AP PSYCHOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR

STUDYING THE BRAIN

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
The lower brain structure that controls arousal.
A
cerebellum
B
reticular formation
C
medulla
D
thalamus
E
pons
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The nucleus reticularis ventralis (also known as the ventral subnucleus of the medulla oblongata) is the caudal representation of the reticular formation in the medulla oblongata.

Detailed explanation-2: -The reticular formation is found in the brainstem, at the center of an area of the brainstem known as the tegmentum.

Detailed explanation-3: -The reticular activating system’s fundamental role is regulating arousal and sleep−wake transitions.

Detailed explanation-4: -Individual reticular neurons reach the hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Therefore, they are well-suited for regulating brain arousal.

Detailed explanation-5: -The reticular formation is composed of a network of diffuse aggregations of neurons distributed throughout the central parts of the medulla, pons, and midbrain. It fills the spaces between cranial nerve nuclei and olivary bodies and intermixes between ascending and descending fiber tracts.

There is 1 question to complete.