NCSU Course ZO410: Sample Midterm


Midterm  Examination. For practice use only. 25 questions.
You would have 75 minutes to complete this examination. This exam would be worth 25 points total toward your final grade. The number at the end of each  indicates the percentage value (out of 100%= 25 points). 
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1. On the list of items below place a "P" for those that are proximate causes and a "U" for those that are ultimate causes of behavior. (6)

 _____ Early environment
 _____ Ancestry
 _____ Gene expression
 _____ The sense of vision
 _____ Evolutionary history
 _____ Neural activity

2. Define the following terms: (14)

3. Describe how a modern technique used in molecular genetics (e.g., gene transfer, gene knockout, or gene expression) can be used to identify genetically inherited behaviors.  Provide an example if you wish.  (5)

4. Contrast the "organizational" effects with the "activational" effects of steroid hormones on behavior. (4)

5. Synapses within the CNS can be either excitatory or _____________ .

6. The concentration of a neurotransmitter such as dopamine at the synapse is dependent upon both _________________ and ______________ . (2)

7. Can a behavior be "dissociated" from a hormone?  Yes ___ No ___ .
Provide an example: (3)

8. List 4 characteristics of a biological rhythm:  (4)

9. The concentration of melatonin is higher / lower at night in diurnal mammals.  (Circle correct word).  Melatonin is produced in the  ____________ gland.  (2)

10. What change in behavior follows the lesioning the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain of a hamster or mouse?  (6)

11. Describe one advantage to an animal to have a circannual rhythm. (2)

12. True/False questions: (6)
______  REM sleep is shown by all placental mammals.
______  All birds must learn their species-specific song from their parents while in the nest.
______  Stress is an environmental perturbation that disrupts homeostasis.
______  Some birds have regional dialects in their song.
______  In computer terms, the male mammal is the default sex.
______  A "conditioned stimulus" follows a "conditioned response."

13. List 4 principles of behavioral development in animals: (4)

14. Outline a simple experiment in either the laboratory or field to test whether birds learn a regional dialect or whether it is innate to that sub-population. (6)

15. List 3 results of rearing monkeys under conditions of severe social deprivation: (3)

16. What are 3 functions of play in mammals? (3)

17. Castration of a newborn male rat has the following consequences:    True/False  (4)
_____  Larger body size as an adult
_____  Shows lordosis when injected with estrogen and progesterone
_____  Is hyperaggressive
_____  Prefers sweet fluids to drink more than non-castrated controls

18. Describe 4 differences in the behavior or reproductive physiology of a female mouse that develops in utero between two males (2M) and one that develops between two females (0M):  (Use single words or phrases)  (8)

19. In addition to the X - Y chromosomal determination of sex in mammals, list 2 other mechanisms for determining sex in vertebrates:  (2)

20. List 3 schedules of reinforcement used in learning studies. (3)

21. In avoidance learning, the intensity of both the _____________ and the ____________  are important. (2)

22. How would you respond if someone told you that only humans were capable of tool use?  (2)

23. List 3 possible mechanisms being explored to understand memory. (3)

24. What evidence must be available to prove that communication has occurred between two or more individuals? (3)

25. Assume you are watching honey bees at a hive, & you note one bee returns from foraging & displays a "round dance" with a straight run at 10 degrees to the north of the sun.  What would you conclude from this?  True / False (3)
 _____  Bees dance for joy upon finding nectar
 _____  The nectar source is a long distance from the hive
 _____  The nectar source is located on a line 10 degrees to the  north of the sun


End of "Sample Midterm" subsite.  Return to: Listing of ZO410 OldExams.
This subsite (examc.html) was created 9-2-97 for Dr. J.G.Vandenbergh, course instructor, by j.kemper.  Updated 7-13-98 for JGV by jmk.