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Human Physiology (UPCAT)

Description: Medulla oblongata Pons Midbrain Diencephalon
Number of Questions: 20
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Tags: Medulla oblongata Pons Midbrain Diencephalon Human Physiology
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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


Correct Option: C
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.

A 50-years-old woman is diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma that is surgically removed and sent to the pathology laboratory for testing. If the tissue stains positively for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), then the tumour must have originated from which of the following neural cells?

  1. Oligodendrocytes

  2. Astrocytes

  3. Microglia

  4. Schwann cells

  5. Ependymal cells


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. Glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) is a specific intermediate filament protein.

Which of the following nerves does not contribute first order general sensory axons to the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal?

  1. Trigeminal nerve (V)

  2. Vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)

  3. Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX)

  4. Vagus nerve (X)

  5. Optic nerve (II)


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII) contains auditory and vestibular special sensory axons, but does not contain general sensory axons.

After a car accident that produced trauma to a 40-years-old woman’s skull, she complained of double vision. The doctor would need to consider which of the following cranial nerves in his diagnosis?

  1. Optic (II), oculomotor (III) and trigeminal (V)

  2. Oculomotor (III), trochlear (IV) and trigeminal (V)

  3. Oculomotor (III), trochlear (IV) and abducens (VI)

  4. Oculomotor (III), trigeminal (V) and abducens (VI)

  5. Oculomotor (III), trigeminal (V) and facial (VII)


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The oculomotor nerve (III) supplies four of the six extraocular muscles.

The eyes are the organs of vision. Which of the following is normally avascular?

  1. The iris

  2. The conjunctiva

  3. The retina

  4. The cornea

  5. The pinna


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber. It is avascular.

Uveitis is the swelling and irritation in the middle layer of the human eye. Which of the following is NOT associated with uveitis?

  1. Pauci-articular arthritis in children

  2. Sarcoidosis

  3. Ankylosing spondylitis

  4. Ulcerative colitis

  5. Graves’ disease


Correct Option: E
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. Graves' ophthalmopathy due to thyrotoxicosis does not involve the uveal tract.

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


Correct Option: D
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.

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


Correct Option: A
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.

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


Correct Option: C
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.

While playing, a boy fell from the roof and his superior cerebellar peduncles were damaged, leading to loss of output from the cerebellum to the brainstem and cortex. Which of the following cardinal symptoms will be seen in him?

  1. Aphasia

  2. Agnosia

  3. Acacia

  4. Ataxia

  5. Atopy


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. A major loss of cerebellar function will lead to ataxia, the inability of a patient to walk normally. Most patients will have wide gaits and unsteady movements.

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


Correct Option: E
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. 

The trochlear nerve is the only cranial nerve that exits from the dorsal side of the brainstem. Which of the following muscles would be affected if the nerve is inadvertently damaged?

  1. Superior oblique muscle

  2. The lateral rectus muscle

  3. Superior tarsal muscle

  4. Sphincter pupillae muscle

  5. Dilator pupillae muscle


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The trochlear nerve (IV) is the only cranial nerve to exit from the posterior surface of the brainstem. It innervates the superior oblique muscle.

Which of the following regions of the midbrain is involved in producing a decrease in the hearing acuity?

  1. Superior colliculus

  2. Inferior colliculus

  3. Red nucleus

  4. Medial lemniscus

  5. Substantia nigra


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The inferior colliculus is a relay nucleus for hearing located in the tectum of the midbrain. The cochlear nuclei send axons through the lateral lemniscus to reach the inferior colliculus. Axons from the colliculus travel to the medial geniculate.

An old man suffered from stroke, which damaged his right cerebral peduncle, resulting in a loss of motor control on the left side of his body. Due to the close proximity of a cranial nerve to the cerebral peduncles, his attending doctor suspects that dysfunction would also occur in

  1. smell

  2. visual acuity in the right eye

  3. motor control of the right eye muscles

  4. sensation from the right side of the forehead

  5. motor control of the right facial muscles


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The oculomotor nerve (III) is closely associated with the cerebral peduncles. A stroke in this region can produce losses in both structures (superior alternating hemiplegia or Weber's syndrome).

A 67-years-old female has a stroke that impacts on her lateral thalamus and the adjacent white matter tract, the internal capsule. The loss of the internal capsule results in which of the following defects?

  1. Contralateral loss of vision

  2. Ipsilateral loss of hearing

  3. Contralateral loss of hearing

  4. Ipsilateral loss of descending skeletal motor control

  5. Contralateral loss of descending skeletal motor control


Correct Option: E
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The internal capsule contains contralateral descending upper motor axons from the cortex to the brainstem and spinal cord (corticospinal, corticobulbar and corticopontine tracts). It also contains contralateral third or fourth order sensory axons from the thalamus to the cortex that carry general sensation (fine touch, proprioception, pain and temperature). The internal capsule does not contain axons for the special sensations of vision or hearing.

In which of the following nuclei of the brain are the second order cell bodies for taste sensation found?

  1. Nucleus ambiguous

  2. Nucleus solitarius

  3. Spinal trigeminal nucleus

  4. Nucleus gracilis

  5. Nucleus cuneatus


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The rostral nucleus solitarius (gustatory nucleus) contains the second order cell bodies for taste sensation from the facial nerve (VII) (chorda tympani), glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) and the vagus nerve (X).

All of the following white matter tracts in the diencephalon interact directly with the hypothalamus, except for the

  1. fornix

  2. medial forebrain bundle

  3. stria terminalis

  4. stria medullaris

  5. posterior commissure


Correct Option: E
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The posterior commissure is a small white matter tract that interconnects the two cerebral hemispheres. It has no direct connections with the hypothalamus.

In a human brain, the emetic centre is a region outside the blood-brain barrier. It allows toxins in the blood to be sensed and vomiting can be induced. It is found in which of the following parts of the brain?

  1. Reticular formation

  2. Raphe nucleus

  3. Locus ceruleus

  4. Area postrema

  5. Inferior olive


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The area postrema is found adjacent to the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve in the posterior aspect of medulla oblongata next to the fourth ventricle. It functions as an emetic centre, sensing toxins and initiating vomiting to help remove the toxins from the gastrointestinal system.

Which of the following cells provide the majority of the second order neurons from the olfactory bulb that project into the brain?

  1. Mitral cells

  2. Olfactory bipolar cells

  3. Periglomerular cells

  4. Cerebellar granule cells

  5. Tufted cells


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The mitral cells are the primary output pathway from the olfactory bulb. They project into the other olfactory bulb and into the brain.

Which of the following types of sensory cell is used in auditory and vestibular systems of the human body?

  1. Stria vascularis cell

  2. Neuroepithelial hair cell

  3. Ependymal cell

  4. Perilymph cell

  5. Endolymph cell


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Yes, it is correct. The neuroepithelial hair cell is used by both the auditory system (in the organ of Corti) and in the vestibular system (in the crista ampullaris and the macula). The stereocilia on these cells are deflected by fluid motion and produce action potentials, which are relayed to specific bipolar neurons.

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