Module 5 (the Head)

Question 1

Lesion

Answer 1

-tissue destruction
-brain lesions occur naturally (disease/trauma), in surgery, or experimentally (using electrodes to destroy brain cells)
-Scientists can selectively lesion tiny clusters of normal/defective brain cells to observe effect on brain function

Question 2

Electrical stimulation

Answer 2

-Scientists can stimulate brain parts (electrically, chemically, or magnetically) and note effect

Question 3

fMRI

Answer 3

-technique for revealing blood flow and brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans
-Allows for good resolution of different brain areas
-Behaviors are performed by a network of neurons, not a single one

Question 4

3 major regions of brain

Answer 4

-hindbrain
-midbrain
-forebrain

Question 5

Hindbrain

Answer 5

-evolved the earliest
-includes medulla, pons, cerebellum
-directs essential survival functions, such as breathing, sleeping, wakefulness, coordination and balance

Question 6

Midbrain

Answer 6

-above hindbrain, on the brainstem
-controls some motor movement and transmits auditory and visual info.

Question 7

Forebrain

Answer 7

-most recently evolved
-contains cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, corpus callosum
-manages complex cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor activities
-when removed, doesn’t affect mice while it would in humans

Question 8

Two hemispheres of brain

Answer 8

-connected by corpus callosum
-info. received on left goes to right hemisphere, vice versa

Question 9

corpus callosum

Answer 9

• a structure in the middle of your brain that connects the right and left hemispheres (sides)
  -cut for treatment of epilepsy, causes disconnect in behavior

Question 10

Specialization of 2 hemispheres

Answer 10

-patient damaged in left hemisphere had problems with speech production
-patient with damage near temporal lobe had problems with speech comprehension
-language is lateralized to left hemisphere
-spatial processing is lateralized to right hemisphere