Question 1

A dense network of neurons found in the core of the brain stem that arouses the cortex and screens incoming information is called the:
A) cerebellum.
B) medulla.
C) reticular activating system.
D) pons.

Accepted Answer

The reticular activating system (RAS) is a network of neurons located in the brainstem that plays a crucial role in arousal and attention. It filters incoming information and determines what information reaches the cortex. The other options, cerebellum, medulla, and pons, are also parts of the brainstem but do not have the same functions as the RAS.

Question 2

Hazel is exceedingly clumsy and uncoordinated. She has difficulty using a pencil or threading a needle. It is most likely that Hazel's ________ has been damaged.
A) pons
B) cerebellum
C) medulla
D) reticular activating system

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating motor movements and balance. If it has been damaged, it would explain Hazel's difficulty with tasks that require coordination, such as using a pencil or threading a needle. The pons, medulla, and reticular activating system are not specifically involved in motor coordination.

Question 3

The ________ was once considered just a motor centre, but evidence has accumulated that it also plays a part in higher cognitive tasks, such as analyzing sensory information, solving problems, and understanding words.
A) pons
B) cerebellum
C) auditory cortex
D) medulla

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum was once considered just a motor center but evidence has accumulated that it also plays a role in higher cognitive tasks. The other options are not primarily associated with cognitive tasks.

Question 4

The ________ is a structure in the brain stem responsible for certain automatic functions, such as breathing and heart rate.
A) medulla
B) cerebellum
C) reticular activating system
D) pons

Accepted Answer

The medulla is located in the brain stem and is responsible for controlling certain automatic functions in the body such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. It is often considered the most vital part of the brain since damage to it can cause immediate death.

Question 5

A mother is sleeping when she hears her child cry out, "Mommy." The part of the brain that screens incoming information and arouses her higher centres when her child needs her is the:
A) cerebellum.
B) reticular activating system.
C) medulla.
D) pons.

Accepted Answer

The reticular activating system is responsible for screening and filtering incoming information and arousing higher centres when necessary, such as in response to a child crying out for their mother. The cerebellum, medulla, and pons are all parts of the brainstem that are responsible for different functions such as motor coordination, breathing, and regulation of vital functions, but are not as directly involved in screening incoming information.

Question 6

Which structure controls the pituitary gland through chemical signals?
A) limbic system
B) cerebellum
C) hypothalamus
D) thalamus

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is responsible for controlling the pituitary gland through chemical signals. It secretes various hormones that affect the release of pituitary hormones, including growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and adrenocorticotrophic hormone. The other options, limbic system, cerebellum, and thalamus, are not directly involved in regulating the pituitary gland.

Question 7

Hanging has long been used as a method of execution because when the neck is broken, nervous pathways from the ________ are severed, stopping respiration.
A) cerebellum
B) medulla
C) pons
D) reticular activating system

Accepted Answer

The medulla is responsible for controlling vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. When the neck is broken in hanging, the nervous pathways from the medulla are severed, stopping respiration and causing death.

Question 8

The ________ is involved in remembering certain simple skills and acquired reflexes.
A) reticular activating system
B) cerebellum
C) pons
D) medulla

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for the retention of certain simple skills and acquired reflexes. The reticular activating system is involved in arousal and alertness, the pons helps regulate breathing and sleep, and the medulla is involved in vital bodily functions such as heart rate and respiration.

Question 9

Which structure is involved in routing incoming sensory messages to higher areas?
A) limbic system
B) hypothalamus
C) cerebellum
D) thalamus

Accepted Answer

The thalamus is responsible for routing incoming sensory messages from the sensory organs to the appropriate higher areas of the brain, such as the cortex. The other structures listed (limbic system, hypothalamus, cerebellum) are involved in other functions, such as emotion regulation, homeostasis, and motor control.

Question 10

The pons in the brain stem is associated with:
A) movement and balance.
B) sleeping, waking, and dreaming.
C) emotional behaviour.
D) breathing and heart rate.

Accepted Answer

The pons in the brain stem is involved in regulating sleeping, waking, and dreaming. It contains nuclei responsible for the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and acetylcholine that regulate these functions.

Question 11

Danny suffered brain damage in a car accident. As a result he is clumsy and uncoordinated. Which structure was most likely damaged?
A) cerebellum
B) reticular activating system
C) pons
D) medulla

Accepted Answer

The cerebellum is responsible for coordinating movement and maintaining balance, so damage to this structure can result in clumsiness and lack of coordination. The reticular activating system, pons, and medulla are not directly related to movement and coordination.

Question 12

As you read this question, the ________ is relaying information from the eyes to a higher centre in the brain involved in vision.
A) hypothalamus
B) cerebellum
C) thalamus
D) reticular activating system

Accepted Answer

The thalamus is responsible for relaying sensory information, including visual information, to higher centres in the brain for further processing.

Question 13

One reason particular odours, such as the smell of gardenias, often rekindle memories of important personal experiences is that:
A) the olfactory bulb lies near areas involved in emotion.
B) the amygdala is involved in processing olfactory information and emotion.
C) odours are processed in the frontal lobes.
D) the thalamus gives priority processing to the sense of smell.

Accepted Answer

The olfactory bulb is located near the limbic system, which includes areas involved in emotion and memory, such as the amygdala and hippocampus. This proximity allows smells to trigger emotional memories.

Question 14

What part of the brain could be compared to a busy traffic officer?
A) cerebellum
B) hypothalamus
C) pituitary gland
D) thalamus

Accepted Answer

The thalamus acts as a sensory relay station, processing and directing incoming sensory information to the appropriate areas of the brain for further processing. This can be compared to a busy traffic officer directing different cars to their correct destinations, based on their destinations and the flow of traffic.

Question 15

Which structure is involved in drives associated with survival of both the individual and the species?
A) cerebellum
B) limbic system
C) hypothalamus
D) thalamus

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is involved in drives associated with survival and homeostasis, including hunger, thirst, sleep, sexual behavior, and the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. It is also involved in the regulation of the endocrine system and the release of hormones that influence growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

Question 16

Although she is deeply engrossed in the book she is reading, Jane's attention is suddenly shifted to the sound of the doorbell. The part of her brain responsible for alerting her to this information is the:
A) medulla.
B) pons.
C) cerebellum.
D) reticular activating system.

Accepted Answer

The reticular activating system is responsible for alertness and awareness. In this scenario, it is responsible for shifting Jane's attention from the book to the sound of the doorbell. The medulla, pons, and cerebellum are not responsible for this function.

Question 17

The only sense that completely bypasses the thalamus is:
A) smell.
B) vision.
C) hearing.
D) taste.

Accepted Answer

Smell is the only sense that completely bypasses the thalamus and instead sends information directly to the olfactory cortex. The other senses (vision, hearing, taste) all go through the thalamus before reaching their respective cortical areas.

Question 18

When rats were trained to press a lever in order to get a buzz of electricity delivered through tiny electrodes to the ________, some rats would press the bar for hours at a time until they collapsed from exhaustion.
A) temporal lobes
B) parietal lobes
C) reticular activating system
D) hypothalamus

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating various bodily functions, such as hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior. It has been shown that when rats are trained to press a lever to receive electrical stimulation to the hypothalamus, they will continue to do so until they collapse from exhaustion. This suggests that the stimulation of the hypothalamus is highly rewarding and can override the normal homeostatic mechanisms that regulate behavior.

Question 19

If the hypothalamus of an animal is lesioned, then all of the following could be reasonable hypotheses EXCEPT:
A) abnormal hunger and weight change.
B) difficulty maintaining a rhythmic heartbeat.
C) difficulty in temperature regulation.
D) abnormal daily rhythms.

Accepted Answer

Lesioning the hypothalamus can affect many physiological processes, including hunger, weight, temperature regulation, and daily rhythms. However, the hypothalamus is not directly responsible for maintaining a rhythmic heartbeat, so it would not be a reasonable hypothesis.

Question 20

During lecture, some of the students appear to have fallen asleep. The teacher decides to drop a heavy book on the floor, startling and arousing the students. This is due to the function of the:
A) reticular activating system.
B) medulla.
C) pons.
D) brain stem.

Accepted Answer

The reticular activating system (RAS) is responsible for regulating wakefulness and arousal in the brain. It receives sensory input and is involved in filtering out irrelevant information while focusing on important stimuli. By dropping a heavy book on the floor, the sudden loud noise activates the RAS and startles the students, bringing them out of their slumber. The medulla and pons are also parts of the brain stem, but they are not directly involved in regulating wakefulness and arousal in the same way as the RAS.

Quiz 4: The Brain: Source of Mind and Self

A dense network of neurons found in the core of the brain stem that arouses the cortex and screens incoming information is called the:

Hazel is exceedingly clumsy and uncoordinated. She has difficulty using a pencil or threading a needle. It is most likely that Hazel's ________ has been damaged.

The ________ was once considered just a motor centre, but evidence has accumulated that it also plays a part in higher cognitive tasks, such as analyzing sensory information, solving problems, and understanding words.

The ________ is a structure in the brain stem responsible for certain automatic functions, such as breathing and heart rate.

A mother is sleeping when she hears her child cry out, "Mommy." The part of the brain that screens incoming information and arouses her higher centres when her child needs her is the:

Which structure controls the pituitary gland through chemical signals?

Hanging has long been used as a method of execution because when the neck is broken, nervous pathways from the ________ are severed, stopping respiration.

The ________ is involved in remembering certain simple skills and acquired reflexes.

Which structure is involved in routing incoming sensory messages to higher areas?

The pons in the brain stem is associated with:

Danny suffered brain damage in a car accident. As a result he is clumsy and uncoordinated. Which structure was most likely damaged?

As you read this question, the ________ is relaying information from the eyes to a higher centre in the brain involved in vision.

One reason particular odours, such as the smell of gardenias, often rekindle memories of important personal experiences is that:

What part of the brain could be compared to a busy traffic officer?

Which structure is involved in drives associated with survival of both the individual and the species?

Although she is deeply engrossed in the book she is reading, Jane's attention is suddenly shifted to the sound of the doorbell. The part of her brain responsible for alerting her to this information is the:

The only sense that completely bypasses the thalamus is:

When rats were trained to press a lever in order to get a buzz of electricity delivered through tiny electrodes to the ________, some rats would press the bar for hours at a time until they collapsed from exhaustion.

If the hypothalamus of an animal is lesioned, then all of the following could be reasonable hypotheses EXCEPT:

During lecture, some of the students appear to have fallen asleep. The teacher decides to drop a heavy book on the floor, startling and arousing the students. This is due to the function of the: