5B - Areas Of The Brain

Question 1

Hindbrain

Answer 1

A region of the brain composed of the cerebellum, medulla oblongata and pons and which is involved in supporting vital bodily processes, such as breathing and
sleep

Question 2

Cerebellum

Answer 2

Hindbrain
- receives commands from the cerebral cortex
- coordinates voluntary movement, balance, posture and movement associated with speech and vision
- coordinates multiple muscle groups
- involved in learning and memory, e.g. what movements are required to ride a bike

Question 3

Medulla

Answer 3

Hindbrain
control centre for many autonomic functions e.g. heart rate, breathing, swallowing, vomiting

Question 4

Pons

Answer 4

Hindbrain
- acts as a bridge connecting the cerebellum and cerebral cortex
- involved in sleep, arousal, facial expression and hearing

Question 5

Forebrain

Answer 5

The area of the brain that includes the cerebrum, thalamus, hypothalamus,
and which is involved in coordinating
brain activity

Question 6

Midbrain

Answer 6

An area of the brain at the topmost part of the brainstem, involved in auditory and visual processing, motor control, pain inhibition and reward based learning
patterns

Question 7

Substantia Nigra

Answer 7

Midbrain
One of the largest collections of dopamine-producing neurons
in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in movement and coordination

Question 8

Hypothalamus

Answer 8

Forebrain
– connects the hormone system and the nervous system via the pituitary gland
- regulates the release of hormones that maintain homeostasis through controlling temperature, hunger, thirst and sleep
- part of the limbic system which plays a role in emotions, behaviour control and the formation of long term memories

Question 9

Cerebrum

Answer 9

Forebrain
- largest part of the forebrain
- divided into two hemispheres that are connected by the corpus callosum
- responsible for directing conscious motor activities, receiving and processing sensory information

Question 10

Thalamus

Answer 10

Forebrain
- processes and relays sensory information
- major role in regulating arousal
- helps to filter the vast amount of sensory
information to which we are exposed,
allowing us to focus on the information
most required at that time

Question 11

Cerebral Cortex

Answer 11

Thin layer of neurons covering the outer region of cerebrum
Three Areas-
Motor
Sensory
Association

Question 12

Cerebal Hemispheres

Answer 12

• Each hemisphere has a number of areas which it is dominant
• hemispheric specialisation: when one hemisphere has a specialised function that is not possessed or is controlled to a lesser extent by the other
• whilst hemispheric specialisation occurs, both hemispheres play at least some role in all functions, acting in a coordinated way

Question 13

Cerebal Hemisphere What Is Dominant

Answer 13

Left-
- Analytical processing
- Language (verbal)
- Ordered sequencing
- Rational thought
- Logic and planning
Right-
- Spatial and visual
thinking
- Emotional recognition
and thought
- Creativity
- Imagination

Question 14

Frontal Lobe

Answer 14

Important in planning, sequencing and execution of voluntary motor activity

Question 15

Prefrontal Cortex (Frontal)

Answer 15

Important association area that is involved in planning the required motor sequence to carry out voluntary movement

(reasoning, problem-solving, emotional regulation, attention, symbolic thinking and initiating and inhibiting behaviours)

Question 16

Premotor Cortex (Frontal)

Answer 16

Prepares the sequences of movements and sends this to the rear portion of the frontal lobe, the primary motor cortex

Question 17

Primary Motor Cortex (Frontal)

Answer 17

Sends neural messages to skeletal muscles and initiates and executes voluntary movement.
(different regions of the primary motor cortex are responsible for movements associated with different areas of the body, those that require precision movements (like fingers) are devoted a greater area of the motor cortex)

Question 18

Broca’s Area

Answer 18

• contributes to clear and fluent speech by coordinating the movements of the muscles involved in this process
• also sends and receives messages from other areas of the brain involved in language

Question 19

Temporal Lobe

Answer 19

Plays a significant role in receiving and processing sounds from the ears
- memory, emotional responses to sensory information
- some visual perception such as ability to recognise faces and identify objects

Question 20

Primary Auditory Cortex (Temporal)

Answer 20

Assists us in identifying and responding to sound, with different parts of the cortex responding to different types of sound, such as high or low pitch

Question 21

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 21

• a specialised area of the left temporal lobe that plays a critical role in understanding the sounds involved in speech
• helps us to understand words we are hearing

Question 22

Occipital Lobe

Answer 22

Plays a crucial role in vision

Question 23

Primary Visual Cortex (Occipital)

Answer 23

Receives and processes information from visual sensory receptors in the retina of each eye

Question 24

Parietal Lobe

Answer 24

Comprises areas involved in spatial awareness, spatial reasoning, attention, receiving and processing somatosensory information

Question 25

Primary Somatosensory Cortex (Parietal)

Answer 25

• receive and process sensory information
• areas that are more sensitive than others are devoted more space