Question

If we are walking in the woods and jump because we think we see a snake (it ends up be a stick), that fear reaction without conscious fear originates in the __________. group of answer choices corpus callosum hypothalamus cerebral cortex limbic system

a) Corpus callosum
b) Hypothalamus
c) Cerebral cortex
d) Limbic system

Answer 1

The fear reaction without conscious fear originates in the limbic system, particularly in the amygdala. When we perceive a potential threat, such as the sight of a possible snake, the fear stimulus is processed in the brain through one of two paths - a quick path and a slower one.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fear reaction without conscious fear originates in the limbic system. The limbic system is the part of the brain involved in emotion and memory. It includes structures such as the hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus.

The amygdala, which is a group of nuclei in the medial region of the temporal lobe, plays a key role in processing emotional information and sending that information on. It is particularly important in the sensation of fear.

When we perceive a potential threat, such as the sight of a possible snake, the fear stimulus is processed in the brain through one of two paths. The first path is quick and goes from the thalamus directly to the amygdala. The second path goes from the thalamus through the cerebral cortex and then to the amygdala, allowing for more processing about the details of the stimulus.