Jeremiah
Assignment cover sheet: BIOL125 written assessment
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BIOL125 2024, semester 1 1
, Question 1: Otto Brioche, a student at ACU, is preparing for his final exam. While studying,
Otto experiences a strong headache, which he ignores for several hours. At the end of the
day, Otto stands up and experiences dizziness, blurry vision, including difficulty perceiving
colours and recognising familiar faces on pictures that hung on the wall, amongst other
symptoms. He called out to his mother, but as she approached, he could not recognise her
clearly. After performing an angiography (imaging of blood vessels) in the brain, a vascular
occlusion (blockage) in the basilar artery was reported.
Considering the information described above and reflecting on your BIOL125 learning
material:
i) Name the condition Otto is most likely suffering from when considering the result of the
angiography.
ii) Identify and name the artery that has most likely been affected.
iii) Name the main cortical area/s that have been affected/damaged when considering the
scenario described above and provide adequate justification for your answer.
(4 marks; 200 words max)
Question 2: Otto has now recovered completely from this condition. Otto and his friend
Mark decide to fly to Japan to go skiing. Upon arrival, Mark puts on his skis and a ski lift
takes him to the top of the mountain. However, because he is jet-lagged and sleep-deprived,
he misses a turn and falls upon a large rock. Medical help arrives and tests his movement
and sensation in both of his legs, but Mark is in a state of shock and is unsure if he can
move his limbs. Paramedics ensure that he remains immobile until they all arrive at the
regional neurosurgical centre, where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a
complete sectioning of the spinal cord at the level illustrated in the picture below.
Figure 1: Complete section of spinal cord marked with arrows. MRI Picture modified from Ahuja, C.,
Wilson, J., Nori, S. et al. Traumatic spinal cord injury. Nat Rev Dis Primers 3, 17018 (2017).
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrdp.2017.18
Based on your knowledge of the innervation of upper and lower limbs, discuss if Mark will be
able to:
a) feel sensation/perceive sensory stimuli from and move his arms
b) feel sensation/perceive sensory stimuli from and move his legs
Justify your answers by referring to afferent and efferent tracts. (4 marks; 200 words max)
BIOL125 2024, semester 1 2