma Membrane
• The Cytoplasm
• Flagella and Cilia
• The Nucleus
• The Endoplasmic Reticulum
• The Golgi Apparatus
• Vesicles and Vacuoles Art Connection
• Mitochondria
• Peroxisomes
• The Cell Wall
• Chloroplasts Evolution In Action
• The Central Vacuole
• Extracellular Matrix of Animal Cells
• Intercellular Junctions
• Fluid Mosaic Model Evolution In Action
• PassiveTransport Learning Objectives
• Selective Permeability
• Facilitated transport
• Tonicity Art Connection
• Moving Against a Gradient
• Endocytosis
• How Cells Are Studied
• Comparing Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
• The Cell Membrane
• Passive Transport
• Active Transport
• Metabolic Pathways
• Thermodynamics
• Potential and Kinetic Energy
• Free and Activation Energy Art Connection
• Feedback Inhibition in Metabolic Pathways
• ATP Structure and Function
• The Citric Acid Cycle
• Oxidative Phosphorylation Art Connection
• ATP Yield Careers In Action
• Lactic Acid Fermentation Art Connection
• Alcohol Fermentation
• Anaerobic Cellular Respiration
• Connections of Other Sugars to Glucose Metabolism
• Connections of Proteins to Glucose Metabolism
• Connections of Lipids to Glucose Metabolism Evolution In Action
• Energy and Metabolism
• Citric Acid Cycle and Oxidative Phosphorylation
• Fermentation
• Connections to Other Metabolic Pathways
• Solar Dependence and Food Production Biology in Action
• Main Structures and Summary of Photosynthesis Art Connection
• The Two Parts of Photosynthesis
• What Is Light Energy?
• Absorption of Light
• Understanding Pigments
• How Light-Dependent Reactions Work
• Generating an Energy Carrier: ATP
• Generating Another Energy Carrier: NADPH
• The Interworkings of the Calvin Cycle Evolution In Action
• Photosynthesis in Prokaryotes
• The Energy Cycle
• Overview of Photosynthesis
• The Light-Dependent Reactions of Photosynthesis
• The Calvin Cycle
• Genomic DNA
• Mitosis Art Connection
• Cytokinesis
• Control of the Cell Cycle
• The G1 Checkpoint
• The G2 Checkpoint
• The M Checkpoint
• Proto-oncogenes
• Tumor Suppressor Genes
• Binary Fission Evolution In Action
• The Cell Cycle
• Cancer and the Cell Cycle
• Prokaryotic Cell Division
• Life Cycles of Sexually Reproducing Organisms Art Connection
• Comparing Meiosis and Mitosis
• Nondisjunctions, Duplications, and Deletions
• Chromosome Structural Rearrangements Evolution In Action
• Sexual Reproduction
• Errors in Meiosis
• Mendel’s Crosses
• Garden Pea Characteristics Revealed the Basics of Heredity
• Law of Dominance
• Monohybrid Cross and the Punnett Square
• Test Cross Art Connection
• Law of Independent Assortment Art Connection
• Incomplete Dominance
• Codominance
• Multiple Alleles Evolution In Action
• Sex-Linked Traits Art Connection
• Linked Genes Violate the Law of Independent Assortment
• Mendel’s Experiments
• Laws of Inheritance
• Extensions of the Laws of Inheritance
• The Structure of RNA
• How DNA Is Arranged in the Cell
• Telomere Replication
• DNA Replication in Prokaryotes
• The Central Dogma: DNA Encodes RNA; RNA Encodes Protein
• Termination
• Eukaryotic RNA Processing
• The Protein Synthesis Machinery
• The Genetic Code
• The Mechanism of Protein Synthesis
• Prokaryotic versus Eukaryotic Gene Expression Evolution In Action
• The Structure of DNA
• DNA Replication
• Transcription
• Translation
• How Genes Are Regulated
• Review of Nucleic Acid Structure
• Isolation of Nucleic Acids
• Gel Electrophoresis
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Molecular Cloning
• Reproductive Cloning Art Connection
• Genetic Engineering
• Genetic Diagnosis and Gene Therapy
• Production of Vaccines, Antibiotics, and Hormones
• Transgenic Animals
• Transformation of Plants Using Agrobacterium tumefaciens
• The Organic Insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis
• FlavrSavr Tomato
• Mapping Genomes
• Whole Genome Sequencing
• Predicting Disease Risk at the Individual Level
• Genome-wide Association Studies
• Pharmacogenomics
• Metagenomics
• Creation of New Biofuels
• Mitochondrial Genomics
• Genomics in Forensic Analysis
• Genomics in Agriculture
• Cloning and Genetic Engineering
• Biotechnology in Medicine and Agriculture
• Genomics and Proteomics
• Variation and Adaptation
• Patterns of Evolution
• The Modern Synthesis
• Population Genetics
• Natural Selection
• Genetic Drift Art CONNECTION
• Anatomy and Embryology
• Biogeography
• Molecular Biology
• Speciation through Geographic Separation
• Speciation without Geographic Separation
• Evolution Is Just a Theory
• Individuals Evolve
• Evolution Explains the Origin of Life
• Evolution Is Controversial among Scientists
• Other Theories Should Be Taught
• Discovering How Populations Change
• Mechanisms of Evolution
• Evidence of Evolution
• Common Misconceptions about Evolution ART CONNECTION QUESTIONS
• The Levels of Classification Art CONNECTION
• Classification and Phylogeny
• Limitations of Phylogenetic Trees
• Misleading Appearances
• Molecular Comparisons Evolution In Action
• Shared Characteristics
• Choosing the Right Relationships
• Organizing Life on Earth
• Determining Evolutionary Relationships
• Early Life on Earth
• Characteristics of Prokaryotes
• The Cell Wall Art Connection
• How Prokaryotes Obtain Energy and Carbon
• Bacterial Diseases in Humans
• Historical Perspective
• The Antibiotic Crisis
• Foodborne Diseases Careers IN ACTION
• Beneficial Prokaryotes
• Prokaryotes, and Food and Beverages
• Prokaryotes in and on the Body
• Chloroplasts
• Protist Structure
• How Protists Obtain Energy
• Protist Diversity
• Plasmodium Species
• Trypanosomes
• Plant Parasites
• Protists as Food Sources
• Agents of Decomposition
• Growth and Reproduction
• How Fungi Obtain Nutrition
• Fungal Diversity
• Pathogenic Fungi
• Plant Parasites and Pathogens
• Animal and Human Parasites and Pathogens
• Importance to Ecosystems
• Importance to Humans
• Prokaryotic Diversity
• Eukaryotic Origin
• Alternation of Generations
• Sporangia in the Seedless Plants
• Gametangia in the Seedless Plants
• Apical Meristems
• Additional Land Plant Adaptations Evolution IN ACTION
• The Major Divisions of Land Plants
• Vascular Tissue: Xylem and Phloem
• Roots: Support for the Plant
• Leaves, Sporophylls, and Strobili
• Club Mosses
• Ferns and Whisk Ferns Careers IN ACTION
• The Evolution of Seed Plants
• Life Cycle of a Conifer Art Connection
• Gingkophytes
• Gnetophytes
• The Life Cycle of an Angiosperm Art Connection
• Basal Angiosperms
• Comparison of Structural Characteristics of Monocots and Eudicots
• The Plant Kingdom
• Seedless Plants
• Seed Plants: Gymnosperms
• Seed Plants: Angiosperms
• Complex Tissue Structure
• Sexual Reproduction and Embryonic Development
• Asexual Reproduction
• Body Symmetry
• Layers of Tissues
• Presence or Absence of a Coelom
• Protostomes and Deuterostomes
• Physiological Processes in Sponges
• Physiological Processes of Cnidarians
• Cnidarian Diversity
• Physiological Processes of Flatworms
• Diversity of Flatworms
• Physiological Processes of Nematodes
• Physiological Processes of Arthropods
• Arthropod Diversity
• Mollusk Diversity
• Physiological Processes of Annelida
• Annelid Diversity
• Echinoderms
• Physiological Processes of Echinoderms
• Echinoderm Diversity
• Chordates Art CONNECTION
• Invertebrate Chordates
• Jawless Fishes
• Jawed Fishes
• Bony Fishes
• Amphibian Diversity
• Features of the Animal Kingdom
• Sponges and Cnidarians
• Flatworms, Nematodes, and Arthropods
• Mollusks and Annelids
• Echinoderms and Chordates
• Vertebrates
• Thermoregulation Art CONNECTION
• Excretory System Careers IN ACTION
• Oral Cavity
• Small Intestine
• Large Intestine
• Accessory Organs Art CONNECTION
• Nutrition Biology IN ACTION
• The Respiratory System Art CONNECTION
• The Circulatory System
• The Heart Art CONNECTION
• The Cardiac Cycle
• Blood Vessels
• Hormones Career IN ACTION
• How Hormones Work
• Endocrine Glands
• Regulation of Hormone Production Art CONNECTION
• Skeletal System
• Joints and Skeletal Movement Careers IN ACTION
• Skeletal Muscle Fiber Structure and Function
• Neurons and Glial Cells Biology IN ACTION
• How Neurons Communicate
• The Central Nervous System
• Spinal cord
• The Peripheral Nervous System
• Homeostasis and Osmoregulation
• Digestive System
• Circulatory and Respiratory Systems
• Endocrine System
• Musculoskeletal System
• Nervous System
• Steps of Virus Infections Art CONNECTION
• Vaccines for Prevention
• Vaccines and Antiviral Drugs for Treatment
• External and Chemical Barriers
• The Inflammatory Response and Phagocytosis
• Natural Killer Cells
• B and T Cells
• Humoral Immune Response
• Cell-Mediated Immunity
• Immunological Memory Art CONNECTION
• The Lymphatic System
• Mucosal Immune System
• Immune Tolerance
• Immunodeficiency
• Autoimmunity
• Innate Immunity
• Adaptive Immunity
• Disruptions in the Immune System
• Fragmentation
• Parthenogenesis
• Hermaphroditism
• Sex Determination
• Fertilization
• Internal Fertilization
• Organogenesis
• Male Reproductive Anatomy ART CONNECTION
• Female Reproductive Anatomy
• Spermatogenesis
• Male Hormones
• Female Hormones
• The Ovarian Cycle and the Menstrual Cycle Art CONNECTION Careers IN ACTION
• How Animals Reproduce
• Development and Organogenesis
• Human Reproduction
• Estimating Population Size
• Species Distribution
• Life Tables
• Survivorship Curves
• Exponential Growth
• Carrying Capacity and the Logistic Model
• Role of Intraspecific Competition
• Examples of Logistic Growth Art CONNECTIONS
• Population Dynamics and Regulation
• Density-dependent Regulation
• Density-independent Regulation and Interaction with Density-dependent Factors Density-dependent Factors Evolution IN ACTON
• Demographic-Based Population Models
• Overcoming Density-Dependent Regulation
• Age Structure, Population Growth, and Economic Development Art CONNECTION
• Long-Term Consequences of Exponential Human Population Growth
• Defense Mechanisms against Predation and Herbivory
• Competitive Exclusion Principle
• Commensalism
• Biodiversity
• Foundation Species
• Keystone Species Biology IN ACTION
• Primary Succession and Pioneer Species
• Secondary succession
• Population Demographics and Dynamics
• Population Growth and Regulation
• The Human Population
• Community Ecology
• Ecosystems and Disturbance
• Food Chains and Food Webs
• How Organisms Acquire Energy in a Food Web
• Consequences of Food Webs: Biological Magnification
• The Water Cycle
• The Biological Carbon Cycle
• The Biogeochemical Carbon Cycle
• The Nitrogen Cycle Art CONNECTION
• The Phosphorus Cycle Careers IN ACTION
• The Sulfur Cycle
• Tropical Forest
• Temperate Grasslands
• Temperate Forests
• Boreal Forests
• Arctic Tundra
• Ocean Art CONNECTION
• Coral Reefs Evolution IN ACTION
• Estuaries: Where the Ocean Meets Fresh Water
• Lakes and Ponds
• Rivers and Streams
• Energy Flow through Ecosystems
• Biogeochemical Cycles
• Terrestrial Biomes
• Aquatic and Marine Biomes
• Genetic and Chemical Biodiversity
• Ecosystems Diversity
• Current Species Diversity
• Patterns of Biodiversity Careers IN ACTION
• Human Health
• Agricultural Art CONNECTION
• Wild Food Sources
• Habitat Loss Biology IN ACTION
• Overharvesting
• Exotic Species
• Climate Change
• Change in Biodiversity through Time
• Recent and Current Extinction Rates
• Estimates of Present-day Extinction Rates
• Changing Human Behavior
• Conservation in Preserves
• Habitat Restoration
• The Role of Zoos and Captive Breeding
• Importance of Biodiversity
• Threats to Biodiversity
• Preserving Biodiversity
• Periodic Table of the Elements
• Geological Time Clock
• Geological Time Chart
• Measurements and the Metric System

This action cannot be undo.

Choose a delete action Empty this page Remove this page and its subpages

Content is out of sync. You must reload the page to continue.

New page type Book Topic Interactive Learning Content

• Config Page
• Add Page Before
• Add Page After
• Delete Page

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons
• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

10.15: Critical Thinking Questions

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 69524

Why is elasticity an important quality of muscle tissue?

What would happen to skeletal muscle if the epimysium were destroyed?

Describe how tendons facilitate body movement.

What are the five primary functions of skeletal muscle?

What are the opposite roles of voltage-gated sodium channels and voltage-gated potassium channels?

How would muscle contractions be affected if skeletal muscle fibers did not have T-tubules?

What causes the striated appearance of skeletal muscle tissue?

How would muscle contractions be affected if ATP was completely depleted in a muscle fiber?

Why does a motor unit of the eye have few muscle fibers compared to a motor unit of the leg?

What factors contribute to the amount of tension produced in an individual muscle fiber?

Why do muscle cells use creatine phosphate instead of glycolysis to supply ATP for the first few seconds of muscle contraction?

Is aerobic respiration more or less efficient than glycolysis? Explain your answer.

What changes occur at the cellular level in response to endurance training?

What changes occur at the cellular level in response to resistance training?

What would be the drawback of cardiac contractions being the same duration as skeletal muscle contractions?

How are cardiac muscle cells similar to and different from skeletal muscle cells?

Why can smooth muscles contract over a wider range of resting lengths than skeletal and cardiac muscle?

Describe the differences between single-unit smooth muscle and multiunit smooth muscle.

Why is muscle that has sustained significant damage unable to produce the same amount of power as it could before being damaged?

Which muscle type(s) (skeletal, smooth, or cardiac) can regenerate new muscle cells/fibers? Explain your answer.

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons
• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

7.2.10: Critical Thinking Questions

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 98235

How does the polygastric digestive system aid in digesting roughage?

How do birds digest their food in the absence of teeth?

What is the role of the accessory organs in digestion?

Explain how the villi and microvilli aid in absorption.

Name two components of the digestive system that perform mechanical digestion. Describe how mechanical digestion contributes to acquiring nutrients from food.

What are essential nutrients?

What is the role of minerals in maintaining good health?

Discuss why obesity is a growing epidemic.

There are several nations where malnourishment is a common occurrence. What may be some of the health challenges posed by malnutrition?

Generally describe how a piece of bread can power your legs as you walk up a flight of stairs.

In the 1990s fat-free foods became popular among people trying to lose weight. However, many dieticians now conclude that the fat-free trend made people less healthy and heavier. Describe how this could occur.

Explain why some dietary lipid is a necessary part of a balanced diet.

The gut microbiome (the bacterial colonies in the intestines) have become a popular area of study in biomedical research. How could varying gut microbiomes impact a person’s nutrition?

Many mammals become ill if they drink milk as adults even though they could consume it as babies. What causes this digestive issue?

Describe how hormones regulate digestion.

Describe one or more scenarios where loss of hormonal regulation of digestion can lead to diseases.

A scientist is studying a model that has a mutation in the receptor for somatostatin that prevents hormone binding. How would this mutation affect the structure and function of the digestive system?

Critical Thinking Questions

The theory of evolution by natural selection requires variability of a given trait. Why is variability necessary and where does it come from?

Cocaine has two effects on synaptic transmission: it impairs reuptake of dopamine and it causes more dopamine to be released into the synapse. Would cocaine be classified as an agonist or antagonist? Why?

Drugs such as lidocaine and novocaine act as Na + channel blockers. In other words, they prevent sodium from moving across the neuronal membrane. Why would this particular effect make these drugs such effective local anesthetics?

What are the implications of compromised immune function as a result of exposure to chronic stress?

Examine Figure 3.14 , illustrating the effects of sympathetic nervous system activation. How would all of these things play into the fight or flight response?

Before the advent of modern imaging techniques, scientists and clinicians relied on autopsies of people who suffered brain injury with resultant change in behavior to determine how different areas of the brain were affected. What are some of the limitations associated with this kind of approach?

Which of the techniques discussed would be viable options for you to determine how activity in the reticular formation is related to sleep and wakefulness? Why?

Hormone secretion is often regulated through a negative feedback mechanism, which means that once a hormone is secreted it will cause the hypothalamus and pituitary to shut down the production of signals necessary to secrete the hormone in the first place. Most oral contraceptives are made of small doses of estrogen and/or progesterone. Why would this be an effective means of contraception?

Chemical messengers are used in both the nervous system and the endocrine system. What properties do these two systems share? What properties are different? Which one would be faster? Which one would result in long-lasting changes?

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/psychology/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: Rose M. Spielman, Kathryn Dumper, William Jenkins, Arlene Lacombe, Marilyn Lovett, Marion Perlmutter
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Psychology
• Publication date: Dec 8, 2014
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/psychology/pages/1-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/psychology/pages/3-critical-thinking-questions

© Feb 9, 2022 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.