BIOL 2220 Final Exam
BIOL 2220 Final Exam Study Guide
Questions and Answers Graded A 2025
Describe the development of the brain - Correct Ans-1. the ectoderm thickens along the
midline, forming the NEURAL PLATE
2. the neural plates invaginates to form a neural groove with neural folds (the sides of
the grooves = folds)
3. the neural folds FUSE to form the neural tube
4. neural tube DETACHES from the ectoderm & descends into the middle of the embryo
-- this forms the CNS
5. neural crest develops as offshoots of neural folds (crests become neural ganglia)
Relate embryonic regions to the structures of the adult brain - Correct Ans-Brain
Vesicles:
- Prosencephalon gives rise to telencephalon (cerebrum) and diencephalon (thalamus,
hypothalamus, epithalamus, retina)
- Mesencephalon gives rise to the midbrain
- Rhombencephalon gives rise to the myelencephalon (medulla oblongata) and
metencephalon (part of brainstem, pons, cerebellum)
Identify the ventricles of the brain - Correct Ans-- Brain ventricles = expansions of the
lumen of the neural tube
- ventricles are continuous with one another & spinal cord
- filled with cerebrospinal fluid
- ependyma lines ventricles (helps make CSF)
Identify the ventricles of the brain - Correct Ans-Lateral Ventricles:
- within each hemisphere of the cerebrum
- 2 lateral ventricles are separated by SEPTUM PELLUCIDUM
- 2 lateral connected to third ventricle
Third Ventricle:
- connected to lateral & runs thru diencephalon
Fourth Ventricle:
- connected to 3rd & central canal of spinal cord
Interventricular Foramen - Correct Ans-- connects lateral ventricles to third
Cerebral Aquaduct - Correct Ans-connects the third and fourth ventricles
Openings - Correct Ans-- allow fluids outside brain to be connected to fluid on inside
- Lateral apertures: opening to fourth ventricle, one on each side
- Median aperture: top/root of fourth ventricle
BIOL 2220 Final Exam
, BIOL 2220 Final Exam
Describe the surface anatomy of the cerebrum, its lobes and its functional regions. -
Correct Ans-...
Surface anatomy of cerebrum - Correct Ans-gyri: elevated parts of the folds
sulci: depressions between gyri
longitudinal fissure: line that separates the left & right cerebral hemispheres
transverse fissure: separates the cerebrum from other parts
Cerebrum lobes - Correct Ans-- Frontal
- Parietal
- Occipital
- Temporal
- Insula—rest of the brain is folded around, internal, not visible from outside
Functional Regions of Cerebrum - Correct Ans-1. cerebral cortex
- outer/superficial part
- made up of gray matter (cell bodies of neurons & unmyelinated axons)
2. white matter
- deep to cortex
- Made up of myelinated neurons (lipids is what makes it white)
3. basal nuclei (Internal islands of gray matter inside white matter)
List the specific functional areas of the cerebral cortex, and identify their general
purpose. - Correct Ans-The cerebral cortex is the conscious mind—associated with self-
awareness, communication, memory, & voluntary movement
Cerebral Cortex Functional Areas - Correct Ans-motor, sensory, association
Motor (4) - Correct Ans-1. Primary Motor Cortex
- sends motor impulses to allow movement
2. Premotor Cortex
- LEARNED motor skills (goes to premotor before primary)
- sends signal to primary to actually do the movement
3. Broca's area
- in LEFT hemisphere only
- Associated with SPEECH (muscles in mouth, lungs, larynx, etc.)
- Same spot on right hemisphere controls BODY LANGUAGE
4. Frontal Eye Field
- allows us to voluntarily move our eyes (see a bird fly from left to right)
Sensory (7) - Correct Ans-1. Primary somatosensory cortex
- spatial discrimination (determines where signal is coming from on body)
2. Somatosensory association cortex
- integrates all of the sensory info that goes to primary
3. Visual Areas
BIOL 2220 Final Exam
, BIOL 2220 Final Exam
- Primary visual cortex: brings info from retina
- Visual association area: uses experience to interpret (not just a bird, an eagle)
4. Auditory Areas
- Primary auditory cortex: receives info from inner ear
- Auditory association area: uses experience to interpret
5. Olfactory cortex (detects odor)
6. Gustatory cortex (taste buds)
7. Vestibular cortex (from insula, info about balance)
Association (4) (all interneurons, communication between motor & sensory) - Correct
Ans-1. Prefrontal cortex
- Most highly evolved portion of cerebral cortex in humans
- Involved with intellect, complex learning, cognition, recall, personality
2. Language area
- Wernicke's area: LEFT side only; involved with sounding out foreign words (but not the
muscles that make speech)
- Right side is the interpretation of body English (nonverbal)
3. General interpretation area
- only on LEFT side
- Receives input from all sensory association areas and integrates it all into a single
thought like "hungry", "sexy", "danger"
4. Visceral association area
- Conscious perception of visceral sensations (organs)
- Senses when our bladder is full, stomach hurts, etc.
Name the structures and functions of the cerebral white matter and basal bodies. -
Correct Ans-Cerebral white matter:
- carries communication between areas of cerebrum, & between cortex & lower CNS
centers
White Matter Fibers:
- commissures: connect gray areas of 2 different hemispheres
- largest commissure = corpus callosum
- association fibers: connects different parts of the same hemisphere
- projection fibers: connect cerebrum to other parts of brain/spinal cord (ties the cortex
to the entire rest of the nervous system)
Basal nuclei - Correct Ans-- Islands of gray matter within the white matter
- Without basal nuclei, we get unwanted movement (it REFINES our movement)
- Has no direct access to motor pathways
- There are 4 basal nuclei in each hemisphere:
- Caudate nucleus, Putamen, and Globus pallidus: regulate attention & cognition &
coordinates stereotype movement
- Amygdala: associated with emotions and limbic system
thalamus - Correct Ans-- ALL sensory input goes to the thalamus & is sorted here &
then sent to cortex
BIOL 2220 Final Exam
, BIOL 2220 Final Exam
- Also, all non-sensory input (interneurons → going from one part of the brain to
another, must be sorted in thalamus)
hypothalamus - Correct Ans-- The main visceral control center (control of internal
organs)
- heartbeat, digestive, blood pressure
- Regulates autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity
o Controls emotional responses (doesn't create emotional response → controls it)
o Regulates body temperature
o Controls food intake
o Regulates water balance
o Controls sleep cycle
o Regulates hormone release
o Sex drive
o Works thru the medulla oblongata
- Hypothalamus generates signal that medulla oblongata then causes to happen
Epithalamus - Correct Ans-- contains pineal gland
- secrete melatonin (causes brain to start shutting down)
- helps produce CSF (sends signals to secrete or stop secreting fluid)
List the structures and functions of the diencephalons and brain stem. - Correct Ans-...
Brainstem - Correct Ans-- Midbrain + pons + medulla oblongata = brain stem
- Brain stem is grey matter that is deep to the white matter, and has islands of gray
matter within white matter
- Continuous with the spinal cord (spinal cord is only white matter)
- Function: provides programmed automatic behaviors needed for survival
o Inhale/exhale, digestion
Midbrain - Correct Ans-- Contains motor tracts that connect to spinal cord, and to
cerebellum
- Functions in pain suppression
- Serves as a link between amygdala (emotion) and ANS (i.e. Emotion leads to
increased heart rate, dry mouth)
- Contains visual reflex center (Coordinates eye activity with head activity)
- Functions as auditory relay (We can move our head to better hear sounds that are
from different directions)
Pons - Correct Ans-- Mainly composed of conduction tracts
- Relays info between motor cortex and cerebellum
Medulla Oblongata - Correct Ans-- Major autonomous reflex center
o Controls heart rate and blood vessel diameter
o Controls rate and depth of breathing
o Regulates vomiting, hiccupping, swallowing, coughing, sneezing, etc.
BIOL 2220 Final Exam
