1.2

Question 1

what is the forebrain and what does it comprise?

Answer 1

it is the largest and most complicated region of the brain. it comprises the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebrum.

Question 2

what is the thalamus and what does it do?

Answer 2

thalamus(relay station)
(1) all sensory information except smell must pass to get into the cerebral cortex
(2) relays sensory information to a particular part of the cortex
(3) integrates information from various senses.

Question 3

what is the hypothalamus and what does it do?

Answer 3

hypothalamus (regulator of biological needs)
- controls the autonomic nervous system
- it is the link between the brain and the endocrine system
- regulation of basic biological drives, mating, fighting, fleeing, feeding. contributes to the control of hunger, thirst, sexual motivation and temperature regulation.

Question 4

what is the limbic system and what does it do?

Answer 4

limbic system (seat of emotion)
- involved in the regulation of emotion, memory and motivation.
- the hippocampus and adjacent structures play a role in the memory process
- amygdala plays a central role in learning fear responses and basic emotional responses
- rich in emotion-tinged ‘pleasure centers’

Question 5

what is the cerebrum and what does it do?

Answer 5

the largest and most complex part of the human brain
(1) cerebral cortex ; the convoluted outer layer of the cerebrum
(2) cerebral hemispheres ; the right and left halves of the brain. hemispheres are separated by a longitudinal fissure that runs from the front to the back.
(3) corpus callosum; the structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

Question 6

what consists of the cerebrum?

Answer 6

(1) occipital lobe; visual signals are sent for visual processing
(2) parietal lobe; area that registers the sense of touch, primary somatosensory cortex.
(3) temporal lobe; devoted to auditory processing, primary auditory cortex.
(4) frontal lobe; controls the movement of muscles, primary motor cortex.