3A. Cognitive Functions Flashcards
the idea that the two hemispheres of the brain specialize in different functions
brain lateralization
dominant in language, logical thinking, and analytical processing
left hemisphere
responsible for spatial awareness, creativity, and holistic processing
right hemisphere
both hemispheres work together through the ___ to integrate information efficiently
corpus callosum
TRUE OR FALSE: the human brain is symmetrical
false
this hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is connected to skin receptors and muscles mainly on the right side of the body
left hemisphere
this hemisphere is connected to skin receptors and muscles mainly on the left side
right hemisphere
TRUE OR FALSE: the left hemisphere sees only the right half of the world, the right hemisphere sees only the left half of the world
true
a large set of axons conveying information between the two hemispheres
corpus callosum
such division of labor between the two hemispheres is known as ___
lateralization
TRUE OR FALSE: in rabbits and other species with eyes far to the side of the head, the left eye connects to the right hemisphere, and the right eye connects to the left
true
a treatment for severe epilepsy
corpus callosotomy
a condition characterized by repeated episodes of excessive synchronized neural activity; can result from a mutation in a gene controlling the GABA receptor from trauma or infection in the brain
epilepsy
people who have undergone surgery to the corpus callosum
split-brain people
better than the left at perceiving the emotions in people’s gestures and tone of voice, such as happiness or sadness
right hemisphere
one of the most complex and unique abilities of humans
language
theories of language
- biological evolution theory
- social communication theory
- tool-making hypothesis
- gesture-fist hypothesis
language developed gradually through natural selection
biological evolution theory
language evolved as a way to strengthen social bonds
social communication theory
language evolved alongside tool-making skills
tool-making hypothesis
early humans first used hand gestures before vocal speech
gesture-fist hypothesis
located in the left frontal lobe; responsible for speech production and grammatical processing
broca’s area
difficulty in speaking but comprehension
remains intact
broca’s aphasia
located in the left temporal lobe; involved in language comprehension
wernicke’s area
fluent but meaningless speech
wernicke’s aphasia
a bundle of nerve fibers connecting Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas; helps in speech repetition and coherent communication
arcuate fasciculus
difficulty repeating words or
sentences
conduction aphasia
controls movement of lips, tongue, and vocal cords
primary motor cortex
converts written text into spoken language (important for reading)
angular gyrus
positioned lower in the throat, allowing a wide range of sounds
larynx
vibrate to produce different sounds; controlled by breath from the lungs.
vocal cords
shape sounds into words
tongue and lips
temporal lobe processes speech sounds
auditory system
severe impairment in both speech production and comprehension
global aphasia
difficulty in reading due to differences in angular gyrus function
dyslexia
disruptions in speech fluency due to issues in motor coordination
stuttering
