North Carolina EMT State Practice Exam

What primary functions are controlled by the brain stem?

1. Emotions, memory, and balance

2. Breathing, blood pressure, swallowing, and pupil constriction

3. Sight, sound, and taste

4. Muscle coordination and complex tasks

The correct answer is: Breathing, blood pressure, swallowing, and pupil constriction

The brain stem is a critical structure that oversees several vital autonomic functions necessary for survival. The primary functions controlled by the brain stem include breathing, regulating blood pressure, swallowing, and pupil constriction. Breathing is primarily controlled through the autonomic respiratory centers located in the brain stem, which ensure that respiration continues automatically. Blood pressure regulation is also managed through various centers in the brain stem that respond to changes in the body's needs by adjusting heart rate and vessel constriction. Swallowing involves the coordination of muscles in the throat, which the brain stem governs to allow for safe and effective passage of food and fluids. Pupil constriction is another function regulated by the brain stem, specifically through the control of the muscles in the iris that adjust the size of the pupil in response to light levels. The other options refer to functions that are associated with different areas of the brain. For instance, emotions and memory are primarily managed by the limbic system, while sensory processing for sight, sound, and taste occurs in other specialized regions of the brain. Muscle coordination and complex tasks are primarily handled by the cerebellum and higher motor areas rather than the brain stem. Thus, the functions associated with the brain stem focus on fundamental life-sustaining