Neural Quest: Test Your Brainpower on the Nervous System

Dive into 20 brainy questions on neurons, reflexes, and the brain—challenge your knowledge and spark curiosity about how we think and feel.

  1. What is the longest nerve in the human body?
    1. Femoral nerve
    2. Sciatic nerve
    3. Tibial nerve
    4. Median nerve
  2. Which brain structure coordinates voluntary movement and balance?
    1. Basal ganglia
    2. Cerebellum
    3. Medulla oblongata
    4. Thalamus
  3. Which of the following is a neurotransmitter primarily involved in reward and motivation?
    1. Acetylcholine
    2. Serotonin
    3. GABA
    4. Dopamine
  4. What is the protective fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord called?
    1. Synovial fluid
    2. Cerebrospinal fluid
    3. Interstitial fluid
    4. Lymph
  5. Which disease is characterized by progressive demyelination in the central nervous system?
    1. Guillain–Barré syndrome
    2. Multiple sclerosis
    3. Myasthenia gravis
    4. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  6. Who proposed the neuron theory that neurons are discrete cells?
    1. Camillo Golgi
    2. Santiago Ramón y Cajal
    3. Ivan Pavlov
    4. Charles Sherrington
  7. Which branch of the autonomic nervous system triggers 'fight or flight' responses?
    1. Enteric nervous system
    2. Parasympathetic nervous system
    3. Somatic nervous system
    4. Sympathetic nervous system
  8. What reflex causes the pupil to constrict in bright light?
    1. Blink reflex
    2. Accommodation reflex
    3. Corneal reflex
    4. Pupillary light reflex

Answers and explanations

  1. Question: What is the longest nerve in the human body?
    Answer: Sciatic nerve
    Explanation: The sciatic nerve runs from the lower back through the buttocks and down each leg, making it the longest and largest nerve in the human body. It’s important because compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve causes sciatica, a common source of back and leg pain affecting mobility.
  2. Question: Which brain structure coordinates voluntary movement and balance?
    Answer: Cerebellum
    Explanation: The cerebellum fine-tunes voluntary movements and maintains balance and posture by integrating sensory input with motor commands. Fun fact: although it's only about 10% of brain volume, it contains over half of the brain's neurons, highlighting its computational importance.
  3. Question: Which of the following is a neurotransmitter primarily involved in reward and motivation?
    Answer: Dopamine
    Explanation: Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter tied to reward, motivation, and reinforcement learning; it helps signal pleasure and drives goal-directed behavior. Interestingly, imbalances in dopamine pathways are implicated in conditions like Parkinson’s disease and addiction.
  4. Question: What is the protective fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord called?
    Answer: Cerebrospinal fluid
    Explanation: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, watery fluid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord, helping absorb shocks and carry nutrients and waste. An interesting fact: doctors can analyze CSF via a lumbar puncture to diagnose infections, bleeding, and neurological diseases like multiple 
  5. Question: Which disease is characterized by progressive demyelination in the central nervous system?
    Answer: Multiple sclerosis
    Explanation: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks myelin in the central nervous system, causing progressive neurological symptoms such as vision problems, weakness, and coordination issues. An interesting fact: MS often follows a relapsing-remitting course early on,
  6. Question: Who proposed the neuron theory that neurons are discrete cells?
    Answer: Santiago Ramón y Cajal
    Explanation: Cajal used improved staining techniques and careful microscopy to show that neurons are individual, separate cells that communicate across gaps (synapses). His work founded modern neuroscience and earned him a Nobel Prize in 1906 for revealing the cellular structure of the nervous system.
  7. Question: Which branch of the autonomic nervous system triggers 'fight or flight' responses?
    Answer: Sympathetic nervous system
    Explanation: The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for 'fight or flight' by increasing heart rate, dilating pupils, and releasing adrenaline. It's essential for rapid responses to threats and helps mobilize energy in emergencies.
  8. Question: What reflex causes the pupil to constrict in bright light?
    Answer: Pupillary light reflex
    Explanation: The pupillary light reflex is an automatic response where shining bright light into an eye causes the iris to contract, narrowing the pupil to limit light entry. It's important for protecting the retina and improving visual acuity; interestingly, the response involves both eyes even if only one is照ら