2017 Brain Bee Competition Questions

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2017 Questions

TEST QUESTION

How many neurons are in the


brain?

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100 billion
QUESTION 1 (1 POINT)

What type of photoreceptors are


found in the fovea?

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Cones
QUESTION 2 (1 POINT)

What type of memory would you


use to remember how to ice
skate?

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Nondeclarative or Procedural
Memory
QUESTION 3 (1 POINT)

What syndrome is characterized


by sleep attacks and cataplexy?

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Narcolepsy
QUESTION 4 (1 POINT)

The autonomic nervous system


has 2 branches. Which branch
increases adrenaline release
and blood flow to muscles?

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Sympathetic Nervous System


QUESTION 5 (1 POINT)

This condition is characterized


by a progressive and severe
impairment in mental function,
such as memory. One common
form of this condition is
Alzheimer’s disease. What is the
name of this condition? End
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Dementia
QUESTION 6 (1 POINT)

Amblyopia treatment works best


before the age of 8, when visual
circuits are still developing. What
is the name of the periods of time
when neural circuits are most
easily modified?
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Critical Periods
QUESTION 7 (1 POINT)

What is the active substance in


alcohol?

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Ethanol
QUESTION 8 (1 POINT)

What neurological disorder is


characterized by motor or verbal
tics, which are rapid, repetitive,
and involuntary?

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Tourette’s Syndrome
QUESTION 9 (1 POINT)

What is the disease caused by


the death of dopamine neurons
in the substantia nigra?

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Parkinson’s Disease
QUESTION 10 (1 POINT)

What is the term for


programmed cell death?

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Apoptosis
QUESTION 11 (2 POINTS)

Which disease, in which muscles


become weak and fatigued, is
caused by blockage of
acetylcholine receptors?

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Myasthenia Gravis
QUESTION 12 (2 POINTS)

What is the trophic factor that


slows the destruction of
acetylcholine neurons, making it
a potential therapy for
Alzheimer’s Disease?

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Nerve Growth Factor


QUESTION 13 (2 POINTS)

What area would be damaged in


a patient with a fluent aphasia?

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Wernicke’s Area
QUESTION 14 (2 POINTS)

This part of the hypothalamus


receives input from the retina
and expresses clock proteins to
regulate sleep patterns.

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Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
QUESTION 15 (2 POINTS)

What peptide neurotransmitter


stimulates C fibers and causes
pain?

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Substance P
QUESTION 16 (2 POINTS)

Down syndrome occurs due to


an extra copy of this
chromosome.

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Chromosome 21
QUESTION 17 (2 POINTS)

What is the name of the region of


the brain that controls coordination
and is dysfunctional in movement-
related disorders, such as
Parkinson’s and Huntington’s?

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Basal Ganglia
QUESTION 18 (2 POINTS)

What specific type of neuron


regulates the sensitivity of
muscle spindles?

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Gamma Motor Neuron


QUESTION 19 (2 POINTS)

Gliomas, which are brain


tumors, release toxic amounts
of which neurotransmitter?

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Glutamate
QUESTION 20 (2 POINTS)

Unspecialized cells that can


develop into specialized cells
like neurons, astrocytes, and
oligodendrocytes are known as
what?

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Stem Cells
QUESTION 21 (3 POINTS)

These structures interact with


signaling molecules to explore
the environment and guide
axons to their precise locations
during development.

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Growth Cones
QUESTION 22 (3 POINTS)

What is the name of the


condition in which normally
harmless stimuli produce painful
sensations?

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Allodynia
QUESTION 23 (3 POINTS)

The hormone ACTH is released


from the pituitary gland to
trigger the release of cortisol.
Where is cortisol released from?

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Adrenal Glands
QUESTION 24 (3 POINTS)

One theory of aging suggests


that accumulated cell
byproducts destroy fats and
proteins needed for normal cell
function and cause oxidative
stress. What is the name of
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Free Radicals
QUESTION 25 (3 POINTS)

ADHD is hypothesized to be
caused by decreased
transmission of a certain
category of neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters in this
category include dopamine and
epinephrine. What is this End
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Catecholamines
QUESTION 26 (3 POINTS)

Two regions of the brain


commonly associated with
dopamine transmission are often
affected by addictive drugs. Name
one of these regions.

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Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) or


Nucleus Accumbens
QUESTION 27 (3 POINTS)

In Alzheimer’s disease, the


protein tau can clump to form
neurofibrillary tangles.
Additionally, accumulations of a
certain peptide create plaques
around neurons. What is the
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Beta Amyloid (or Amyloid)


QUESTION 28 (3 POINTS)

What imaging technique


measures the concentration of
specific chemicals (ex.
neurotransmitters), instead of
blood flow?

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Magnetic Resonance
Spectroscopy (MRS)
QUESTION 29 (3 POINTS)

In post-traumatic stress disorder


(PTSD), which neurotransmitter
released by the brain during
stress remains at heightened
levels?

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Norepinephrine
(Dopamine also accepted)
QUESTION 30 (3 POINTS)

What is the term for swelling


caused by excess water in the
brain?

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Cerebral Edema

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