What are central pattern generators? Choose the correct option.
A. The motor units for a given muscle
B. An artifact of spinal circuitry
C. Motor programs established in upper motor neurons to control walking
D. Spinal circuits that give rise to rhythmic motor activity
What do we mean by the somatic motor system? Choose the correct option.
A. Cardiac muscle
B. Skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle
C. The smooth muscles and glands
D. The skeletal muscles and the parts of the nervous system that control them
What happens to muscle fibers when joints are immobilized in a cast following an injury? Choose the correct option.
A. Ageusia
B. Anosmia
C. Hypertrophy
D. Atrophy
What is a motor unit? Choose the correct option.
A. An enlargement in the cervical and lumbar portion of the spinal cord
B. A collection of motor neurons that innervate a single muscle
C. One alpha motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates
D. The distribution of lower motor neurons in the ventral horn
Answer (2)
The chosen answers for the questions are:
D (Spinal circuits that give rise to rhythmic motor activity)
D (The skeletal muscles and the parts of the nervous system that control them)
D (Atrophy)
C (One alpha motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates).
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Central pattern generators (CPGs) are specialized neural circuits found within the spinal cord. They are responsible for generating rhythmic patterns of motor output without requiring sensory feedback or central commands from the brain. So, the correct option is: d. Spinal circuits that give rise to rhythmic motor activity . These rhythmic patterns are crucial for functions such as walking, breathing, and chewing.
The somatic motor system is responsible for voluntary movements by controlling the skeletal muscles through different parts of the nervous system. Therefore, the appropriate choice is: d. The skeletal muscles and the parts of the nervous system that control them .
When joints are immobilized in a cast following an injury, the muscle fibers within those muscles can undergo atrophy. Atrophy is the wasting or decrease in size of muscle tissue, which occurs due to prolonged disuse. Hence, the right answer here is: d. Atrophy .
A motor unit refers to one alpha motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates. This is a fundamental concept for understanding how the nervous system controls muscle contractions. Thus, the correct option is: c. One alpha motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates .
Each of these concepts plays a vital role in the overall functioning of the motor system, allowing for coordinated movement and response to environmental changes.
