Lesson 8.1.2

8.1.2 Action potentials and saltatory conduction Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology, Unit 8

20 questions

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Lesson 8.1.2, Action potentials and saltatory conduction: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology (9BI0), Unit 8: Grey Matter, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the typical resting membrane potential of a human neurone?

    • 0 mV
    • +40 mV
    • -55 mV
    • -70 mV
  2. Which ion movement causes depolarisation during an action potential?

    • Potassium efflux
    • Sodium influx
    • Sodium efflux
    • Potassium influx
  3. Which ion movement causes repolarisation of an axon membrane?

    • Potassium influx
    • Sodium influx
    • Potassium efflux
    • Sodium efflux
  4. According to the all-or-nothing principle, what increases when stimulus strength rises above threshold?

    • Action potential speed
    • Action potential frequency
    • Action potential duration
    • Action potential amplitude
  5. What is a main function of the refractory period in neurones?

    • Unidirectional impulse travel
    • Increased impulse amplitude
    • Continuous depolarisation
    • Accelerated ATP synthesis
  6. Why can an action potential not travel backwards during the refractory period?

    • Inactivated sodium channels
    • Closed potassium channels
    • Blocked myelin sheaths
    • Depleted ATP supply
  7. Where does depolarisation occur during saltatory conduction on a myelinated axon?

    • Synaptic clefts
    • Nodes of Ranvier
    • Schwann cell cytoplasm
    • Myelin sheaths
  8. What is a major advantage of saltatory conduction compared to continuous conduction?

    • Faster impulse speed
    • Larger action potentials
    • Greater neurotransmitter release
    • Lower resting potential
  9. An axon conducts at 100 m/s when myelinated and 1 m/s unmyelinated. How many times faster is it?

    • 1000 times
    • 50 times
    • 100 times
    • 10 times
  10. Which active transport mechanism restores original ion concentrations after action potentials pass?

    • Voltage-gated potassium channel
    • Sodium-potassium pump
    • Voltage-gated sodium channel
    • Calcium ion pump
  11. What causes repolarisation to begin during an action potential?

    • Calcium channels opening
    • Sodium channels closing
    • Potassium channels closing
    • Sodium channels opening
  12. What happens when a neurone receives a subthreshold stimulus?

    • Smaller action potential
    • Continuous action potential
    • Slower action potential
    • No action potential
  13. By what mechanism does a myelin sheath speed up impulse conduction?

    • Synaptic summation
    • Saltatory conduction
    • Active transport
    • Continuous conduction
  14. Which change reduces the conduction speed of an action potential?

    • Greater threshold
    • Increased axon diameter
    • Loss of myelin
    • Higher temperature
  15. How does increasing axon diameter affect nerve impulse conduction speed?

    • Speed stops completely
    • Speed increases
    • Speed decreases
    • Speed remains constant
  16. What triggers voltage-gated sodium channels to open in a neurone?

    • Membrane hyperpolarisation
    • Neurotransmitter binding
    • Membrane depolarisation
    • ATP hydrolysis
  17. Where does ion exchange occur along a myelinated axon?

    • Inside Schwann cells
    • Across entire axon
    • At synaptic knobs
    • Nodes of Ranvier
  18. What directly triggers depolarisation at the next node of Ranvier?

    • Active transport pumps
    • Local ionic currents
    • Neurotransmitter diffusion
    • Potassium influx
  19. Which factor determines the conduction speed of an action potential?

    • Frequency of impulses
    • Stimulus strength
    • Action potential amplitude
    • Axon diameter
  20. A myelinated axon is 500 mm long with nodes spaced 1 mm apart. How many nodes are present?

    • 1000
    • 250
    • 50
    • 500

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