Biopsychology 3/15

Question 1

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

Answer 1

Consists of brain and spinal cord; origin of all complex commands and decisions.

Question 2

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Answer 2

Sends info to CNS from outside world, transmitting messages from CNS to muscles and bodily glands.

Question 3

Define hemispheric lateralisation.

Answer 3

Certain mental processes and behaviours are controlled or dominated by one hemisphere rather than the other (as in the example of language).

Question 4

Corpus callosum

Answer 4

A band of neural fibres that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Question 5

Split-brain studies.

Answer 5

Corpus callosum cut in patients with severe epilepsy, allowing researchers to investigate the extent to which brain function is lateralised.

Question 6

Describing what you see

Answer 6

Pictures shown to RVF could be described but not those to LVF because no language centres in left hemisphere (connected to RVF).

Question 7

Recognition by touch

Answer 7

Could not describe objects projected to LVF, but able to select a matching object from a selection of different objects using their left hand