If I Only Had a Brain Trivia Quiz

Answer: Brain

The brain of a bumblebee is relatively simple. It is, however, able to learn quite complex information. Bumblebees actually have large brains for their body mass especially when compared to many other insects. The brain of an adult bumblebee is actually formed by the merger of three ganglia that exist in the larval bumblebee.

In addition to the brain, bumblebees also have ganglia in their abdomens and thoraxes.

Answer: No Brain

Oysters have a limited nervous system. They are able to react to certain external stimuli. Oysters have two pairs of nerve cords and three ganglia but not what many scientists would call a true brain. (As I researched this question I found out there's a real debate about whether or not oysters feel pain.

This was an issue in part because it raised a question about whether a vegetarian can eat oysters without a sense of discomfort.)

Answer: No Brain

What many people think of as a coral is actually an exoskeleton surrounding a tiny, polyp-like creature. The individual coral does have a "nerve" net but does not seem to have a brain or feel pain. The nerves of a coral seem to focus primarily on sensing the presence of various nutrients in the surrounding water. This includes the large type of coral known as a brain coral.

Answer: Brain

The earthworm have one of the most primitive brains of any animal. Its brain consists of a pair of ganglia (clumps of nerve cells) near its mouth. A main nerve runs the length of the earthworm and connects to sense receptors and motor neurons in each segment.

Its peripheral nervous system consists of a number of nerves that branch from the main one and connect it to various organs. Interestingly, the earthworm has a nervous system but lacks a respiratory system (air is directly absorbed through its skin). I saw suggestions that the number of neuron cells in the earthworm numbers in the hundreds (compared to billions for humans).

Answer: Brain

Flatworms lack circulatory and respiratory systems. Most of the nervous system of a flatworm is located near the head end. Though relatively simple the brain of a flatworm has shown the ability to learn simple information. Their brains are connected to groups of cells called eyespots that allow flatworms to distinguish between dark (which they actually prefer) and light.

Answer: No Brain

Water makes up a large percentage of the mass of many animals but jellyfish (about 95%) take it to the extreme. Jellyfish lack a central nervous system. A jellyfish does have some simple sense organs to detect conditions such as light and smell. Jellyfish have two networks of nerves in the epidermis that are known as "nerve nets".

The larger net controls swimming and the smaller net is used for other functions. Jellyfish do have small ganglia (groupings of nerve cells) but not enough to be a central nervous system.

Answer: Brain

Not only does an octopus have a brain but it is one of the most intelligent of the brains of all invertebrates. Roughly one-third of an octopus's neuron cells are found its brain with the other two-thirds mostly in the eight limbs. Two statocysts are attached to the brain and help the octopus to know the orientation of its body.

Interestingly, though the limbs have a large number of neuron cells, if the octopus can't see a limb its control over it is diminished.

Answer: Brain

A prawn does have a brain, located near the rear of its head. It is a relatively small number of ganglia (nerve clusters). The primary nerve cord of the prawn travels from the brain down the front of the prawn. (The prawn lacks a spinal column). Nerves branch from the prawn to its various sensory organs.

The brains of arthropods such as prawns are somewhat similar to the brains of insects.

Answer: No Brain

Not only does a sponge not have a brain, it doesn't even have a nervous system. It also lacks a circulatory system or a digestive system. Compared to most other animals, the sponge has relatively undifferentiated cells. None of the sponge's cells would be considered part of a central or peripheral nervous system.

Answer: No Brain

Starfish do have cells at the ends of their arms that detect certain senses such as sight or touch. In addition to a peripheral nervous system, the starfish does seem to have a central nervous system made up of a nerve ring around its mouth a radial nerve in each of its arms. What a starfish seems to lack is a centralized brain.

A starfish is able to gather sensory information and respond to it, but can not plan such action.