Quiz on The Brain

Which cells transmit electrical signals throughout the brain?

• Platelets
• Hormones
• Antibodies
• Neurons ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: You're born with most of your roughly 86 billion neurons already in place.

Which body system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves?

• Nervous system ✓ (Correct answer)
• Immune system
• Endocrine system
• Circulatory system

Source: The brain plus the spinal cord form the central nervous system, the body's command HQ.

What is the popular but false myth about how much of our brain we use?

• Only 50%
• Only 90%
• Only 10% ✓ (Correct answer)
• Only 25%

Source: Brain scans show virtually all of it lights up across a day; the 10% claim is pure fiction.

Which side of the body does the brain's right hemisphere mainly control?

• The right side
• Both sides equally
• The left side ✓ (Correct answer)
• Only the legs

Source: The nerve pathways cross over, so each half of the brain steers the opposite half of the body.

What protective fluid cushions the brain inside the skull?

• Plasma
• Cerebrospinal fluid ✓ (Correct answer)
• Lymph
• Synovial fluid

Source: Your brain effectively floats in it, which is why it weighs far less in fluid than in air.

Roughly how much of your body's total energy does the brain consume at rest?

• About 2%
• About 20% ✓ (Correct answer)
• About 50%
• About 80%

Source: It's only about 2% of body weight yet burns a fifth of your daily calories just idling.

Which brain structure is mainly responsible for forming new long-term memories?

• Hippocampus ✓ (Correct answer)
• Cerebellum
• Brainstem
• Pituitary gland

Source: Its seahorse shape gave it the name; damage to it can leave someone unable to form new memories.

Which structure connects the brain's two hemispheres so they can communicate?

• Corpus callosum ✓ (Correct answer)
• Hypothalamus
• Spinal cord
• Optic nerve

Source: This thick bundle of fibres carries traffic between left and right; cutting it was once used to treat epilepsy.

What chemical messenger is most linked to motivation and reward?

• Oxytocin
• Endorphin
• Adrenaline
• Dopamine ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: It spikes in anticipation of a reward, not just when you get it, which is why scrolling feels addictive.

The wrinkled outer layer of the brain handling thought is called what?

• Medulla
• Cerebral cortex ✓ (Correct answer)
• Cerebellum
• Corpus callosum

Source: Those folds pack a surface the size of a pizza into your skull to fit more thinking power.

The almond-shaped region driving fear and emotion is known as what?

• Amygdala ✓ (Correct answer)
• Thalamus
• Medulla
• Insula

Source: Its name literally means almond in Greek, reflecting its shape deep in the temporal lobe.

Which part of the brain coordinates balance and fine movement?

• Frontal lobe
• Amygdala
• Cerebellum ✓ (Correct answer)
• Brainstem

Source: It holds over half the brain's neurons in a fist-sized lump tucked beneath the back of your head.

Which brain region acts as the body's thermostat and hunger regulator?

• Hippocampus
• Amygdala
• Cerebellum
• Hypothalamus ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Tiny but mighty, it controls temperature, thirst, hunger, and even your sleep-wake clock.

Which lobe of the brain primarily processes visual information?

• Frontal lobe
• Temporal lobe
• Occipital lobe ✓ (Correct answer)
• Parietal lobe

Source: Sight is processed at the very back of your head, far from your eyes at the front.

What is the name of the gap signals cross between two neurons?

• Axon
• Dendrite
• Myelin
• Synapse ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Signals leap this gap chemically, not electrically, in a fraction of a millisecond.

Which neurotransmitter's shortage is most associated with depression?

• Serotonin ✓ (Correct answer)
• Dopamine
• Norepinephrine
• Glutamate

Source: Most of your body's supply is actually made in the gut, not the brain.

Which structure relays nearly all sensory signals on their way to the cortex?

• Basal ganglia
• Thalamus ✓ (Correct answer)
• Pituitary
• Pons

Source: Often called the brain's switchboard, every sense except smell routes through it first.

The brain's ability to rewire itself by forming new connections is called what?

• Neurogenesis
• Myelination
• Synaptogenesis
• Neuroplasticity ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: This rewiring lets stroke survivors relearn skills using entirely different brain regions.

Damage to which specific area typically causes difficulty producing speech?

• Wernicke's area
• Broca's area ✓ (Correct answer)
• Angular gyrus
• Arcuate fasciculus

Source: Patients understand language fine but struggle to get words out; a nearby area handles comprehension instead.

What is the fatty insulation that speeds signals along nerve fibres called?

• Synaptic cleft
• Oligodendrocyte
• Myelin sheath ✓ (Correct answer)
• Schwann cell

Source: It boosts signal speed dramatically; losing it is what drives multiple sclerosis.