Blog

This question asks about which part of the brain is responsible for relaying pain and temperature sensation. The key giveaway here is the relay, since this should immediately point towards a gray matter region of the brain. Looking at the choices offered (hypothalamus, cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus), 2 can be eliminated right away. Cortex is the entire brain except for subcortical structures and the cerebellum; it is way to big and has too many functions to merely be responsible for relaying pain and temperature sensation. Hippocampus can also be eliminated by remembering it’s purpose as being primarily responsible for memory. Hypothalamus vs. thalamus can be a tricky distinction, but we need to remember that they have distinct functions. Hypothalamus is anatomically under the thalamus, hence the prefix hypo-. It is responsible for, among other things, linking the nervous system with the endocrine system. Thus, thalamus must be the correct answer, and indeed, the thalamus is responsible for relaying sensory information, as well as being responsible for regulation of consciousness, sleep, and alertness.