Which brain structure controls unconscious but essential functions such as breathing and circulation?
corpus callosum
pons
medulla
cerebellum
Ian has been in a coma since he was in a serious car accident. He is still on life support because he is unable to breathe on his own. Which area of Ian’s brain is likely damaged?
hypothalamus
A victim who is shot in the head died instantly because the bullet entered a portion of the hindbrain that regulates breathing. Which portion would that be?
thalamus
Which of the following is a hindbrain structure involved with sleep and arousal?
What is the primary function of the cerebellum?
coordinating body movement
storing semantic memory
processing visual information
controlling blood pressure
What is the most likely consequence of damage to the cerebellum?
eating irregularities
impairment of short-term memory
difficulties in judging distance
problems with coordination of movement
The drunk-driving suspect was unable to walk a straight line with her eyes closed because activity in one of her brain structures was depressed by alcohol. Given this symptom, which brain structure is impaired?
Wanda fell down some stairs and hit her head. Prior to her accident she was an excellent flute player, but she now has difficulty coordinating the finger movements required in complex musical pieces. Which of the following brain areas was likely damaged in the fall?
reticular formation
amygdala
temporal lobe
Gaspar was a world-class diver until he hit his head on the diving board during one of his dives. He now has difficulty coordinating the movements required for various tucks and rotations. Which of the following areas of Gaspar’s brain is likely damaged?
temporal lobes
In which of the following areas of the brain is the dopamine system involved in Parkinson’s disease located?
forebrain
midbrain
brainstem
hindbrain
Dr. Bashir has implanted electrodes in the brain of a rabbit. When currents of different frequencies are passed through the electrodes, the rabbit will fall into a deep sleep or suddenly awaken. Based on this information, where are the electrodes most likely implanted?
hippocampus
Erin suffered a brain injury, and her neurologist has told her that there is damage to her reticular formation. Which of the following symptoms is Erin most likely to experience?
difficulty with language perception
disruption of her sleep and wake cycles
inability to initiate movement
inability to accurately locate objects in space
Which brain structure appears to play an active role in integrating sensory information?
cerebrum
limbic system
Uma just caught sight of a red hummingbird. The neural impulses from her eye will eventually travel to her primary visual cortex, but which brain area must they first pass through?
occipital lobe
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
inhibit emotional reactions like anger and fear
regulate sensory integration
integrate sensory information with motor impulses
regulate basic biological needs
Juan is in a state of high arousal. His heart is beating quickly, and he is perspiring. Which brain area is largely responsible for controlling these automatic survival responses?
If you destroy one particular area of its brain, a rat will lose all interest in food and may well starve to death. Which area is it?
If a person has a brain tumour that results in a disruption of his or her eating behaviour, which of the following areas is the most likely location of the tumour?
By altering brain structures, an evil scientist has created supervillains who have specialized powers or abilities. One of these supervillains seldom feels hungry or thirsty and can go for days without feeling the need to eat or drink. Which brain area has likely been altered?
Which of the following brain structures is most closely associated with the regulation of emotion?
Aretha had severe epilepsy, and surgeons removed portions of her hippocampus to control the severity of her seizures. What ability is likely to be affected by Aretha’s surgery?
controlling her urges to eat and drink
forming new memories
expressing emotions appropriately
interpreting sensory information accurately
By altering brain structures, an evil scientist has created supervillains who have specialized powers or abilities. One of these supervillains has a fantastic memory and is able to form new memories incredibly well. In this case, which brain structure was likely altered?
Madeleine has learned to fear thunder and lightning storms. Which area of her brain was likely very active when Madeleine’s fear was first acquired?
left temporal lobe
Wernicke’s area
By altering brain structures, an evil scientist has created supervillains who have specialized powers or abilities. One of these supervillains is absolutely fearless and willing to undertake extremely dangerous missions. In this case, what brain structure was most likely altered?
occipital lobes
Where do “pleasure centres” in the brain appear to be most heavily concentrated?
endocrine system
Research has identified a “pleasure centre” in rat brains, and researchers have determined that rats will press a lever thousands of times in order to have a tiny electrode stimulate this area of the brain. What brain area is it?
frontal lobe
If you connect an electrode to a device that will deliver stimulation directly to the brain, where should you insert the electrode in order to cause a sensation of pleasure?
posterior hippocampus
cerebral cortex
medial forebrain bundle
What is the largest and most complex part of the human brain?
Which brain structure is responsible for the human ability to engage in higher mental activity such as thinking and philosophizing?
Which structure connects the two cerebral hemispheres?
pineal gland
Vivian has been experiencing unexplained flashes of light and colour, even when her eyes are closed. She recently saw a neurologist who located a small brain tumour. Where is Vivian’s tumour likely to be located?
right frontal lobe
left parietal lobe
When Taryk slipped on the stairs and hit his head, he saw “stars” for several minutes. The “stars” were most likely a result of activity in which area of the brain?
parietal cortex
prefrontal cortex
Which lobe of the brain is primarily responsible for processing bodily sensations, like tickling?
frontal
temporal
parietal
occipital
Which lobe of the brain, when electrically stimulated, causes people to report physical sensations as if they had been touched?
Padraigh woke up one day, unable to reach properly for objects, even though he could both see them and feel them. His doctor determined that Padraigh had a stroke and that the damage was confined to one portion of his brain. Which part is most likely damaged?
parietal lobe
With which of the following can you expect to have problems if you have damaged your temporal lobe?
hearing
sight
touch
taste
Sharif suffered a stroke recently, and now he finds he constantly hears a buzzing sound in his ear. Where is the damage located?
Which of the following is strongly correlated with the amount of motor cortex devoted to each body area?
size of the body area
location of the body area
size of the muscles in the body area
diversity of movements of the body area
If a monkey’s mirror neurons fire when the monkey picks up a grape, when will those same neurons also fire?
When the monkey tastes grapes or even grape juice
When the monkey smells a grape
When the monkey sees a grape
When the monkey sees another monkey pick up a grape
If a monkey’s mirror neuron fires when he sees another monkey reaching for a stick, in what other situation should that same neuron fire?
when the monkey gets hit with a stick
when the monkey drops the stick
when the monkey also reaches for a stick
when the monkey thinks about a stick
Stefan has suffered brain damage, and as a result, he shows deficits in attention, planning, and getting organized. Which area was likely damaged?
primary sensory cortex
Some theorists believe that the brain contains a sort of “executive control system,” which is responsible for monitoring, directing, and organizing thought processes. In which area of the brain would you find this system?
In primary motor cortex, which of the following has the largest area of representation?
legs
eyes
arms
lips
If one group of animals is raised in a stimulating environment and another group of animals is raised in a boring environment, which of the following should be enhanced in the brains of animals raised in the stimulating environment?
specificity
dendritic branching
demylenization
distance between neurons
Which of the following is characteristic of stem cells?
They fire in response to an action or to seeing that same action.
They are critical for the perception of pain and other bodily sensations.
They are able to resist the effects of plasticity.
They can be induced to become a specialized cell anywhere in the body.
What will be difficult for you if you experience damage to Broca’s area?
controlling your arms and legs
being creative
speaking
What is the area of the frontal lobe that plays an important role in the production of speech?
Sperry’s area
Broca’s area
Hebb’s area
Zeke has no problem understanding what other people say to him, but he has difficulty producing spoken language. If Zeke’s problem stems from damage to the cerebral cortex, where do you expect the damage to be?
right parietal lobe
left frontal lobe
If you have difficulty understanding the meaning of speech as a consequence of brain damage, where is the damage most likely to be located?
pituitary gland
Monique is not able to understand spoken language. If Monique’s problem stems from damage to the cerebral cortex, where is the damage most likely to be?
right temporal lobe
