Biology

Nervous System Physiology

1,959 Questions

Enhance your knowledge of human neurobiology through questions on nervous system physiology. The topics cover brain anatomy, sensory modalities, and the neural mechanisms controlling speech and language. This resource is ideal for students preparing for medical and general science exams.

Brain anatomy and regionsNeural mechanismsLanguage processingSensory functions

Nervous System Physiology Questions

Multiple choice

Which portion of brain acts as a thermostat?

  1. Medulla oblongata

  2. Hypothalamus

  3. Cerebrum

  4. Cerebellum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'Hypothalamus', a portion of forebrain acts like thermostat. When the body tends to cool, it speeds up the heat producing process and when the body tends to get overheated, it accelerates the cooling process.

Multiple choice

The cardiovascular regulation is under the control of

  1. tectum

  2. hypothalamus

  3. thalamus

  4. cerebrum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The main function of hypothalamus is homeostasis. It also controls all the autonomic regulatory activities of the body such as temperature and cardiovascular regulation.

Multiple choice

Swallowing centre is situated in

  1. mid brain

  2. pons

  3. medulla

  4. cerebellum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The swallowing center is located in the medulla oblongata of the brainstem. This region contains central pattern generators that coordinate the complex sequence of muscle movements required for safe swallowing, protecting the airway.

Multiple choice

Brain stem contains

  1. cerebellum and medulla oblongata

  2. cerebellum, pons and medulla oblongata

  3. cerebellum and pons

  4. pons and medulla oblongata
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The brain stem consists of three parts: midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. The cerebellum is located at the back of the brain but is NOT part of the brain stem - it's a separate structure involved in coordination and balance.

Multiple choice

The cytoplasm of large neurons turns dark blue due to hematoxylin staining on

  1. golgi apparatus

  2. axon hillock

  3. polyribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum

  4. lipofuscin

  5. euchromatin
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct. The polyribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum turn dark blue with hematoxylin due to the presence of ribonucleic acids. Thus, the cytoplasm of large neurons turns dark blue due to hematoxylin staining on it.

Multiple choice

If an old man has difficulty in localising sound, but has no other hearing deficits, then a lesion may have occurred in which of the following parts of the brain?

  1. Medial geniculate

  2. Inferior colliculus

  3. Vestibular nuclei

  4. Superior olivary nucleus

  5. Inferior olivary nucleus
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct. The superior olive is responsible for sound localisation based on the amount of time it takes the neural signals from the right and left ear to reach specific nuclei in the superior olivary complex.

Multiple choice

In the human central nervous system, there are typically three levels of motor control, namely strategy, tactics and execution. The tactical level of motor control utilises which of the following areas of the brain?

  1. Cerebellum

  2. Brainstem

  3. Prefrontal cortex

  4. Hypothalamus

  5. Amygdala
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct. The cerebellum and the motor cortical areas (areas 4 and 6) are involved in the tactical level of motor control.

Multiple choice

The blood-brain barrier can be disrupted in patients with traumatic brain injury, allowing an influx of both positive and negative agents. This disruption can be produced by a loss of continuity between type 1 continuous capillary cells and

  1. pseudopodia of the microglial cells

  2. adherens junctions of the ependymal cells

  3. foot processes of the astrocytes

  4. lateral extensions of the oligodendrocytes

  5. tight junctions of the pia mater cells
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The foot processes of astrocytes and type 1 capillary cells contribute to the blood-brain barrier limiting the transport of materials into the central nervous system.

Multiple choice

Michael J. Fox, a well famed Canadian pop singer, has a hypokinetic disorder of the basal ganglia, Parkinson's disease. This disease is due to loss of

  1. dopamine in the putamen

  2. dopamine in the caudate nucleus

  3. gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the caudate nucleus

  4. gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the putamen

  5. dopamine in the substantia nigra
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct. The loss of dopamine input from the substantia nigra to the striatum produces an imbalance in the indirect pathway versus the direct pathway of basal ganglia regulation.