Lesson 4.3.6.2

4.3.6.2 Neural and hormonal control of eating Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.3.6.2, Neural and hormonal control of eating: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 3: Issues and options in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which brain region is involved in the control of hunger and eating behaviour?

    • The medulla oblongata
    • The occipital lobe
    • The cerebellum
    • The hypothalamus

  2. What is the main role of ghrelin in eating behaviour?

    • It inhibits the release of insulin so that blood glucose falls after meals
    • It is released from fat cells and signals that the body has enough energy stored
    • It is released from the stomach when empty and stimulates appetite
    • It is released from the pituitary and suppresses hunger throughout the day

  3. What is the main role of leptin in eating behaviour?

    • It is released from fat cells and signals to the hypothalamus that energy stores are sufficient
    • It is released from the liver after a meal and increases the speed of digestion
    • It is released from the stomach when empty and stimulates the desire to eat
    • It is released from the adrenal cortex in response to stress and raises blood glucose

  4. Which pair of hormones is most directly linked to the regulation of hunger and satiety?

    • Cortisol and adrenaline
    • Insulin and glucagon only
    • Testosterone and oestrogen
    • Ghrelin and leptin

  5. A researcher finds that a person with very high levels of leptin still feels hungry and eats frequently. Which explanation is most consistent with the role of leptin?

    • The hypothalamus may be resistant to leptin's signal, so the satiety message is not received
    • The adrenal glands have released cortisol, which blocks all eating behaviour
    • Leptin has no effect on the hypothalamus in any individual at any level
    • The stomach has stopped producing ghrelin, so hunger cannot be experienced

  6. A person has a damaged lateral hypothalamus. Which change in eating behaviour would be most expected?

    • Increased thirst but no change in appetite
    • No change, since the hypothalamus does not control eating
    • Increased eating and a constant desire for food
    • Reduced eating and a loss of interest in food

  7. A patient is given a drug that blocks ghrelin receptors. Which effect is most likely?

    • No effect on hunger, since ghrelin is only released after exercise
    • Increased hunger signals, so the patient eats more than before
    • Increased leptin production by fat cells, causing weight gain
    • Reduced hunger signals, so the patient may eat less than before

  8. Which statement about the hypothalamus is correct?

    • It is the main site where ghrelin is produced in the stomach wall
    • It integrates signals from hormones such as ghrelin and leptin to regulate feeding
    • It stores fat and releases leptin into the bloodstream after eating
    • It produces cortisol in response to stress and controls heart rate directly

  9. Which finding would be most consistent with a role for leptin in long-term body weight regulation?

    • Leptin levels rise sharply only in people who have just finished a long run
    • Leptin levels show no relationship with body fat in any study of adults
    • Individuals with genetic leptin deficiency show severe hunger and rapid weight gain
    • Individuals with genetic leptin deficiency show reduced hunger and rapid weight loss

  10. Which of the following would increase ghrelin release in a healthy adult?

    • Eating a large meal that stretches the stomach wall
    • Going several hours without eating, so the stomach is empty
    • Taking a dose of leptin replacement after a long fast
    • Increasing the amount of body fat through overeating over several weeks

  11. Which evaluation point applies to research on the neural control of eating?

    • Animal studies of lesions may not fully generalise to the complex control of eating in humans
    • Hormonal control of eating has been shown to be unaffected by body weight changes
    • Neural research on eating has shown that the hypothalamus plays no role in humans
    • Animal studies always give exactly the same results as human studies in every case

  12. A researcher measures ghrelin before and after a meal. Which result would be expected?

    • Ghrelin levels fall after eating a meal
    • Ghrelin levels rise sharply after eating a large meal
    • Ghrelin levels stay identical before and after any meal
    • Ghrelin levels are highest in people who have eaten a large meal

  13. Which best explains why the hypothalamus is described as having both feeding and satiety centres?

    • The hypothalamus is divided into two halves that always work in opposite ways to each other
    • Different regions of the hypothalamus promote eating or inhibit it in response to signals
    • Feeding is controlled by the cerebellum, while satiety is controlled by the hypothalamus
    • The hypothalamus only controls satiety and has no role in promoting eating

  14. Which of the following best describes the link between leptin and obesity?

    • Leptin is unrelated to body fat, so obesity cannot be linked to this hormone
    • Some obese individuals have high leptin levels, suggesting leptin resistance may reduce its effect
    • Obese individuals always have very low leptin levels, which causes continuous hunger
    • Obesity is always caused by a lack of ghrelin in the stomach and nothing else

  15. A study tests whether a hormone injection reduces hunger. Participants receive leptin and report less hunger than those who receive a placebo. What does this suggest?

    • The placebo group must have eaten more, which proves leptin has no effect on hunger
    • Leptin only affects the stomach and not the brain at any point in the process
    • Leptin contributes to the regulation of appetite, consistent with its satiety role
    • Leptin increases hunger, which is why participants reported less hunger after injection

  16. Which hormone is produced by adipose tissue and gives information about energy stores to the brain?

    • Leptin
    • Ghrelin
    • Cortisol
    • Adrenaline

  17. Why might a person with a very active hypothalamic feeding centre overeat?

    • The adrenal glands produce excess adrenaline, which removes all appetite in the person
    • The brain may receive a strong hunger signal that is not counterbalanced by satiety signals
    • The stomach stops producing ghrelin, so the person never feels hungry at all
    • The hypothalamus has stopped responding to all hormonal signals from the body at any time

  18. Which statement best summarises the neural and hormonal control of eating?

    • Hormones such as ghrelin and leptin signal to the hypothalamus, which regulates hunger and satiety
    • Eating is controlled by cortisol alone, which raises blood sugar before every meal
    • Eating is controlled by the spinal cord, with no involvement from the brain at all
    • Eating is controlled only by the cerebral cortex, with no hormonal input at any stage

  19. A patient has a mutation affecting the leptin receptor. Which outcome would the leptin account predict?

    • Impaired ghrelin release, leading to reduced appetite and weight loss
    • No change in appetite, because leptin receptors do not affect the hypothalamus at all
    • Impaired satiety signalling, leading to increased appetite and weight gain
    • Increased thirst and decreased urine output, leading to fluid retention in the body

  20. Which of the following would best support the view that ghrelin acts on the brain rather than only on the stomach?

    • Ghrelin is only found in the adrenal glands, far from the brain
    • Ghrelin has no effect on eating when given to animals with intact hypothalami
    • Ghrelin levels are unrelated to hunger in humans, as shown by blood tests
    • Ghrelin administered directly into the brain increases food intake in animal studies

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