#24 - Specific Reference, Must Be True, Purpose/Function

[Hey]

I’m having trouble with question 24. I selected B because the paragraph that contains lines 55-56 is pretty much about drug treatment. I realize that it might be a bit broad because other neurons could respond to drug treatment, but the other choices seemed equally bad. Furthermore, I don’t see how D is correct. Where is the discussion of influencing a particular brain function? Would someone from Powerscore mind explaining why B is incorrect, and D is correct?

Also I think explaining why the other choices are wrong could be useful too? The passage is discussing neurons that receive neurotransmitters. The family discussed in the last paragraph has to have both a receptor molecule and an ion channel, no? So why are A and C also incorrect? Thanks

[James Finch]

Hi Hey,

The first key to this question is the "defined categories." This means we are only going to be dealing with specific subgroups of neurons, not what is true of neurons as a whole. So what this question is looking to answer is what does "defined categories" mean in this context. Within the 4th paragraph, we're told about the same neuron receptor in one part of the brain is different than one in another part of the brain, knowledge that may allow specially-tailored drugs to be created to treat different brain ailments. We can infer from this that the "defined categories of neurons" is referring to neurons in different parts of the brain that control different brain functions. So let's see which answer choice lines up with that definition:

(A): This is something that the first paragraph implies is true of all neurons, so it doesn't make sense to apply as a defining trait of a subgroup of them. Loser.

(B): This is a different sub-group issue: while we're looking at the neurons that are specifically targeted by certain tailored, not neurons that may respond to "drug treatment" in general. What's important about these neurons is what they do within the brain, and how that affects brain diseases.

(C): Same issue as (A). Loser.

(D): The "particular" in this is the major clue: we're dealing with specific drugs targeting specific neurons that are implicated in specific ways in specific brain diseases. We can infer from this that these neurons would have distinct roles in brain functioning.

(E): Same as (A) and (C). Loser.

Hope this clears things up!