Slice SM is characterized by which of the following components?

• A. Body of lateral ventricle; Supramarginal gyrus, Angular gyrus (Face, Lips)
• B. Choroid plexus; Atrium
• C. Third ventricle; Quadrigeminal cistern
• D. Wernicke area; Swallowing

Answer: (A)

This item tests your ability to map an axial brain slice to its cortical landmarks. At this level, you can see the body of the lateral ventricle and the parietal region around it, where the supramarginal and angular gyri form the lateral boundary. These two gyri are key parts of the parietal association cortex, and their adjacency to the lateral ventricle on this slice matches Slice SM. The mention of face and lips ties to the adjacent somatosensory representations housed in nearby cortex, reflecting the sensory map that extends into the parietal region.

The other possibilities refer to structures that wouldn’t appear together at this specific level: choroid plexus and the atrium are found in different ventricular compartments or levels; the third ventricle and quadrigeminal cistern are midline or posterior midbrain structures not characteristic of this parietal axial slice; Wernicke’s area lies in the temporal lobe, and swallowing is a function involvingbrainstem and other pathways, not this parietal-level slice. Hence, the combination of the lateral ventricle body with the supramarginal and angular gyri—and their association with facial sensory representation—best fits Slice SM.