Module 6

Question 1

Broca’s Area

Answer 1

located in the left hemisphere of the brain, this area processes the understanding of language, speech and the control of facial neurons

Question 2

“cells that fire together, wire together”

Answer 2

Principle – phrase used to describe a pattern of increasing efficiency in the brain in which certain brain cells actually learn to fire in unison

Question 3

Cerebral Cortext

Answer 3

extensive outer layer of gray matter of the two cerebral hemispheres, largely responsible for higher brain functions, including sensation, voluntary muscle movement, thought, reasoning, and memory

Question 4

Critical Period

Answer 4

a prime time for learning; was previously assumed that if a child did not acquire certain skills by a certain age, the window of opportunity would close and it would later be impossible to develop those skills

Question 5

Domain-Specific Strategies

Answer 5

we have many independent, specialized knowledge structures, rather than one cohesive knowledge structure; training in one domain may not impact another independent domain

Question 6

Experience-Dependent Plasticity

Answer 6

the emergence of skills that are unique to particular cultures and social groups

Question 7

Experience-Expectant Plasticity

Answer 7

involves windows of opportunity that may gradually close (or at least narrow) if the brain identifies the skills involved as unnecessary to the individual

Question 8

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Answer 8

if a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, her baby could be born with this life long condition that causes physical and mental disabilities; characterized by abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous system problems, as well as problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, hearing, or a combination of these

Question 9

Myelin

Answer 9

a white fatty material, composed chiefly of lipids and lipoproteins, that encloses certain axons and nerve fibers

Question 10

Neural Pruning

Answer 10

brain cell death and/or differentiation that occurs when unnecessary neurons are eliminated during brain development

Question 11

Neuron

Answer 11

nerve cell in the brain that sends and receives electrical signals over long distances within the body

Question 12

Neurotransmiters

Answer 12

a chemical substance that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse

Question 13

Plasticity

Answer 13

being easily shaped or molded

Question 14

Sensitive Period

Answer 14

periods in development that involve subtle changes in the brain’s ability to be shaped by sensory input at a particular stage

Question 15

Synapse

Answer 15

a gap between two neurons that allows transmission of messages

Question 16

Synaptic Pruning

Answer 16

elimination of synapses

Question 17

Synaptogenesis

Answer 17

the growth of new connections in the brain, continues throughout life as individuals adapt to changing life conditions and experiences

Question 18

Teratogens

Answer 18

any foreign substance that can cause abnormalities in a developing fetus

Question 19

“use-it-or-lose-it” Principle

Answer 19

the idea that practice strengthens neural connections, while infrequent use of certain skills may cause synaptic connections to weaken or degenerate

Question 20

Wenicke’s Area

Answer 20

part of the left temporal lobe of the brain that surrounds the auditory cortex and is though to be essential for understanding and formulating speech; damage in this area causes deficits in understanding spoken language