Test Bank Chapter 2 Body Systems & Health Psychology

Chapter 2

An Introduction to Body Systems and Psychological Influences on Health

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Charles Darwin proposed that ________ are a product of evolution that increased the chance of survival.
   1. genes
   2. chromosomes
   3. emotional reactions
   4. immune responses

Page: 21

1. Simultaneous contraction of the right and left ventricles of the heart sends blood out to the lungs (right ventricle) and the rest of the body (left ventricle) via the ________.
   1. veins
   2. atria
   3. capillaries
   4. aorta

Page: 22

1. Myocardial infarctions are the result of the process of ________.
   1. oxygenation
   2. angina
   3. fibrillation
   4. atherosclerosis

Page: 22

1. Angina refers to pain or tightness in the ________.
   1. abdomen
   2. lungs
   3. chest or stomach
   4. chest or shoulder

Page: 23

1. Digestion begins in ________.
   1. the mouth
   2. the esophagus
   3. the stomach
   4. the small intestine

Page: 23

1. The digestive process is controlled both locally and by ________.
   1. the liver
   2. the brain
   3. the stomach
   4. the small intestine

Page: 24

1. In the respiratory system, exchanges of oxygen and carbon dioxide between external air and blood take place in the ________.
   1. alveoli
   2. bronchi
   3. bronchioli
   4. trachea

Page: 24

1. The brain can speed or slow respiration by controlling the stimulation of the ________.
   1. larynx
   2. lungs
   3. trachea
   4. diaphragm

Page: 25

1. The renal system does not ________.
   1. regulate blood pressure
   2. regulate the immune system
   3. remove waste products
   4. control the retention and excretion of electrolytes

Page: 25

1. The primary components of the immune system are ________.
   1. hormones
   2. enzymes
   3. individual cells
   4. neurotransmitters

Page: 25

1. ________ is a classic sign of infection.
   1. Bleeding
   2. High blood pressure
   3. Inflammation
   4. Fainting

Page: 25

1. Inflammation is promoted by ________, which is/are secreted by certain cells of the immune system.
   1. acetylcholine
   2. norepinephrine
   3. cytokines and histamine
   4. leukocytes

Page: 25

1. Natural immunity protects against ________ threats only.
   1. novel
   2. common
   3. mild
   4. extreme

Page: 26

1. B-lymphocytes produce and secrete ________.
   1. antibodies
   2. toxins
   3. cytokines
   4. viruses

Page: 27

1. The baroreflex ________.
   1. raises blood pressure when less blood is flowing to the brain
   2. monitors the presence of glucose in the blood supplying the brain
   3. controls renal function to eliminate toxic substances that may affect the brain
   4. raises blood pressure when more blood is flowing to the brain

Page: 27

1. The autonomic nervous system is subdivided into the ________.
   1. sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
   2. afferent and efferent nervous systems
   3. central and peripheral nervous systems
   4. sensory and motor systems

Page: 29

1. The endocrine system does not ________.
   1. release hormones
   2. complement and extend peripheral nervous system activity
   3. remove waste products from the blood
   4. influence body function

Pages: 30-31

1. Release of hormones from the central portion of the adrenal gland is controlled by the ________.
   1. sympathetic nervous system
   2. pituitary gland
   3. kidney
   4. parasympathetic nervous system

Page: 30

1. Physiologist Walter Cannon identified the broad pattern of response to threat that he called ________ response pattern.
   1. the up-and-down
   2. the take-no-prisoners
   3. the fight-or-flight
   4. the head-and-heart

Page: 31

1. Sympathetic nervous system activity ________.
   1. stimulates smooth muscle contraction in the gastrointestinal system
   2. stimulates the bronchioles of the lungs
   3. increases heart rate
   4. constricts blood vessels supplying large muscles in the arms and legs

Pages: 31-32

1. Gastrointestinal ulcers have not been linked to ________.
   1. bacterial infections
   2. viral infections
   3. chronic stress
   4. depression

Pages: 34-35

1. Vasovagal reactions are thought to occur as a consequence of ________.
   1. actual blood loss
   2. anticipated blood loss
   3. cultural influences
   4. non-diagnosed illness

Pages: 36-37

1. Compared to a vasovagal reaction, hypertension is ________.
   1. defined by high blood pressure
   2. acute
   3. characterized by a “dip” in pressure during sleep
   4. related to uncontrollable stress

Page: 37

1. Using rats, Selye (1956) observed that removal of the ________ prevented stress-induced ulcers.
   1. adrenal glands
   2. spleen
   3. thyroid gland
   4. parathyroid glands

Page: 39

1. Anderson and colleagues found that women with breast cancer who participated in ________ after surgery were significantly less likely to experience a recurrence.
   1. hypnosis
   2. experimental drug studies
   3. stress reduction groups
   4. experimental surgical treatment

Page: 40

Short Answer Questions

1. Briefly explain how the expression of emotion can generally increase the chance of survival but also, in certain cases, produce the opposite result.

Pages: 31-32

1. Briefly discuss why the activation of the immune system, which is designed to protect the body, can actually lead to illness.

Pages: 27, 40-41

1. Explain why the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is important in health psychology.

Pages: 30-31

1. Describe the effect of life stress on immune function.

Page: 41

1. Explain why the work of Hans Selye was popular in his time and why it is still relevant today.

Pages: 34-39

1. Explain why the emotional anticipation of an important event that may never occur can be useful for evolution but harmful in modern life.

Pages: 34, 36-37

1. Explain why it is incorrect to declare the ulcer problem “solved” despite Marshall and Warren’s discovery of the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium.

Pages: 34-35

1. Briefly outline and discuss two examples that demonstrate that the central nervous system controls the digestive process.

Pages: 24, 29, 32

1. Briefly compare and contrast the functions of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

Pages: 28-29

1. List a common cause of chronic stress in modern life and explain how this may affect the autonomic and the endocrine systems, leading to certain illnesses.

Pages: 31-35, 37-38

Essay Answer Questions

1. Compare and contrast the responses of the central nervous system and the immune system when defending the body against an outside threat.

• the availability of ready-to-use automatic responses, reflexes, and natural immunity; and,
• the built-in capability for long-term memory to effectively tailor a response to a particular threat.

On the other hand,

• the central nervous system is generally faster than the immune system;
• the central nervous system operates against external, macroscopic threats, whereas the immune system operates against microscopic threats entering the body; and,
• the central nervous system operates by orchestrating behaviours, whereas the immune system operates by delivering proteins (antibodies) and/or specialized cells (lymphocytes) against any invader.

Pages: 25-29

1. Discuss the role of the hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that is most profoundly involved in stress response.

• the role of the hypothalamus as a “hub” controlling most autonomic, emotional, and neuro-vegetative functions;
• how the hypothalamus controls the anterior pituitary (portal system) and its different control of the posterior pituitary;
• the name of the peptide involved, including CRF;
• how the anterior pituitary works, with a focus on the secretion of ACTH;
• the adrenal cortex, the endocrine gland targeted by ACTH;
• the main adrenal hormone controlled by ACTH, cortisol, and its centrality in the response to stress; and,
• the chronic overproduction of cortisol being linked to several illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, and digestive ulcers.

Pages: 30-31

1. Discuss the evidence linking chronic stress to gastric ulcers as well as the evidence against this connection.

• that stress leads to the formation of gastrointestinal ulcers;
• the popularity of these observations;
• criticism of this early work and subsequent observations in rats demonstrating that inescapable shock increases the risk of gastrointestinal ulcers;
• the relationship of inescapable shock to animal models of depression, such as “learned helplessness,” and the corroboration of this hypothesis by the effectiveness of antidepressants in suppressing ulcers in inescapable shock experiments;
• the discovery of an infectious agent contributing to ulcer formation: H. pylori;
• 1995 epidemiological data from post-earthquake Japan reviving the stress hypothesis for ulcer formation; and,
• the modern multi-factorial view of the causes of ulcer formation.

Pages: 34-35

1. Outline the likely process linking chronic stress, hypertension, endothelial damage, and vascular inflammation to coronary vascular obstruction and, eventually, cardiac ischemia.

• how acute stress increases blood pressure via the autonomic and endocrine mechanisms (i.e., catecholamines and steroids);
• how repeated acute stresses and/or chronic stress can lead to sustained and eventually chronic hypertension—the mechanism of this transition is not well understood;
• the fact that hypertension in combination with inappropriate diet (fats) and smoking produces damage to the arterial wall, starting from the endothelium—both diet and smoking are directly linked to stress;
• the fact that arterial damage eventually translates into the formation of atherosclerotic plaque, which can obstruct blood flow in critical areas such as the coronary supply to the heart; and,
• how, in combination with coronary vassal constriction (linked to stress), atherosclerotic plaque can lead to a sudden blockage of blood supply to the heart, causing ischemia and death.

Pages: 37-38

1. Using specific examples compare and contrast the effects of (1) damage to the somatic nervous system and (2) disruption of the autonomic nervous system.

• compression or a section of the peripheral motor nerves controlling the right hand;
• damage due to stroke or head trauma, destroying a portion of the central motor cortex controlling the right hand; and,
• in both cases, the result is a very specific and localized deficit (paralysis of the right hand) and does not affect the movement of other parts of the body (e.g., the left hand).

In parallel, it will emerge that tumors or trauma can damage portions of the autonomic nervous system, but the resulting effects will be less obvious because

• the autonomic nervous system has a modulatory role (for example, the heart keeps beating even in the absence of sympathetic and/or parasympathetic input). This contrasts with the skeletal muscle which is paralyzed without motor innervation.
• compensatory mechanisms can obscure the effect of the lesion (for example, in the absence of sympathetic innervation, catecholamines from the adrenal medulla are still available and the heart will respond to them). This contrasts with the skeletal muscle, which has no compensatory mechanisms without motor innervation.

Pages: 27-29