1. Name:______________________________ Instructor:____________________ Grade: _________ LO: 39
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Revised by Jennifer Ward on 11/24/13
Chapter 3
Conceptual Work Sheets for
Physiological Processes
Now that we have an understanding of some biophysical structures, and what happens to stability as structures increase in
complexity, we can look at the complex human structure that begins as a single cell. In this chapter, we will cover the
aspects of human structure and function that are most closely related to behavior.
Anatomy and Physiology—Structure and Function
1. What is anatomy? (1)
A. The study of behavior
B. The study of the physical structure of plants and animals
C. The study of the functions performed by organs and other structures of complex creatures
D. The study of the behavior of plants
E. The study of the stars
2. What is physiology? (1)
A. The study of the structure of complex creatures
B. The study of medical diseases
C. The study of behavior
D. The study of perception
E. The study of the function of living things and their organs
Simple Stimulus Transfer, Absorption, and Transformation
Human behavior is strongly affected by environmental stimuli. This section will focus on how stimuli come to be sensed
by an organism. Later we will talk about how the sensory experience contributes to behavior.
3. What is stimulus transfer? (1)
A. The production of energy by cells in one part of a creature
B. The release of energy that is absorbed by structures in one part of a creature
C. The conducting of a stimulus energy from one part of a creature to another
D. A situation where all cells in a multiple-celled creature respond to a stimulus as a unit
E. All of the above involve stimulus transfer
4. How might the effects of contact with an object on the part of some cells be transferred to the rest of the cells in the
group (1)
A. Through “word of cell”
B. Through the transferring of the mechanical force of the contact from cell to cell
C. Through non-verbal communication between cells
D. Through the release of a low tone by the first cell receiving the impact
E. Through absorption of the mechanical force of the contact by the first cell receiving the impact.
5. What two problems might the transfer method described in the above objective present? (1)

2. A. If too much energy is released by the cells, it could kill the creature; the release of counter force might result in
further force by the object
B. The energy may be lost before it reaches all the cells; if too much energy is released by the cells, it may kill the
creature.
C. The energy may be lost before it reaches all the cells; the transfer time may be too long to enable the creature to
respond quickly enough.
D. The transfer time may be too long to enable the creature to respond quickly enough; the cells receiving the impact
may send a faulty message to the other cells.
E. All of the above are problems that could arise
6. Define absorption. (1)
A. A release of energy which occurs when a stimulus makes contact
B. The conducting of a stimulus energy from one part of a creature to another
C. A situation where all cells in a multi-celled creature respond to a stimulus as a unit
D. A change in physical or chemical structure when a stimulus makes contact
E. A situation where structure fails to change upon coming in contact with a stimulus.
7. By the way, what is a stimulus? (1)
A. Any event in our physical world
B. Objects
C. Energy
D. Heat
E. All of the above are stimuli
8. What factors govern whether or not a stimulus is absorbed by a particular creature? (1)
A. The form of the stimulus
B. The strength of the stimulus
C. The physical makeup of the creature
D. The chemical makeup of the creature
E. All of the above
9. Define receptor. (1)
A. Specialized cells well suited to absorb certain forms of energy
B. Specialized cells whose function is to release certain forms of energy
C. Specialized forms of cells that function to counteract incoming energy
D. Odd looking metal structures humans put on top of their dwellings
E. Structures that function to reach for and seize certain types of matter.
10. Which of the following best defines stimulus transfer? (1)
A. Specialized cells well suited to absorb certain forms of energy
B. A change in chemical or physical structure when a stimulus makes contact.
C. The conducting of energy from one part of a creature to another
D. The release of energy by receptors at random
E. A change of stimulus from one form of energy to another.
11. Into what two forms of energy must stimuli be transformed before they can be transferred throughout the human
system? (1)
A. Kinetic; electrochemical
B. Electromechanical; chemical
C. Chemical; electrochemical
D. Kinetic; psychic
E. Kinetic; chemical
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3. 12. Which of the following is an/are example(s) of the simplest form of stimulus transfer? (1)
a. Pain
b. Vision
c. Touch
d. Cold
e. All of the above.
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Major Stimulus Transfer Systems
13. Define endocrine system (1)
A. Stimulus transfer system involving chemicals dispersed by glands into the bloodstream, where contact with
tissues is made through blood circulation
B. Stimulus transfer system made of specialized cells that form pathways through which electrochemical energy is
conducted.
C. Stimulus transfer system involving the dispersion of electrochemical energy through the bloodstream.
D. Stimulus transfer system involving the dispersion of specialized cells into the bloodstream, where they release
kinetic energy
E. Stimulus transfer system involving chemicals dispersed by glands to specialized cells which release
electromechanical energy into the bloodstream
14. In the endocrine system, how are the chemicals which make contact with the body structures distributed? (1)
A. Through neural pathways
B. Through the bloodstream
C. Through the respiratory system
D. Through long axon fibers
E. Through the autonomic nervous system
15. Which of the following defines nervous system? (1)
A. Stimulus transfer system involving the release of certain chemicals into the bloodstream, where contact with
tissues is made through blood circulation
B. Stimulus transfer system involving the dispersion of specialized cells into the bloodstream, where they release
kinetic energy
C. Stimulus transfer system made of specialized cells that form pathways through which electrochemical energy is
conducted
D. Stimulus transfer system involving the production of electrochemical and chemical energy for transfer
E. None of the above.
16. Which transfer system allows for rapid and selective action? (1)
A. The endocrine system
B. The nervous system
C. The kinetic energy transfer system
D. The respiratory system
E. Both the endocrine and the nervous system are very rapid
17. What special part of the nervous system connects with the endocrine system? (1)
A. The central nervous system
B. The endocrine nervous system
C. The chemical nervous system
D. The afferent nervous system
E. The autonomic nervous system
18. What does it mean to say the nervous system does nothing on its own? (1)

4. A. It’s dependent on the body it’s in
B. It needs to be consciously controlled by its owner
C. It’s totally dependent on the environment
D. It always has to be told what to do by its owner
E. It often makes errors of transfer
19. What is the main function of the nervous system? (1)
A. Chemical transfer
B. The maintenance of balance in the creature
C. Integrating movements
D. Stimulus transfer
E. Extra-verbal transfer
20. Why is stimulus selection a crucial function? (1)
A. Because without stimulus selection, we couldn’t respond to each stimulus in its turn.
B. Because responding to every stimulus contacted isn’t always good for survival
C. It’s sometimes very important which stimuli out of all those being absorbed at a given instance we respond to
D. A & C
E. B & C
21. What is meant by the term “arousal function”? (1)
A. A decrease in activity in the parts of the body in response to a stimulus input
B. A change in energy from chemical to electrochemical, allowing responses to occur
C. An overall stopping of activity in the nervous system, allowing the creatures to rest
D. An overall increase in activity on the parts of the body in response to a stimulus input
E. All of the above fall under the heading of “arousal”
22. What are the two main ways the nervous system creates arousal? (1)
A. The ANS causes the endocrine glands to secrete chemicals into the bloodstream; through activation of the
reticular formation
B. Through the activation of the reticular formation; through ANS activation of muscle fibers
C. The ANS cause the receptors to become more sensitive to stimuli; The ANS causes endocrine glands to secrete
chemicals into the bloodstream
D. Through the inhibition of the reticular formation; through the direct activation of the brain through chemical
energy.
E. Through the inhibition of the reticular formation; the ANS causes endocrine glands to secrete chemicals into the
bloodstream.
23. What are the two types of feedback important for muscle function? (1)
A. Feedback from their own action; feedback from other muscles
B. Feedback from the nervous system; feedback from other muscles
C. Feedback from their own actions; feedback regarding the outcomes of their actions
D. Feedback regarding the outcomes from their actions; feedback from the nervous system
E. Feedback from the endocrine system; feedback from the nervous system
24. What is the point of contact between two neurons called? (1)
A. Synapse
B. Dendrite
C. Axon
D. Dentritic field
E. Axonic space
25. Which of the following defines synapse? (1)
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5. A. The space between the two dendrites
B. The pathway connecting efferent to afferent nerves
C. The part of a neuron that receives a stimulus input
D. The connection between two neurons
E. The part of the neuron cell body that transfers stimuli across the greatest distances.
26. State the All or None Law (1)
A. Nerve bundles either fire as a unit, involving all the neurons involved, or they don’t fire at all.
B. Neurons either fire as totally as they are capable, or they don’t fire at all
C. Neurons have several different levels of firing intensity, from low to high, but at each level they’re either
activated or they aren’t
D. As summated action of receptors grows, more neurons in a bundle begin to fire
E. Raw stimulus energy is either converted at the receptor level, or it isn’t.
27. If a neuron either fires or doesn’t, why are some stimuli experienced as stronger than others? Talk about how
receptors affect single neurons as well as how groups of neurons may affect stimulus strength. (2)
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Conceptual Exercise
The fly glided easily in the air, adhering to what would appear to an observer to be a totally unpredictable flight
pattern. It finally came to rest on a large pink structure. Little did it know the series of events such a seemingly harmless
act would trigger. For under its many legs, a flurry of activity had begun.
The simple act of landing produced pressure on the landing surface. And, under the surface, special cells had
converted that kinetic energy into a surge of a different kind of force—electrochemical energy. This energy was, at that
very instant, traveling through a series of nerve cells toward the center of the nervous system.
Upon reaching its destination, the energy was again re-routed, but this time toward a waiting group of muscle cells.
As the fly sat, warily rubbing its legs against each other, a giant hand started moving rapidly in its direction. But the fly
departed as quickly as it had come, and was soon gone from sight, to land another day on yet another nose.
1. The energy that occurred when the fly landed on the nose was an instance of which of the following? (1)
A. Stimulus discrimination
B. Stimulus transform
C. Stimulus transfer
D. Stimulus selection
E. A force field
2. What types of cells are specialized to perform the type of function mentioned in the above question? (1)
A. Nerve cells
B. Receptors
C. Axons
D. Dendrites
E. Energy Cells
3. The travelling of the electrochemical energy through the nervous system is called_____ (1)
A. Stimulus transform
B. Rapid transit

6. C. Stimulus selection
D. Energy reception
E. Stimulus transfer
4. In the example, the electrochemical energy was carried from the point of contact to the center of the nervous
system by what kind of nerves? (1)
A. Afferent
B. Efferent
C. Axonic
D. Dendritic
E. Carrier
5. The electrochemical energy was carried from the center of the nervous system to the muscle cells by what kind
of nerves? (1)
A. Muscular
B. Action
C. Afferent
D. Efferent
E. Axonic
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Thought Questions
1. As we pointed out in the chapter, physiology is the study of the functions performed by organs and other
anatomical structures of complex creatures. And psychology, as you know, is the study of behavior. How do the
two relate? Is it possible to study functions of structures in a creature without studying its behavior as well? Along
the same line, can you study behavior without looking at the structures that make up the creature? Think of some
problems faced by modern psychology that seem to require a combination of the two disciplines to answer. Also,
think of problems that would require the use of only one of the two areas of study. (6)