Question 1

Which type of sensory receptor is primarily responsible for detecting changes in blood chemistry, such as oxygen or carbon dioxide levels?

Accepted Answer

Chemoreceptors

Question 2

A patient presents with loss of sensation in the skin over the lateral forearm. Which nerve plexus is most likely affected?

Accepted Answer

Brachial plexus

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the difference between roots and rami of spinal nerves?

Accepted Answer

Roots are medial and form spinal nerves, each root is purely sensory or motor; rami are distal and can carry both sensory and motor fibers.

Question 4

Which cranial nerve is responsible for facial expressions and also carries taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue?

Accepted Answer

Facial nerve (VII)

Question 5

A patient with a spinal cord injury at the C3-C5 level is unable to breathe independently. Which nerve is most likely affected?

Accepted Answer

Phrenic nerve

Question 6

Which of the following is a function of proprioceptors?

Accepted Answer

Sensing stretch in skeletal muscles, tendons, and joints

Question 7

Which aspect of sensory perception allows you to identify the location of a stimulus on your skin using a two-point discrimination test?

Accepted Answer

Spatial discrimination

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the pathway of sensory impulses from the skin to the somatosensory cortex?

Accepted Answer

Second-order neurons transmit impulses from the spinal cord to the thalamus

Question 9

Which nerve plexus provides major motor and sensory innervation to the diaphragm?

Accepted Answer

Cervical plexus

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a component of a typical reflex arc?

Accepted Answer

Cerebellum

Question 11

Which type of reflex is responsible for preventing excessive muscle stretch and damage by causing muscle relaxation?

Accepted Answer

Tendon reflex

Question 12

If a patient loses sensation in a dermatome, why does this not usually result in complete numbness of the skin in that area?

Accepted Answer

Most dermatomes overlap, so destruction of a single spinal nerve will not cause complete numbness

Question 13

Which cranial nerve is primarily responsible for hearing and equilibrium?

Accepted Answer

Vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)

Question 14

Which of the following is TRUE regarding spinal nerves?

Accepted Answer

There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, all of which are mixed nerves

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the function of the somatosensory system?

Accepted Answer

It is part of the sensory system serving the body wall and limbs

Question 16

Which of the following is a learned (acquired) reflex?

Accepted Answer

Driving skills

Question 17

Which nerve is most likely to be affected if a patient cannot extend their knee and has numbness in the anterior thigh?

Accepted Answer

Femoral nerve

Question 18

Which of the following is a function of the vagus nerve (X)?

Accepted Answer

Regulates heart, lung, and abdominal organ activity

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the role of the integration center in a reflex arc?

Accepted Answer

It is either monosynaptic or polysynaptic region within the CNS

Question 20

Which of the following equations best represents the relationship between stimulus intensity and frequency of nerve impulses in magnitude estimation?

Accepted Answer

$$f = k 	imes I$$

Chapter 13: The Peripheral Nervous System and Reflexes – Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions