Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main difference between the somatic and autonomic divisions of the motor (efferent) nervous system?

Accepted Answer

The somatic division uses a single motor neuron to innervate skeletal muscle, while the autonomic division uses two motor neurons to innervate smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands.

Question 2

A patient is experiencing increased heart rate, dilated pupils, and decreased digestive activity after a car accident. Which division of the autonomic nervous system is primarily responsible for these responses?

Accepted Answer

Sympathetic division

Question 3

Which neurotransmitter is released by preganglionic neurons in both the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Acetylcholine

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the organization of the autonomic nervous system is correct?

Accepted Answer

Sympathetic preganglionic neurons are shorter than parasympathetic preganglionic neurons.

Question 5

A drug that blocks muscarinic receptors would most directly affect which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Parasympathetic effects on target organs

Question 6

Which of the following is a unique feature of the sympathetic division compared to the parasympathetic division?

Accepted Answer

It innervates all vascular smooth muscle throughout the body.

Question 7

Which of the following best explains why the adrenal medulla is considered an exception to the typical two-neuron pathway of the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

It is innervated by a single preganglionic neuron that synapses directly within the gland, releasing hormones into the bloodstream.

Question 8

A person is resting after a meal. Which of the following physiological changes is most likely occurring due to increased parasympathetic activity?

Accepted Answer

Increased motility and blood flow to the digestive tract

Question 9

Which of the following equations correctly represents the pathway of a typical autonomic (visceromotor) reflex arc?

Accepted Answer

$$Sensory\ receptor \rightarrow Sensory\ (afferent)\ neuron \rightarrow CNS \rightarrow Preganglionic\ neuron \rightarrow Autonomic\ ganglion \rightarrow Postganglionic\ neuron \rightarrow Effector$$

Question 10

Which of the following best describes dual innervation in the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Most organs receive input from both sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions, which usually have antagonistic effects.

Question 11

A patient is given a drug that mimics the effect of norepinephrine on beta-adrenergic receptors. Which of the following responses would you expect?

Accepted Answer

Increased heart rate and bronchodilation

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the enteric nervous system (ENS) is correct?

Accepted Answer

It can function independently of the CNS and coordinates complex visceral reflexes in the digestive tract.

Question 13

Which cranial nerve is the primary carrier of parasympathetic fibers to organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities?

Accepted Answer

Cranial nerve X (vagus)

Question 14

Which of the following is a correct functional generalization about the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?

Accepted Answer

Both divisions can produce stimulatory or inhibitory effects depending on the target organ.

Question 15

A person in a coma can survive for decades because:

Accepted Answer

The autonomic nervous system maintains vital physiological processes without conscious input.

Question 16

Which of the following best explains why the sympathetic division produces more generalized effects than the parasympathetic division?

Accepted Answer

The sympathetic division can stimulate the adrenal medulla to release hormones into the bloodstream, affecting multiple organs simultaneously.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a typical response to increased sympathetic activity?

Accepted Answer

Increased digestive motility

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the neurotransmitter and receptor type at the synapse between preganglionic and postganglionic neurons in the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Acetylcholine binding to nicotinic receptors

Question 19

A patient with a spinal cord injury at the thoracolumbar level would most likely have impaired function in which division of the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Sympathetic division

Autonomic Nervous System: Structure, Function, and Regulation

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