AP Biology : Understanding the Brain and Brain Structures
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Biology
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Understanding The Brain And Brain Structures
Which of the following is a not a function of the medulla oblongata?
Control breathing rate
Control speech patterns
Control blood pressure
Control cardiac rate
Control vomiting reflexes
Control speech patterns
The medulla oblongata is in the lower half of the brainstem. It controls a variety of functions, mostly involuntary and essential. Heart beat, breathing, and blood pressure are controlled in the medulla oblongata, as is the vomiting reflex.
Speech is controlled by Broca's area, which is located in the frontal lobe of the cerebrum.
Example Question #2 : Understanding The Brain And Brain Structures
What is the primary function of the occipital lobe?
Integrating visual input
Integrating auditory input
Conscious thought
Integrating tactile input
Integrating visual input
Each answer corresponds to one lobe of the cerebrum. The frontal lobe is responsible for conscious thought, as well as many other functions. The parietal lobe is responsible for integrating tactile information. The temporal lobe has the functions of interpreting smell and sound. The occipital lobe is associated with processing visual information.
Example Question #3 : Understanding The Brain And Brain Structures
What is the fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye called?
All of these refer to the same structure
Hippocratic humor
Aqueous humor
Vitreous humor
Galen humor
Aqueous humor
The eye is divided into two chambers by the lens: the anterior and posterior chambers. The anterior chamber is filled with aqueous humor, while the posterior chamber is filled with vitreous humor. Aqueous humor nourishes the eye and maintains intraocular pressure. Aqueous humor is also important in the refraction of light, which allows humans to distinguish clear images and colors.
Hippocratic and Galen humor do not exist. Hippocrates and Galen were two ancient physicians who would use the four humors (yellow bile, black bile, phlegm, and blood) to diagnose and treat patients.
Example Question #1 : Understanding The Brain And Brain Structures
A patient is taken to the hospital after suffering severe head trauma. He is unconscious for two days before waking up. Upon standing, the patient finds he has moderate trouble walking straight and has difficulty maintaining his balance.
Based on these symptoms, what part of the patient's brain do you suspect was damaged in the accident?
The medulla oblongata
The cerebrum
The hypothalamus
The cerebellum
The amygdala
The cerebellum
The cerebellum is mainly responsible for fine tuning the motions of the body, including balance and coordination. As a result, damage to this region would cause difficulty walking straight and maintaining balance.
Example Question #1 : Understanding The Brain And Brain Structures
Unlike the spinal cord, the brain mainly has grey matter on the __________ and white matter on the __________.
right half . . . left half
left half . . . right half
inner layer . . . outermost layer
outermost layer . . . inner layer
outermost layer . . . inner layer
Unmyelinated nervous system components make up grey matter, while myelinated axons make up white matter. The cerebral cortex on the surface of the brain contains unmyelinated neural tissue, namely the cell bodies of neurons in the central nervous system. This region is rich in connections. Below its surface lie many myelinated axon tracts to inner nuclei, the cerebellum, other areas of the cortex, and the spinal cord.
Example Question #2 : Understanding The Brain And Brain Structures
Please complete the following statement.
The presence of __________ in the brain indicates a modification to __________.
white matter. . . electro-chemical gradients
the corpus callosum. . . circulation patterns
folds. . . surface-area-to-volume ratios
gray matter. . . sunlight exposure
multiple lobes. . . surface-area-to-volume ratios
folds. . . surface-area-to-volume ratios
Folds are present in the human brain due to the rapid evolution of brain-related tasks while the skull shape and size remained relatively constant; therefore, folds are present as modifications to limited surface-area-to-volume ratios in the skull cavity.
Example Question #2 : Understanding The Brain And Brain Structures
Which of the following is the best explanation for why we have a "blind spot?"
The optic nerve exits the optic disc through the blind spot
There are both rods and cones present, but they do not contain opsins
There are only cones in the blind spot, but no rods
There are only rods in the blind spot, but no cones
None of the choices are true
The optic nerve exits the optic disc through the blind spot
In the blind spot, there is a lack of photoreceptors as the optic nerve exits the optic disk. We normally overcome this automatically when our brains use the information of the surrounding visual field and "fills in" the blind spot.
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