Brain in Human Anatomy MCQ Questions and Answers

1. The primary motor cortex is located in which part of the cerebral cortex?
A) Postcentral gyrus
B) Superior temporal gyrus
C) Precentral gyrus
D) Cuneus
Answer: C

2. Which artery mainly supplies the lateral surface of the cerebral hemisphere, including Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas?
A) Anterior cerebral artery
B) Posterior cerebral artery
C) Middle cerebral artery
D) Superior cerebellar artery
Answer: C

3. The thalamic relay nucleus for visual information is:
A) Medial geniculate nucleus
B) Pulvinar
C) Lateral geniculate nucleus
D) Ventral posterolateral nucleus
Answer: C

4. The hypothalamic nucleus responsible for satiety is the:
A) Lateral nucleus
B) Ventromedial nucleus
C) Supraoptic nucleus
D) Arcuate nucleus
Answer: B

5. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is produced mainly by:
A) Ependymal lining
B) Choroid plexus of all ventricles
C) Subarachnoid villi
D) Pia mater capillaries
Answer: B

6. The cranial nerve nucleus located in the pons that controls lateral gaze is the:
A) Oculomotor nucleus
B) Abducent nucleus
C) Trochlear nucleus
D) Facial nucleus
Answer: B

7. The arterial circle of Willis lies within the:
A) Epidural space
B) Subdural space
C) Subarachnoid space (interpeduncular cistern)
D) Arachnoid granulations
Answer: C

8. A lesion in the right precentral gyrus results in weakness on the:
A) Left side of the body
B) Right side of the body
C) Both sides equally
D) Face only
Answer: A

9. The hippocampus is primarily associated with:
A) Motor control
B) Memory consolidation
C) Language comprehension
D) Balance and posture
Answer: B

10. Melatonin is secreted by the:
A) Hypothalamus
B) Pineal gland
C) Pituitary gland
D) Pons
Answer: B

11. The cerebellar nucleus responsible for coordination of limb movement is:
A) Fastigial nucleus
B) Interposed nuclei (emboliform and globose)
C) Dentate nucleus via middle peduncle
D) Olivary nucleus
Answer: B

12. The blood–brain barrier is mainly formed by:
A) Ependymal cells
B) Tight junctions of endothelial cells with astrocytic end-feet
C) Microglial barriers
D) Dural reflections
Answer: B

13. Deficiency of dopamine in the substantia nigra causes:
A) Huntington disease
B) Parkinson disease
C) Alzheimer disease
D) Wilson disease
Answer: B

14. The corticospinal (pyramidal) tract decussates at the:
A) Midbrain
B) Caudal medulla
C) Pons
D) Internal capsule
Answer: B

15. A lesion of Wernicke’s area leads to:
A) Receptive aphasia
B) Expressive aphasia
C) Mutism
D) Sensory ataxia
Answer: A

16. The ventricles located within each cerebral hemisphere are the:
A) Third ventricle
B) Fourth ventricle
C) Lateral ventricles
D) Cerebral aqueduct
Answer: C

17. The primary auditory cortex is found in:
A) Superior parietal lobule
B) Heschl’s gyrus (transverse temporal gyrus)
C) Inferior frontal gyrus
D) Occipital pole
Answer: B

18. The hypothalamus connects to the pituitary gland through the:
A) Optic tract
B) Infundibulum (pituitary stalk)
C) Corpus callosum
D) Fornix
Answer: B

19. Myelination of CNS axons is done by:
A) Schwann cells
B) Oligodendrocytes
C) Astrocytes
D) Ependymal cells
Answer: B

20. The structure connecting the two hippocampi is the:
A) Hippocampal commissure (fornix commissure)
B) Corpus callosum
C) Anterior commissure
D) Posterior commissure
Answer: A

21. Brodmann area 4 corresponds to the:
A) Primary visual cortex
B) Primary motor cortex
C) Primary auditory cortex
D) Premotor cortex
Answer: B

22. The basal ganglia primarily function in:
A) Initiation and control of movement
B) Visual processing
C) Pain perception
D) Language comprehension
Answer: A

23. The circle of Willis includes all EXCEPT:
A) Superior cerebellar artery
B) Posterior communicating artery
C) Anterior communicating artery
D) Anterior cerebral artery
Answer: A

24. The tongue and larynx area of the motor cortex lies in the:
A) Medial surface of hemisphere
B) Inferolateral precentral gyrus
C) Postcentral gyrus
D) Cingulate gyrus
Answer: B

25. The dominant hemisphere for language in most right-handed individuals is the:
A) Right hemisphere
B) Left hemisphere
C) Both hemispheres equally
D) Occipital lobe
Answer: B

26. The limbic structure most involved in fear is the:
A) Hippocampus
B) Amygdala
C) Cingulate gyrus
D) Septal nucleus
Answer: B

27. The visual cortex is supplied mainly by the:
A) Middle cerebral artery
B) Posterior cerebral artery
C) Anterior cerebral artery
D) Basilar artery
Answer: B

28. The lateral ventricles communicate with the third ventricle via the:
A) Interventricular foramen (foramen of Monro)
B) Cerebral aqueduct
C) Foramen of Luschka
D) Foramen of Magendie
Answer: A

29. The thalamic nucleus for somatosensory signals from the body is:
A) Ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL)
B) Ventral posteromedial
C) Medial geniculate
D) Pulvinar
Answer: A

30. Astrocytes perform all the following functions EXCEPT:
A) Maintaining BBB
B) Myelinating axons
C) Regulating extracellular ions
D) Neurotransmitter recycling
Answer: B

31. A lesion of left Meyer’s loop causes:
A) Right superior quadrantanopia
B) Left inferior quadrantanopia
C) Right hemianopia
D) Bitemporal hemianopia
Answer: A

32. Venous blood from the brain drains primarily into:
A) Facial veins
B) Dural venous sinuses → internal jugular veins
C) Vertebral veins only
D) Arachnoid granulations
Answer: B

33. Taste from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue travels via:
A) Glossopharyngeal nerve
B) Vagus nerve
C) Facial nerve (chorda tympani)
D) Trigeminal nerve
Answer: C

34. The posterior limb of the internal capsule contains:
A) Corticospinal and sensory fibers
B) Corticobulbar only
C) Visual fibers
D) Olfactory fibers
Answer: A

35. The main respiratory centers lie in the:
A) Midbrain
B) Medulla and pons
C) Thalamus
D) Hypothalamus
Answer: B

36. The tract connecting Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas is the:
A) Arcuate fasciculus
B) Uncinate fasciculus
C) Corpus callosum
D) Cingulum
Answer: A

37. The nucleus of the solitary tract receives input from:
A) CN V, VII
B) CN II, III
C) CN VII, IX, X
D) CN XI, XII
Answer: C

38. The meningeal layer adhering to brain surface is the:
A) Dura mater
B) Arachnoid mater
C) Pia mater
D) Periosteum
Answer: C

39. Voluntary eye movements are controlled by the:
A) Occipital lobe
B) Frontal eye field (area 8)
C) Temporal lobe
D) Cerebellum
Answer: B

40. The glymphatic system functions mainly to:
A) Produce CSF
B) Clear metabolic waste during sleep
C) Control motor output
D) Regulate synaptic transmission
Answer: B

41. The hypothalamic nuclei belong to which diencephalic division?
A) Hypothalamus
B) Thalamus
C) Epithalamus
D) Subthalamus
Answer: A

42. The CNS develops from the:
A) Neural crest
B) Neural tube
C) Notochord
D) Somites
Answer: B

43. Loss of autoregulation in raised intracranial pressure leads to:
A) Increased CBF
B) Decreased CBF
C) Unchanged CBF
D) Hyperemia
Answer: B

44. The putamen, caudate, and globus pallidus constitute the:
A) Limbic system
B) Basal ganglia
C) Thalamic nuclei
D) Corticospinal tract
Answer: B

45. The medullary nucleus providing parasympathetic output to thoracic and abdominal viscera is the:
A) Dorsal motor nucleus of vagus
B) Nucleus ambiguus
C) Solitary nucleus
D) Hypoglossal nucleus
Answer: A

46. Proprioceptive and fine-touch sensations are processed in the:
A) Primary somatosensory cortex (postcentral gyrus)
B) Premotor cortex
C) Visual cortex
D) Insula
Answer: A

47. Lower motor neurons for skeletal muscles are in the:
A) Dorsal horn
B) Ventral horn
C) Lateral horn
D) Posterior column
Answer: B

48. Central chemoreceptors detecting CO₂ are located in the:
A) Carotid body
B) Medulla oblongata
C) Hypothalamus
D) Pons
Answer: B

49. The fornix connects the hippocampus to the:
A) Amygdala
B) Mammillary bodies
C) Cingulate gyrus
D) Insula
Answer: B

50. Alpha rhythm (8–13 Hz) appears when a person is:
A) Asleep (N3)
B) Relaxed with eyes closed
C) Dreaming
D) Exercising
Answer: B

51. The cranial nerve nucleus in the medulla that controls tongue movement is the:
A) Hypoglossal nucleus (CN XII)
B) Nucleus ambiguus
C) Facial nucleus
D) Spinal accessory nucleus
Answer: A

52. The principal excitatory neurotransmitter in cortex is:
A) Glutamate
B) GABA
C) Glycine
D) Dopamine
Answer: A

53. The middle cerebellar peduncle carries fibers from:
A) Pontine nuclei
B) Spinal cord
C) Medulla
D) Vestibular nuclei
Answer: A

54. Lesion of subthalamic nucleus produces:
A) Tremor
B) Hemiballismus
C) Rigidity
D) Athetosis
Answer: B

55. The immune phagocytic cells of CNS are:
A) Astrocytes
B) Microglia
C) Oligodendrocytes
D) Schwann cells
Answer: B

56. The medial surface of the frontal lobe (leg area) is supplied by:
A) Anterior cerebral artery
B) Middle cerebral artery
C) Posterior cerebral artery
D) Basilar artery
Answer: A

57. Olfactory fibers pass through the:
A) Foramen ovale
B) Cribriform plate of ethmoid bone
C) Internal acoustic meatus
D) Foramen rotundum
Answer: B

58. The auditory relay nucleus in the thalamus is the:
A) Medial geniculate body
B) Lateral geniculate
C) Pulvinar
D) VPL
Answer: A

59. The avascular meningeal layer is the:
A) Arachnoid mater
B) Dura mater
C) Pia mater
D) Epidural layer
Answer: A

60. The VPM nucleus of thalamus receives:
A) Visual input
B) Sensory input from face and taste
C) Body proprioception
D) Hearing
Answer: B

61. Arousal and consciousness depend on:
A) Reticular activating system
B) Visual cortex
C) Cerebellum
D) Hypothalamus
Answer: A

62. The anterior limb of internal capsule lies between:
A) Head of caudate and lentiform nucleus
B) Thalamus and hippocampus
C) Fornix and caudate
D) Putamen and insula
Answer: A

63. Thermoregulation center lies in the:
A) Posterior hypothalamus
B) Preoptic area (anterior hypothalamus)
C) Pineal gland
D) Pons
Answer: B

64. Reflexive eye and head movements to visual stimuli arise from the:
A) Inferior colliculus
B) Superior colliculus
C) Red nucleus
D) Substantia nigra
Answer: B

65. The cerebral aqueduct connects:
A) Lateral to third
B) Third to fourth ventricle
C) Fourth to subarachnoid space
D) Lateral to fourth
Answer: B

66. The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain is:
A) GABA
B) Glutamate
C) Dopamine
D) Acetylcholine
Answer: A

67. The midbrain is supplied by branches of:
A) Posterior cerebral and basilar arteries
B) Middle cerebral
C) Anterior cerebral
D) Superior sagittal sinus
Answer: A

68. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex controls:
A) Vision
B) Executive functions and working memory
C) Motor strength
D) Pain perception
Answer: B

69. The cerebellum lies in the:
A) Middle cranial fossa
B) Posterior cranial fossa
C) Anterior fossa
D) Temporal fossa
Answer: B

70. Large pyramidal (Betz) cells are found in cortical layer:
A) II
B) V
C) VI
D) I
Answer: B

71. Circadian rhythm control is by:
A) Suprachiasmatic nucleus
B) Arcuate nucleus
C) Ventromedial nucleus
D) Pinealocytes only
Answer: A

72. Proprioception from lower limb to cerebellum travels via:
A) Dorsal spinocerebellar tract
B) Spinothalamic tract
C) Corticospinal tract
D) Medial lemniscus
Answer: A

73. Broca’s area is responsible for:
A) Auditory perception
B) Speech production
C) Reading comprehension
D) Emotional control
Answer: B

74. Infarction of PICA causes:
A) Weber syndrome
B) Lateral medullary (Wallenberg) syndrome
C) Locked-in syndrome
D) Cortical blindness
Answer: B

75. Glial cells maintaining extracellular environment are:
A) Astrocytes
B) Microglia
C) Oligodendrocytes
D) Schwann cells
Answer: A

76. The hippocampus is supplied mainly by:
A) Posterior cerebral artery
B) Middle cerebral artery
C) Anterior cerebral artery
D) Basilar artery
Answer: A

77. Facial recognition occurs in the:
A) Fusiform gyrus
B) Broca’s area
C) Visual cortex
D) Angular gyrus
Answer: A

78. Vestibular information is relayed by:
A) Vestibular nuclei
B) Inferior olive
C) Red nucleus
D) Amygdala
Answer: A

79. Which of the following is NOT part of the limbic system?
A) Amygdala
B) Hippocampus
C) Cingulate gyrus
D) Primary motor cortex
Answer: D

80. The anterior choroidal artery supplies the:
A) Posterior limb of internal capsule and optic tract
B) Cerebellum
C) Occipital pole only
D) Frontal pole
Answer: A

81. Dorsal root ganglion neurons arise from:
A) Neural crest
B) Neural tube
C) Mesoderm
D) Endoderm
Answer: A

82. Lesion of the dominant inferior parietal lobule causes:
A) Gerstmann syndrome (agraphia, acalculia, finger agnosia)
B) Aphonia
C) Ataxia
D) Hemianopia
Answer: A

83. Fast excitatory transmission at NMJ occurs via:
A) Muscarinic receptor
B) Nicotinic receptor
C) GABA-A receptor
D) NMDA receptor
Answer: B

84. Skilled voluntary movements are controlled by:
A) Lateral corticospinal tract
B) Rubrospinal tract
C) Vestibulospinal tract
D) Spinothalamic tract
Answer: A

85. The roof of the third ventricle includes:
A) Fornix and tela choroidea
B) Corpus callosum
C) Pineal gland
D) Hypothalamic sulcus
Answer: A

86. Pupillary constriction reflex is mediated by:
A) Edinger–Westphal nucleus
B) Red nucleus
C) Hypoglossal nucleus
D) Nucleus ambiguus
Answer: A

87. Lateral medullary syndrome spares:
A) Contralateral pain and temperature loss
B) Corticospinal weakness
C) Dysphagia
D) Vertigo
Answer: B

88. The cerebellar vermis controls:
A) Speech
B) Axial and trunk coordination
C) Fine hand movements
D) Emotional learning
Answer: B

89. Fibers connecting cortex to cranial nerve nuclei are:
A) Spinothalamic
B) Corticobulbar
C) Corticospinal
D) Rubrospinal
Answer: B

90. Alexia without agraphia results from lesion of:
A) Angular gyrus only
B) Left occipital cortex and splenium of corpus callosum
C) Broca’s area
D) Thalamus
Answer: B

91. Ventricular walls are lined by:
A) Ependymal cells
B) Astrocytes
C) Oligodendrocytes
D) Microglia
Answer: A

92. The reticular formation controls:
A) Sensory relay
B) Arousal and autonomic functions
C) Fine movement
D) Smell perception
Answer: B

93. Parasympathetic fibers to parotid gland arise from:
A) Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
B) Facial nerve
C) Trigeminal nerve
D) Vagus nerve
Answer: A

94. The most common site of hypertensive brain hemorrhage is:
A) Putamen/internal capsule
B) Cerebellum
C) Pons
D) Occipital lobe
Answer: A

95. The pineal gland functions to:
A) Produce CSF
B) Secrete melatonin
C) Store ADH
D) Control emotion
Answer: B

96. Which tract ascends in the anterolateral funiculus and carries pain and temperature?
A) Dorsal column tract
B) Spinothalamic tract
C) Corticospinal tract
D) Spinocerebellar tract
Answer: B

97. The structure located superior to the optic chiasm is the:
A) Lamina terminalis and hypothalamic region
B) Pineal gland
C) Mammillary body
D) Pons
Answer: A

98. The brainstem receives its blood supply from branches of:
A) Vertebral and basilar arteries
B) Middle cerebral artery
C) Anterior cerebral artery
D) Posterior inferior cerebellar artery only
Answer: A

99. The mammillary bodies are involved in:
A) Vision
B) Memory (Papez circuit)
C) Pain modulation
D) Motor control
Answer: B

100. Which protein is essential for myelin compaction and rapid saltatory conduction?
A) Collagen IV
B) Aquaporin 4
C) Myelin basic protein (MBP)
D) Actin
Answer: C