When President John F. Kennedy was hit by a sniper's bullet in the back of his head, he died almost instantly because the bullet destroyed the part of his brain called the _____, which controls breathing, heartbeat, and other vital body functions.
A) hippocampus
B) medulla
C) amygdala
D) thalamus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The medulla is the part of the brain that controls automatic bodily functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Damage to the medulla can be immediately fatal, as in the case of President Kennedy. The hippocampus is involved in memory formation, the amygdala plays a role in processing emotions, and the thalamus relays sensory information to other parts of the brain. None of these parts of the brain are directly involved in regulating vital bodily functions like breathing and heart rate.