Chapter 6 Revision Questions

Question 1

Explain 2 functions of the peripheral nervous system.

Answer 1

1. To communicate information for the body’s organs, glands and muscles to the CNS, including information from the outside world (eg. Sensation on skin via sensory neurons) and from the inside world (Eg. Aches and pains).
2. To communicate information from the CNS to the body’s organs, glands and muscles via motor neurons.

Question 2

What does the autonomic nervous system do?

Answer 2

It is mostly responsible for communication of information between the central nervous system and the body’s non-skeletal muscles, as well as internal organs and glands which carry out basic bodily functions necessary for survival (Eg. Digestion, breathing, heart rate).

Question 3

How does the autonomic nervous system operate?

Answer 3

Without voluntary control or conscious awareness.

Question 4

What does the cerebral cortex do?

Answer 4

Enables us to plan and undertake a range of tasks - from simple tasks to hard/difficult.

Question 5

What would happen if the Frontal Lobe were damaged?

Answer 5

• Impacts divergent thinking or flexibility and problem-solving ability
• Evidence shows interference with attention and memory (even after good recovery from injury
• May be unable to learn from experiences
• Lack of foresight (likely to make mistakes in planning)

Question 6

What would happen if the Parietal Lobe were damaged?

Answer 6

• Damage to Right Parietal Lobe = Spatial Neglect
• Damage to Left Parietal Lobe = Cannot visualise and mentally move numbers around (but can do long multiplication on paper)
  - Unlikely to be able to point to their own body parts or remember where something is in a room

Question 7

What would happen if the Temporal Lobe were damaged?

Answer 7

• Damage to Right Temporal Lobe = Tend to be unable to recognise:
  1. Song
  2. Faces
  3. Paintings

Question 8

What would happen if the Occipital Lobe were damaged?

Answer 8

• Partial damage to the lobe = Person would have a gap in their visual field where there would be some specific visual stimuli that would not be processed

Question 9

What would happen if the Primary Motor Cortex were damaged?

Answer 9

• Right PMC = Cannot move left hand side of body

- Vice Versa for the left

Question 10

What would happen if the Primary Somatosenory Cortex were damaged?

Answer 10

• Right PSC = Cannot feels sensations of last and side of body and specific body parts will feel numb
• Vice Versa for left

Question 11

What would happen if the Primary Auditory Cortex were damaged?

Answer 11

• Likely to experience a form of deafness

- Right PAC = Unable to recognise patterns of sounds that don’t have words (Eg. Phone ringing)

Question 12

What would happen if the Primary Visual Cortex were damaged?

Answer 12

• Unable to process images (it would be as if the person is blind)

Question 13

Explain association areas.

Answer 13

Anything other than the 4 cortices - involved in the integration of information between motor and sensory areas and higher-order mental processes. This includes complex cognitive processes such as:
- Decision-making
- Thinking
- Planning
- Movement
Etc.