Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

What structure of the brain controls elementary reactions like blinking and vital functions like breathing?

1. Frontal lobe

2. Hippocampus

3. Cerebellum

4. Brain stem

The correct answer is: Brain stem

The brain stem plays a crucial role in regulating basic life functions, including vital processes such as breathing and heart rate, as well as reflexive actions like blinking. It serves as a pathway for messages traveling between the brain and the body, ensuring that essential functions are carried out automatically without conscious thought. This structure is responsible for autonomic control over respiratory and cardiovascular functions. The importance of the brain stem in managing these fundamental physiological operations is why it is often referred to as the control center for many involuntary actions that sustain life. Understanding this helps in recognizing how integral the brain stem is to both basic motor responses and crucial life-sustaining functions.