Chapter 4 - Role of and parts of the brain Flashcards
Different approaches to studying the brain
- psychology
- brain vs heart
- mind-body problem
- dualism
- monism
- phrenology
- ablation
- brain-lesioning
Cerebral hemispheres
the symmetrical halves of the cerebrum in the brain
Hemispheric specialisation
the difference in functioning between the left and right hemispheres of the brain when performing a specific behaviour or task
Split Brain experiment
Sperry and Gazziniga’s experiment, cutting the corpus calossum to stop epilepsy, showed images in left and right visual field. Participants could say what they saw on the right visual field, but not on the left
Neuro-imaging
a range of techniques used to capture images of the brain’s structure, function, and activities (CT, PET, MRI, fMRI)
Brain
a complex organ contained within the skull that coordinates mental processes and behaviour, and regulates bodily activity
Brainstem
an extension of the spinal cord that is made up of the medulla, pons, and midbrain
Hindbrain
- pons (bridge to relay info)
- medulla (regulate automatic processes such as heart rate and respiration)
- cerebellum (skeletal muscle movement, balance and posture)
Midbrain
- reticular formation (filter info through the brain, regulate sleep)
Forebrain
- hypothalamus (maintain optimal biological functioning)
- thalamus (sensory information analysed and sent on)
- cerebrum (sophisticated mental processes, complex functions)
Cerebral cortex
the outer layer of the cerebrum that covers the brain
Frontal lobe
- prefrontal cortex (logic and reasoning, decision-making, personality, planning)
- primary motor cortex
- broca’s area (formation of speech)
Parietal lobe
- primary somatosensory cortex
Occipital lobe
- primary visual cortex
Temporal lobe
- primary auditory cortex
- wernicke’s area (comprehension of speech)
