Question

During the past hour, nine-month-old Heather has engaged in each of the following actions. Which action was not controlled by her medulla? A) She had an accelerated heart beat when her older brother frightened her. B) She coughed after breathing in some dust particles. C) She swallowed formula from her bottle. D) Wind caused her mobile to move, and she smiled.E) Developing allergies caused her to sneeze.

Answer 1

Answer:

The action that was not controlled by her medulla is:

D) Wind caused her mobile to move, and she smiled.

Explanation:

Our medulla oblongata is a neuronal mass responsible for transmitting signals between the spinal cord and the higher parts of the brain. The medulla oblongata also controls autonomic activities - involuntary body functions and actions such as heartbeat, respiration, vasodilation, coughing, sneezing, and swallowing. Notice that letter D is, out of the options, the only one that does not mention an autonomic activity. Therefore, we can choose it as the one that was NOT controlled by Heather's medulla.