Functional Neuroanatomy Questions - p. 4
91. Which type of glial cell provides the primary immune defense of the brain?
- A. astrocyte
- B. oligodendrocyte
- C. microglia
- D. ependymal cell
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Correct answer: C
Microglia are the brain’s resident immune cells. They act as macrophage-like phagocytes, clearing debris, pathogens, and damaged neurons while regulating inflammation.
92. The ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra are the two main dopamine-producing areas of the brain. What part of the brainstem are they found in?
- A. midbrain
- B. pons
- C. medulla oblongata
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Correct answer: A
The ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra are both found in the midbrain. They produce the majority of dopamine used by the brain, and are involved in processes such as movement, motivation, reward, and much more.
93. A person experiences spinal cord damage and afterward experiences paralysis on the right side of their body below the area of damage. Which tract was likely damaged to cause the paralysis?
- A. spinothalamic tract
- B. corticospinal tract
- C. dorsal column
- D. spinoreticular tract
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Correct answer: B
The corticospinal tract carries voluntary motor commands from the brain to the body. Damage to this tract in the spinal cord can cause paralysis on the same side of the body below the injury.
94. Which of the following structures is part of the diencephalon?
- A. cerebral cortex
- B. hippocampus
- C. cerebellum
- D. pineal gland
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Correct answer: D
The pineal gland is part of the epithalamus, a major structure in the diencephalon. The main function of the pineal gland is the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that is best known for its role in regulating circadian rhythms.
95. Schwann cells myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system; how many internodes does each Schwann cell create?
- A. one
- B. three
- C. twelve
- D. the number is too high to estimate accurately
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Correct answer: A
In the peripheral nervous system, each Schwann cell wraps around a single segment of one axon, forming one internode of myelin. This is in contrast to oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system, which can extend processes to myelinate multiple internodes across different axons.
96. The primary somatosensory cortex is located in which of the following regions?
- A. precentral gyrus
- B. postcentral gyrus
- C. superior temporal gyrus
- D. occipital lobe
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Correct answer: B
The primary somatosensory cortex lies in the postcentral gyrus, just posterior to the central sulcus.
97. Which specialized structure(s) in the brain’s ventricles is responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
- A. arachnoid villi
- B. blood-brain barrier
- C. choroid plexus
- D. interthalamic adhesion
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Correct answer: C
The choroid plexus is a network of specialized cells inside the brain’s ventricles. It is made up of ependymal cells and a rich network of blood capillaries, which work together to filter blood plasma and secrete CSF.
98. Damage to which of the following brain regions is most likely to produce a language deficit characterized by difficulty producing speech?
- A. Wernicke's area
- B. Broca's area
- C. Primary visual cortex
- D. Cerebellum
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Correct answer: B
Broca’s area is important for language production; damage to it often leads to Broca’s aphasia, where comprehension is relatively preserved but speech is non-fluent, effortful, and halting.
99. The posterior horn of the spinal cord primarily contains neurons that deal with:
- A. motor control of skeletal muscle
- B. autonomic regulation of internal organs
- C. sensory processing of touch, pain, and temperature
- D. coordination of balance and posture
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Correct answer: C
The posterior (dorsal) horn contains neurons that receive sensory input from peripheral nerves via the dorsal root, making it the main site for processing somatosensory information such as touch, pain, and temperature.
100. Which of the following structures is not generally considered part of the limbic system?
- A. amygdala
- B. hippocampus
- C. hypothalamus
- D. cerebellum
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Correct answer: D
There is a lack of consensus as to what structures should be included in the limbic system, but areas that are often included are the amygdala, cingulate cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, septal nuclei, mammillary bodies, prefrontal cortex, certain nuclei of the thalamus, and tracts such as the fornix and medial forebrain bundle. The cerebellum is not generally included.
101. Which of the following is the best description of the telencephalon?
- A. The main connection between the brain and the spinal cord
- B. The posterior part of the brain responsible for balance and coordination
- C. The cerebral hemispheres and a number of subcortical structures
- D. The center region of the brain, which includes the thalamus and hypothalamus
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Correct answer: C
The telencephalon is also known as the cerebrum, and it consists of the largest part of the brain. It contains the cerebral hemispheres, and thus includes the cerebral cortex and a number of other structures lying below it (subcortical structures), along with a variety of important fiber bundles like the corpus callosum.
102. What is the most widely accepted explanation for why the cerebral cortex is extensively folded to form sulci and gyri?
- A. Folding allows for faster communication between distant brain regions
- B. Folding increases the surface area of the cerebral cortex
- C. Folding helps to separate different functional areas of the brain
- D. Folding provides greater protection to deeper brain structures
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Correct answer: B
The most widely accepted explanation for cortical folding is it substantially increases the surface area of the cerebral cortex, allowing more neurons and synaptic connections to fit within the limited volume of the skull.
103. When motor signals are sent from the motor cortex to control movements of the head and face, which pathway do they primarily follow?
- A. Corticospinal tract
- B. Spinocerebellar tract
- C. Vestibulospinal tract
- D. Corticobulbar tract
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Correct answer: D
The corticobulbar tract carries motor commands from the cerebral cortex to the motor nuclei of cranial nerves in the brainstem, which control muscles of the head and face. In essence, it does for the head and face what the corticospinal tract does for the rest of the body.
104. This extension of the pia mater stretches from the caudal end of the spinal cord to the coccyx (tailbone) and helps to anchor the spinal cord in place:
- A. conus medullaris
- B. cauda equina
- C. filum terminale
- D. denticulate ligament
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Correct answer: C
The filum terminale is a thin, thread-like extension of the pia mater that extends downward from the end of the spinal cord to the coccyx. It helps to anchor the spinal cord in place.
105. After a car accident, a patient suffers substantial damage to the right side of the cervical spinal cord. Her corticospinal tract fibers on the right are severely damaged. What motor deficit would you expect to see?
- A. weakness or paralysis on the right side of the body below the damage
- B. weakness or paralysis on the right side of the body above the damage
- C. weakness or paralysis on the left side of the body below the damage
- D. weakness or paralysis on the left side of the body above the damage
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Correct answer: A
Damage to the right corticospinal tract in the spinal cord causes weakness or paralysis on the same side (ipsilateral) of the body below the lesion/damage.
106. What is the name of the deep groove that separates the brain into two cerebral hemispheres?
- A. central sulcus
- B. Sylvian fissure
- C. longitudinal fissure
- D. parieto-occipital sulcus
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Correct answer: C
The longitudinal fissure is the deep groove that separates the left and right cerebral hemispheres. It runs along the midline of the brain.
107. This is the thinnest and innermost meningeal layer; it adheres closely to the surface of the brain:
- A. dura mater
- B. arachnoid mater
- C. pia mater
- D. denticulate mater
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Correct answer: C
The pia mater is the thinnest and innermost layer of the meninges. It adheres to the surface of the brain, closely following all of the contours of the brain.
108. The cerebral cortex is covered with a collection of grooves and ridges. What are the ridges called?
- A. gyri
- B. fissures
- C. sulci
- D. transversals
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Correct answer: A
The ridges that are formed from the folding of the cerebral cortex are called gyri (singular: gyrus). The grooves are called sulci (singular: sulcus).
109. You’re home alone watching a horror movie when a sudden jump scare startles you, causing your heart to race. Which division of the nervous system is responsible for this increase in heart rate?
- A. parasympathetic nervous system
- B. enteric nervous system
- C. sympathetic nervous system
- D. somatic nervous system
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Correct answer: C
The sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for increasing heart rate during a sudden fright. It prepares the body for “fight-or-flight” by accelerating the heartbeat, increasing respiration, and redirecting blood flow to the muscles.
110. Which part of the substantia nigra is heavily populated with dopamine neurons?
- A. substantia nigra pars compacta
- B. substantia nigra pars reticulata
- C. both regions have equal numbers of dopamine neurons
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Correct answer: A
The dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra are primarily found in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The substantia nigra pars reticulata is more heavily populated with GABA neurons.
111. These neurons have a cell body that gives rise to one axon and one dendritic structure. They are important in sensory systems, such as the visual system.
- A. unipolar neurons
- B. bipolar neurons
- C. multipolar neurons
- D. interneurons
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Correct answer: B
Bipolar neurons are neurons with one axon and one dendritic structure extending from the cdell body. They relay sensory information in systems like the visual, olfactory, and auditory systems.
112. The majority of fibers in the optic tract project to the:
- A. superior colliculus
- B. lateral geniculate nucleus
- C. primary visual cortex
- D. medial geniculate nucleus
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Correct answer: B
Most axons in the optic tract terminate in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus. The LGN serves as the primary relay center for visual information, sending projections via the optic radiations to the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobe.
113. The spinal cord is made up of how many segments?
- A. 12
- B. 26
- C. 31
- D. 48
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Correct answer: C
The spinal cord has 31 segments, each giving rise to a pair of spinal nerves. There are: 8 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 sacral, and 1 coccygeal segments.
114. This is the most common type of synapse in the human nervous system:
- A. axoaxonic
- B. dendrodendritic
- C. axosomatic
- D. axodendritic
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Correct answer: D
Synapses can form between many different parts of neurons, but those that form between the axon terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of another—known as axodendritic synapses—are by far the most common type of synapse in the human nervous system.
115. Which of the colliculi are primarily involved in auditory processing?
- A. superior
- B. inferior
- C. medial
- D. parietooccipital
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Correct answer: B
The superior and inferior colliculi are found in the midbrain, on the posterior surface of the brainstem. The inferior colliculi are involved with auditory processing.
116. The dorsal roots, which carry sensory information, enter the spinal cord at the:
- A. posterolateral sulcus
- B. ventral median fissure
- C. ventrolateral sulcus
- D. central canal
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Correct answer: A
The dorsal roots enter the spinal cord at the posterolateral (aka dorsolateral) sulcus. They carry sensory information into the spinal cord.
117. Neurotransmitters are typically stored in and released from which part of a neuron?
- A. dendrites
- B. nucleus
- C. axon
- D. axon terminals
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Correct answer: D
Neurotransmitters are typically stored in and released from the axon terminals (synaptic boutons) of the neuron.
118. This structure is the main component of the ventral striatum, and is thought to play an important role in reward processing:
- A. amygdala
- B. globus pallidus
- C. nucleus accumbens
- D. ventral tegmental area
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Correct answer: C
The nucleus accumbens is the major component of the ventral striatum, and is best known for its role in reward processing.
119. Most of the cerebral cortex in humans is organized into ____ layers, which are distinguished from one another by differences in cell type and cell density.
- A. 2
- B. 4
- C. 5
- D. 6
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Correct answer: D
Most of the cerebral cortex in humans is classified as neocortex, which is so named because it is thought to have appeared relatively recently in vertebrate evolution. Neurons in the neocortex are typically arranged in six layers, which are distinguished from one another by differences in cell type and cell density.
120. This is the largest and most complex division of the autonomic nervous system:
- A. enteric nervous system
- B. sympathetic nervous system
- C. parasympathetic nervous system
- D. somatic nervous system
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Correct answer: A
The enteric nervous system is involved with the regulation of the gastrointestinal tract. It consists of networks of neurons found in the walls of the GI tract and other digestive organs, and it’s thought to contain somewhere between 400-600 million neurons, which would make it the largest and most complex division of the autonomic nervous system.
