4.2.2.2 Synaptic transmission Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. What is the name of the small gap between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons?

   • The axon terminal
   • The myelin sheath
   • The synaptic cleft
   • The node of Ranvier

2. Where are neurotransmitters stored before release in the presynaptic neuron?

   • In synaptic vesicles in the presynaptic terminal
   • In the nucleus of the cell body, where the chemical is first made
   • Inside the myelin sheath that wraps around the axon of the neuron
   • In the postsynaptic receptor sites on the dendrite of the next cell

3. Which neurotransmitter is typically inhibitory in the brain?

   • Adrenaline
   • Dopamine
   • GABA
   • Acetylcholine

4. An excitatory neurotransmitter has which effect on the postsynaptic neuron?

   • It breaks down the presynaptic vesicle so the chemical cannot reach the cleft at all
   • It makes the postsynaptic neuron more likely to fire an action potential
   • It makes the postsynaptic neuron less likely to fire by moving it further from threshold
   • It prevents any further release of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic terminal

5. An inhibitory neurotransmitter produces which change in the postsynaptic membrane?

   • Hyperpolarisation, which moves the membrane further from threshold
   • Permanent closure of the synapse, so that no signal can ever cross it again
   • An immediate action potential in every case, regardless of the membrane potential
   • Depolarisation, which moves the membrane closer to the threshold for firing

6. Reuptake is the process by which:

   • Neurotransmitters are manufactured in the postsynaptic cell and then released into the cleft
   • Neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the myelin sheath that surrounds the axon
   • Neurotransmitter molecules are taken back into the presynaptic neuron after release
   • Neurotransmitters are moved into the bloodstream from the cleft and carried away

7. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter used at which junction?

   • The junction between the pituitary gland and the adrenal gland
   • The junction between two sensory neurons in the skin
   • The neuromuscular junction between a motor neuron and a muscle
   • The junction between two glial cells in the brain

8. A drug blocks the reuptake of serotonin from the synaptic cleft. What is the most likely effect?

   • Serotonin is released in larger amounts into the blood rather than the synapse
   • Serotonin is destroyed before it reaches the cleft, so it has no effect at all
   • The postsynaptic neuron stops producing receptors, so the signal is blocked
   • Serotonin remains in the synapse for longer, prolonging its effect

9. A drug mimics a neurotransmitter and binds to the same receptors. What is this drug called?

   • An agonist
   • An enzyme
   • A reuptake inhibitor
   • An antagonist

10. A postsynaptic neuron receives excitatory and inhibitory inputs at the same time. What determines whether it fires?

    • Whether the axon is longer than the dendrite, so the impulse has further to travel
    • Whether the summed excitation exceeds the threshold after inhibition is taken into account
    • Whether the presynaptic neuron has a thick myelin sheath that speeds the impulse up along the axon
    • Whether the neurotransmitter has been stored in vesicles for a long time before release

11. Dopamine deficiency is associated with which condition in the context of brain neurochemistry?

    • Type 1 diabetes
    • Multiple sclerosis
    • Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stage
    • Parkinson's disease

12. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work by:

    • Destroying serotonin receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, which removes the signal
    • Increasing the production of acetylcholine in the cleft, which boosts the other chemical
    • Blocking the reabsorption of serotonin so more remains in the synapse
    • Stopping action potentials in motor neurons, so that no impulses reach the muscles

13. A drug blocks the enzyme that normally breaks down acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft. What is the expected result?

    • The postsynaptic membrane becomes more negative and inhibited, stopping the signal early
    • More acetylcholine remains in the cleft, prolonging its effect on the postsynaptic receptors
    • The synaptic cleft widens so much that the signal cannot cross and the message is lost
    • Less acetylcholine is released from the presynaptic neuron, so the signal weakens quickly

14. Why does an action potential not cross the synapse, while a neurotransmitter can?

    • The action potential is converted into electrical current that jumps the gap between the two cells
    • The action potential travels through the myelin sheath and jumps across the gap in the membrane
    • Action potentials can only travel along continuous axons inside a single neuron, never between neurons
    • The synapse is a chemical gap, so the signal must be carried across by diffusing neurotransmitter molecules

15. A single neurotransmitter can be excitatory at one synapse and inhibitory at another. What explains this?

    • The synaptic cleft is wider at inhibitory synapses, so less chemical crosses the gap
    • The amount of myelin on the axon changes the chemical that is released at the synapse
    • The neurotransmitter changes its chemical structure at each synapse it crosses in the brain
    • The type of receptor on the postsynaptic neuron determines the effect

16. A researcher finds that a neurotransmitter has excitatory effects in one region of the brain and inhibitory effects elsewhere. Which evaluation point is most appropriate?

    • Such findings show that neurotransmitter effects depend on the receptors and circuits involved
    • Such findings are only possible in animal studies and cannot be replicated in human brains
    • Such findings show that all neurons share an identical structure across the brain
    • Such findings prove that neurotransmitters have no real effect on behaviour at all

17. Which sequence correctly describes synaptic transmission?

    • Calcium enters the postsynaptic neuron first, and then neurotransmitter is manufactured in the cleft itself before release
    • Action potential reaches the terminal, calcium enters, vesicles fuse, and neurotransmitter is released into the cleft
    • Vesicles fuse first with the membrane, then neurotransmitter binds to the myelin sheath, then calcium enters the axon
    • Neurotransmitter is released into the cleft, then the action potential reaches the terminal, then vesicles fuse with the membrane

18. A neuron has a synapse where a neurotransmitter binds to a receptor and opens chloride channels. Which effect would be expected?

    • Immediate release of neurotransmitter from the postsynaptic cell back into the cleft
    • Permanent destruction of the presynaptic terminal, so no further signals can be sent
    • Hyperpolarisation, making the postsynaptic neuron less likely to fire
    • Depolarisation, making the postsynaptic neuron more likely to fire an action potential

19. A drug is found to increase the amount of noradrenaline remaining in the synapse. Which process is most likely being blocked?

    • Activation of the postsynaptic receptors, which allows the signal to cross the gap
    • Myelination of the axon, which speeds up conduction of the impulse along it
    • Reuptake of noradrenaline into the presynaptic neuron
    • Synthesis of noradrenaline in the cell body before it is packaged into vesicles

20. A student states that neurotransmitters act within milliseconds at synapses. Which feature of synaptic transmission explains why this is so fast?

    • Chemical diffusion across a very small gap and rapid binding to receptors
    • Growth of new synapses in response to repeated stimulation over several days
    • Conduction along a myelinated axon in a continuous path with no gaps between cells
    • The slow release of hormones into the blood that act on distant target organs

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