B5 The Brain

Question 1

What is the brain made up of?

Answer 1

Billions of interconnected neurones

Question 2

What does the brain do?

Answer 2

It controls and coordinates everything you do

Question 3

Different regions of the brain carry out different functions. Name 4 parts

Answer 3

Cerebral cortex
Brain stem
Cerebellum
Spinal cord

Question 4

What is the cerebral cortex responsible for?

Answer 4

Consciousness, intelligence, memory and language

Question 5

What is the brain stem responsible for?

Answer 5

It controls unconscious activities like breathing and heartbeat

Question 6

What is the cerebellum responsible for?

Answer 6

Conscious movement

Question 7

What are scientists that study the brain called?

Answer 7

Neuroscientists

Question 8

What methods do neuroscientists use to study the brain?

Answer 8

Studying patients with brain damage

Electrically stimulating the brain

fMRI scans

Question 9

How can studying patients with brain damage help neuroscientists?

Answer 9

If a small part of the brain has been damaged the effect this has on the patient can tell you a lot about the damaged part of the brain does.

(Eg if an area at the back of the brain was damaged by a stroke and the patient went blind, you know that that area has something to do with vision.)

Question 10

Why may it be unethical to study someone with severe brain damage?

Answer 10

They would not be able to give their consent.

Question 11

How can electrically stimulating the brain help neuroscientists study the brain?

Answer 11

The brain can be stimulated electronically by pushing tiny electrode into the tissue and giving it a small zap of electricity.

By observing what stimulates different parts of the brain does, it is possible to get an idea of what those parts do.

(Eg . When a certain part of the brain (known as the motor area)is stimulated, it cause muscle contraction and movement)

Question 12

What is a fMRI scan?

Answer 12

Functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Question 13

How can fMRI scans help neuroscientists studying the brain?

Answer 13

Scans can be used to show which parts of the brain are activated when performing certain tasks inside the scanner (like listening to music or trying to recall a memory)

Question 14

Why is our knowledge of the brain functions and our ability to investigate them still limited?

Answer 14

Because the brain is complex, some areas are hard to access and test results can be hard to interpret.

Question 15

What can go wrong with the brain or nervous system?

Answer 15

Injuries to the brain or spinal cord, tumours, diseases.

Question 16

Brain problems can be difficult to treat successfully, why? 3

Answer 16

Access can be difficult (may not be possible to surgically remove tumours growing in certain parts of the brain)

Treatment can lead to permanent damage (surgery to remove a brain tumour may leave surrounding parts of the brain permanently damaged)

It’s hard to repair damage to the nervous system .

Question 17

Why is it hard to repair damage to the nervous system?

Answer 17

Neurones don’t repair themselves, because once they’ve differentiated, they don’t undergo mitosis.

This means they can’t divide to replace lost neurones.

Question 18

Name the region of the brain that controls conscious movement (1 mark)

Answer 18

Cerebellum