Which structure acts as the major sensory relay station to the cerebral cortex?
Go with C — Thalamus. Within Structure and Function of Nervous System, that statement lines up with the standard definition and the usual exam wording you’ll see. In plain terms, Thalamus is the option that correctly names the structure, process, or principle asked for in Structure and Function of Nervous System. Holding that picture in mind makes Thalamus feel natural rather than something you only memorise. Link the term to a real body example (organ, tissue, or ion flow) so the idea stays concrete under exam pressure. A short mental diagram helps — start from stimulus or structure, follow the pathway, and stop at the functional result described by Thalamus.
Ref: Animal physiology is Unit 7 of the CSIR NET Life Science Syllabus, covering core body systems. It accounts for roughly 10% of the total marks in Sections B and C.