Which brain recording technique uses superconducting sensors to measure magnetic fields produced by neural activity?
Answer
Magnetoencephalography
80 The Human Brain Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
What device records the human brain’s electrical activity from electrodes placed on the scalp?
Answer
Electroencephalograph
What is the name of the brain’s network of interconnected nuclei that helps regulate sleep and wakefulness?
Answer
Reticular formation
Which scientist identified 52 distinct areas of the human cerebral cortex in a 1909 map?
Answer
Korbinian Brodmann
Which scientist coined the term “neuron” in 1891?
Answer
Wilhelm von Waldeyer-Hartz
Which scientist proposed the neuron doctrine and shared the 1906 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine?
Answer
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Which brain imaging technique uses magnetic fields and radio waves rather than X-rays to create detailed images?
Answer
Magnetic resonance imaging
What protective filtering system limits which substances can pass from the blood into the human brain?
Answer
Blood–brain barrier
About how many neurons are estimated to make up the adult human brain?
Answer
86 billion
In the human brain, which lobe lies deep within the lateral sulcus?
Answer
Insular lobe
Which Spanish neuroscientist won the 1906 Nobel Prize for showing that the human brain is made of individual neurons?
Answer
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Which cranial nerve carries most sensory information from the face to the brain?
Answer
Trigeminal nerve
Which structure in the brain is the main source of cerebrospinal fluid production?
Answer
Choroid plexus
What is the main artery supplying the medial surfaces of the frontal and parietal lobes?
Answer
Anterior cerebral artery
What is the name of the brain’s fluid-filled cavity system containing cerebrospinal fluid?
Answer
Ventricular system
Which brain region is known as the brain’s main executive control center?
Answer
Prefrontal cortex
What arterial ring at the base of the human brain helps connect its major blood supplies?
Answer
Circle of Willis
How many pairs of cranial nerves emerge from the human brain?
Answer
12 pairs
How many ventricles are in the human brain?
Answer
Four
In the human brain, what is the outer layer of gray matter covering the cerebrum called?
Answer
Cerebral cortex
At which brain structure do most optic nerve fibers cross to the opposite side?
Answer
Optic chiasm
Which structure connects the brain’s language comprehension and speech-production regions?
Answer
Arcuate fasciculus
Which brain region contains the primary motor cortex that controls voluntary movement?
Answer
Precentral gyrus