Biopsychology Year 13 Content Flashcards
Definition of “localisation of the function”
The idea that specific parts of the brain might have specific functions
Which case study questioned the holistic theory of the brain in 1848?
In 1848, the case study of Phineas Gage questioned the holistic theory.
Holistic theory of the brain (before the 19th century)
Before the 19th century, scientists held a holistic theory of the brain - that all parts of the brain were involved in all thoughts and actions
What happened to Phineas Gage?
He pushed an iron rod into the railway he was working on, and it hit dynamite before going back out of the track, through his cheek, behind his left eye and through the top of his skull
Which part of the brain was involved with Phineas Gage’s injury?
Orbital frontal lobe, which is important for decision-making
What were the changes to Phineas Gage’s behaviour?
Rude and impatient, he was said to be “no longer Gage” by his family/ friends
His behaviours were similar to those with Alzheimers disease
How hemispheres is the brain divided into?
There are two hemispheres
What are the two hemispheres joined?
Corpus callosum
What’s the corpus callosum made up of?
Bundles of nerve fibres
What is the function of the corpus callosum?
It is to allow communication between the hemispheres of the brain
In most people the brain is contralateral, what does this mean?
This is when the function on one side of the body is controlled by the opposite hemisphere of the brain
Contralateral example
Movement of left hand is controlled by right hemisphere of brain
What does it mean when a function is only dealt with by one hemisphere of the brain?
It is said to be lateralised (to one side)
What is the cortex of the brain?
It is a thin layer, 3mm thick, covering inner parts of the brain
It looks grey and is more developed than in other animals
What is the cortex of the brain compared to?
It is compared to a tea cosy because it covers the inner parts of the brain, the same way a tea cosy covers a teapot
How many lobes does each hemisphere have, and what are they?
Four lobes:
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
- occipital lobe
- temporal lobe
Function of:
Motor cortex, frontal lobe (at the back)
A region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement
Function of:
Somatosensory cortex, parietal lobe (at the front)
Receives and processes all sensory input from the body, e.g. touch
Function of:
Visual centres, occipital lobe
Part of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual information
Function of:
Auditory centres, temporal lobe
Concerned with the analysis of speech-based information
Function of:
Wernicke’s area, temporal lobe
It is localised and lateralised to the left
An area of the temporal lobe (encircling the auditory cortex) in the left hemisphere (in most people) responsible for language comprehension
Function of:
Broca’s area, frontal lobe
It is localised and lateralised to the left
Broca examined this part of the brain when dealing with people who had speech impairments to determine that it is responsible for speech production
Language centres in the brain are…?
(hint: LLLL)
Langauge centres are
Localised and
Lateralised to the
Left
What is the Broca’s area and Broca’s aphasia?
In the 1880’s Broca identified an area linked to speech production
Damage to this area causes “Broca’s aphasia” which is speech that is slow, laborious and lacking in fluency
People with this can understand what is being said, but struggle to speak and write due to the brain injury
