Question

Which of the following is a part of our brain?
A) Corpora allata
B) Corpora adiposa
C) Corpora cardiaca
D) Corpora quadrigemina

Answer 1

Hint: Brain is one of the largest and most complex organs in the human body. It is made up of more than a hundred billion nerves that communicate in trillions of connections that are called synapses. The brain is surrounded by a layer of tissue which is called the meninges. The skull or the cranium helps in protecting the brain from injury.

Complete answer:
The brain is composed of three main parts which are the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. The central nervous system comprises the brain and also the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system is composed of spinal nerves that branch from the spinal cord and cranial nerves that branch from the brain.

In insect physiology and anatomy, the corpus allatum is an endocrine gland that produces a juvenile hormone that plays a crucial role in metamorphosis. Surgical removal of this can cause immature larvae to pupate at its next moult, resulting in a miniature adult. Hence it is not a part of the human brain.

Corpora Adipose is found in cockroaches. The fat body of the cockroach fills the perivisceral sinus around the gut. The fat body consists of numerous solid lobbies. It is bound by a fine membranous covering of connective tissue. Therefore, it is not a part of our brain.

A corpus cardiac is one of a pair of separate or fused bodies of nervous tissue in many insects that lie posterior to the brain and helps in the secretion of brain hormone. It is an organ in which neurosecretory products are stored in the nerve terminals for later release into the vascular system. Therefore, it is also not a part of the human brain.

The corpora quadrigemina are the four colliculi which are two inferior and two superiors, that sit on the quadrigeminal plate on the posterior surface of the human midbrain. Corpora quadrigemina are reflex centres that involve vision and hearing.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘D’.

Note: Corpora quadrigemina consists of groups of nerve cells which are the grey matter that is scattered in white matter. It basically connects both the forebrain and the hindbrain. It has four corpora quadrigemina which are the reflex centres for both eye movement and auditory responses. The superior part of corpora quadrigemina are called superior colliculi, and the inferior part is known as inferior colliculi.