As you are listening to a lecture, workers are repairing a wall just outside your classroom. Throughout the class, you find yourself coughing and sneezing because of the dust and fumes in the air. Which brain structure controls such vital reflexes as sneezing, coughing, and swallowing?
A)the corpus callosum
B)the cerebellum
C)the medulla
D)the thalamus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The medulla oblongata, located at the base of the brainstem, controls vital reflexes such as sneezing, coughing, and swallowing. Therefore, it is responsible for the automatic response to the irritating dust and fumes causing the coughing and sneezing during the lecture.

As You Are Listening to a Lecture, Workers Are Repairing