1. Which one of the following statements concerning the parasympathetic nervous system is
correct?
(A) The parasympathetic system uses norepinephrine as a neurotransmitter
(B) The parasympathetic system often discharges as a single, functional system
(C) The parasympathetic division is involved in accommodation of near vision, movement of
food, and urination
(D) The postganglionic fibers of the parasympathetic division are long compared to those of the
sympathetic nervous system
(E) The parasympathetic system controls the secretion of the adrenal medulla
Answer: C. The parasympathetic system maintains essential bodily functions, such as vision,
movement of food, and urination. It uses acetylcholine, not norepinephrine, as a
neurotransmitter, and it discharges as discrete fibers that are activated separately. The
postganglionic fibers of the parasympathetic system are short compared to those of the
sympathetic division. The adrenal medulla is under control of the sympathetic system.
2. Which one of the following is characteristic of parasympathetic stimulation?
(A) Decrease in intestinal motility
(B) Inhibition of bronchial secretion
(C) Contraction of sphincter muscle in the iris of the eye (miosis)
(D) Contraction of sphincter of urinary bladder
(E) Increase in heart rate
Answer: C. All other choices are examples of sympathetic (or anti-parasympathetic) activities.
3. Which of the following are features of the parasympathetic nervous system?
(A) The preganglionic neurons release ACh as a transmitter
(B) The postganglionic neuron is short and the pre ganglionic neuron is long
(C) The preganglionic neurons exit from T1 to L5 spinal segments
(D) The receptors on the postganglionic neuron include both nicotinic and muscarinic
(E) ACh is the only transmitter released by the preganglionic neurons
Answer: A, B, (and D). Choice C is for sympathetic, while parasympathetic preganglionic
neurons exit from craniosacral region. Other neuroactive peptides are co-released by the
preganglionic neurons. Muscarinic receptors on the postganglionic neuron act as auto-receptors
to regulate ACh release.
,4. Parasympathetic nervous system is different from sympathetic nervous system in majority of
cases. Which of below is NOT one?
(A) Length of preganglionic neurons
(B) Length of postganglionic neurons
(C) Major transmitters released by postganglionic fibers
(D) Types of receptors at ganglions
(E) Types of receptors at neuroaffector junctional
(F) All of the above
(G) None of the above
Answer: D. In PSNS, preganglionic neurons are longer, and postganglionic neurons are shorter than
in SNS. In PSNS, the major neurotransmitter at postganglionic neurons’ ends are Ach, while in SNS,
they are NE. Types of receptors at NAJ are muscarinic in PSNS, and adrenergic in SNS. However,
both PSNS and SNS use nicotinic receptors mainly at ganglions.
5. Which of the following is a feature of the sympathetic, but not the parasympathetic nervous
system?
(A) Ganglia located in the effector organs
(B) Long preganglionic neurons
(C) Preganglionic neurons release norepinephrine
(D) Preganglionic neurons release ACh
(E) Preganglionic neurons originate in the thoracolumbar spinal cord
(F) Postganglionic neurons release epinephrine
(G) Postganglionic neurons release ACh
Answer: E. Sympathetic preganglionic neurons originated in spinal cord segments T1-L3,
thoracolumbar region. Preganglionic neurons are short, and ganglia located in the paravertebral
chain. Postganglionic neurons release norepinephrine. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic
preganglionic neurons release ACh.
6. Which of the following are features of the sympathetic nervous system?
(A) Both epinephrine and norepinephrine are released from the postganglionic fibers
(B) Cranial nerve III contains some parasympathetic fibers emanating from the Edinger Westphal
nucleus
(C) Preganglionic fibers synapse very close to the effector organ innervated by the
postganglionic neuron
(D) Preganglionic sympathetic neurons release norepinephrine as the transmitter
(E) The cell bodies of the postganglionic neurons have alpha 2 receptors on them
Answer: B. The Edinger-Westphal nucleus is the accessory parasympathetic cranial nerve
nucleus of the oculomotor nerve (cranial nerve III), supplying the constricting muscles of the iris.
Epinephrine is released by adrenal glands. Sympathetic preganglionic fibers synapse very close
to the spinal ganglions, and release ACh. The postganglionic nerve terminals have alpha 2
receptors.
, 7. What is the endogenous ligand that binds to the nicotinic receptor (NN) of the nervous system (or
sometimes called N2)?
Answer: B. Acetylcholine is the endogenous ligand that binds to nicotinic and muscarinic
receptors. Choline is a precursor of ACh, and other choices are not endogenous.
8. Of the following options, in which is the autonomic receptor predominantly NN cholinergic?
(A) Vascular smooth muscle (D) SA node of the heart
(B) Salivary glands (E) Superior cervical ganglion
(C) Skeletal muscle
Answer: E. NN is a ganglionic receptor. All other choices are target organs (effectors).
9. What is the main transmitter released by a post ganglionic sympathetic neuron?
(A) Epinephrine (C) Norepinephrine
(B) Neuropeptide Y (D) Acetylcholine
Answer: C.
10. Which of the following statements are correct regarding the somatic nervous system?
(A) In the somatic system there are no ganglia outside the spinal cord
(B) The cell bodies of the motor fibers are found in the anterior horn of the spinal cord
(C) The junction between the motor nerve and the skeletal muscle is referred to as the
neuromuscular junction
(D) Skeletal muscle possess receptors that when activated cause muscles to relax
(E) The nicotinic receptors on skeletal muscles are identical to the nicotinic receptors at the
autonomic ganglia
Answer: A, B, and C. The motor nerve fibre has it cell bodies in some of the cranial nerves and
in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. Smooth muscle possess receptors that when activated
cause muscle to relax. Although both NN and NM are nicotinic receptors, they are not identical.
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