Free Nervous System and Special Senses MCQs with Answers
40 Nervous System and Special Senses MCQs from Anatomy and Physiology for Nursing, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
The nervous system covers neurons, neuroglia, nerve impulses, synapses, reflex arcs, and the organization of the central and peripheral nervous systems. It also explains the autonomic divisions and the receptors and pathways for vision, hearing, balance, taste and smell, distinguishing sensory reception from conscious perception.
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40 questions · page 2 of 2
- A. Corpus callosum
- B. Medulla oblongata
- C. Pituitary gland
- D. Cerebellar vermis
Explanation: The corpus callosum is a large bundle of nerve fibres linking the right and left cerebral hemispheres.
Correct answer: Corpus callosum- A. Sympathetic division
- B. Parasympathetic division
- C. Somatic motor division
- D. Sensory division
Explanation: The parasympathetic division constricts the pupil through the oculomotor pathway.
Correct answer: Parasympathetic division- A. Somatic motor nerve
- B. Visceral sensory nerve
- C. Parasympathetic nerve
- D. Sympathetic sensory nerve
Explanation: Somatic motor nerves carry efferent commands to skeletal muscles and support voluntary movement.
Correct answer: Somatic motor nerve- A. Loss of the outer fields of both eyes
- B. Loss of the inner fields of both eyes
- C. Loss of vision in the right eye only
- D. Loss of vision in the left eye only
Explanation: Nasal retinal fibres cross at the optic chiasm and carry information from the temporal, or outer, visual fields.
Correct answer: Loss of the outer fields of both eyes- A. Auditory ossicles
- B. Semicircular canals
- C. Eustachian tube
- D. Cochlear duct
Explanation: The malleus, incus, and stapes are the auditory ossicles, which transmit and strengthen sound vibrations toward the oval window.
Correct answer: Auditory ossicles- A. Semicircular canals
- B. Otolith organs
- C. Cochlea
- D. Auditory tube
Explanation: The semicircular canals detect angular acceleration, such as turning or nodding the head.
Correct answer: Semicircular canals- A. Facial nerve
- B. Glossopharyngeal nerve
- C. Vagus nerve
- D. Hypoglossal nerve
Explanation: The glossopharyngeal nerve, cranial nerve IX, carries taste from the posterior one-third of the tongue.
Correct answer: Glossopharyngeal nerve- A. Optic nerve
- B. Oculomotor nerve
- C. Trigeminal nerve
- D. Facial nerve
Explanation: Retinal neurons transmit visual information through the optic nerve, cranial nerve II, toward the optic chiasm and visual centres.
Correct answer: Optic nerve- A. The postsynaptic membrane may change its ion permeability
- B. The presynaptic neuron immediately forms new myelin
- C. The neurotransmitter travels back into the spinal cord
- D. The axon permanently loses its resting potential
Explanation: Binding of a neurotransmitter changes ion channel activity in the postsynaptic membrane, producing an excitatory or inhibitory response.
Correct answer: The postsynaptic membrane may change its ion permeability- A. Somatic motor division
- B. Sensory or afferent division
- C. Autonomic motor division
- D. Sympathetic motor division
Explanation: The sensory, or afferent, division carries impulses from receptors to the brain and spinal cord.
Correct answer: Sensory or afferent division- A. Cell body
- B. Synaptic cleft
- C. Myelin sheath
- D. Axon hillock
Explanation: The synaptic cleft is the narrow gap across which neurotransmitters diffuse between cells.
Correct answer: Synaptic cleft- A. Ascending sensory pathway
- B. Descending motor pathway
- C. Visceral sensory pathway
- D. Cranial sensory pathway
Explanation: Descending motor pathways carry commands from the brain toward spinal motor neurons and skeletal muscles.
Correct answer: Descending motor pathway- A. Slower heart rate and increased digestion
- B. Constriction of bronchioles and pupil constriction
- C. Increased heart rate and reduced gastrointestinal activity
- D. Increased salivation and intestinal movement
Explanation: Sympathetic activation prepares the body for immediate action by increasing heart rate and reducing digestive activity.
Correct answer: Increased heart rate and reduced gastrointestinal activity34. Which type of receptor detects changes in tissue damage and contributes to the sensation of pain?
- A. Photoreceptor
- B. Mechanoreceptor
- C. Nociceptor
- D. Chemoreceptor
Explanation: Nociceptors detect potentially damaging mechanical, thermal, or chemical stimuli and initiate pain signals.
Correct answer: Nociceptor- A. Mechanoreceptor
- B. Thermoreceptor
- C. Photoreceptor
- D. Nociceptor
Explanation: Mechanoreceptors respond to physical distortion such as touch, pressure, vibration, and stretch.
Correct answer: Mechanoreceptor- A. Relaying sensory signals to the cerebral cortex
- B. Producing cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles
- C. Maintaining balance through the semicircular canals
- D. Generating hormones from the adrenal medulla
Explanation: The thalamus relays and processes most sensory information before it reaches the cerebral cortex for conscious awareness.
Correct answer: Relaying sensory signals to the cerebral cortex- A. Proprioceptive system
- B. Auditory system
- C. Olfactory system
- D. Gustatory system
Explanation: Proprioception provides information about joint position, muscle stretch, and body movement.
Correct answer: Proprioceptive system- A. Organ of Corti
- B. Semicircular canals
- C. Auditory tube
- D. Tympanic membrane
Explanation: The organ of Corti contains hair cells that transduce vibrations in the cochlear fluid into electrical signals carried by the cochlear…
Correct answer: Organ of Corti- A. Taste receptors detect all flavour sensations independently of smell
- B. Smell contributes significantly to flavour perception during eating
- C. The optic nerve carries flavour signals from the tongue
- D. The vestibular apparatus identifies food chemicals
Explanation: Flavour perception combines taste sensations from the tongue with olfactory information from the nasal cavity.
Correct answer: Smell contributes significantly to flavour perception during eating- A. Rods, which detect light intensity
- B. Cones, which detect light intensity
- C. Rods, which detect colour details
- D. Cones, which detect body position
Explanation: Rods are highly sensitive to low levels of light and support night or dim-light vision, but they do not provide colour vision.
Correct answer: Rods, which detect light intensity