P2 - 5.3 Brain Flashcards
What is the brain made up of
Billions of interconnected nerve cells
What is the brain responsible for
All of our complex behaviours
What is the central nervous system made up of
Brain and spinal chord
In the central nervous system what is the function of the brain
To make all the important decisions as a response to a reflex
What is the big wrinkly bit at the top of the brain called
Cerebral cortex
What is the cerebral cortex important for
- consciousness
- intelligence
- memory
- language
Senses:
- vision
- hearing
What senses does our cerebral cortex do
Hearing
Vision
How many parts is the cerebral cortex split up into
2 parts, left and right
What side of the body does the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex control
Muscles on the right hand side of the body
What side of the body does the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex control
Muscles on the left hand side of our body
What is the name of what the cerebral cortex is split up into
Left hemisphere
Right hemisphere
What is the back of the brain called
Cerebellum
What is our cerebellum responsible for
- balance
- muscle coordination
What is the middle of the brain called
Hypothalamus
What is the hypothalamus responsible for
- Regulating body temperature
- sending signals to pituitary gland
Where can you find the pituitary gland
Below the hypothalamus at the bottom of the brain
What is the part of our brain called that attaches the brain to our spinal chord
Brain stem
What is located in the brain stem
Medulla
What is the medulla responsible for
Unconscious activities:
- breathing
- heart beating
Draw and label the brain
- cerebral cortex
- cerebellum
- brain stem
- medulla
- Hypothalamus
- pituitary gland
What ways can scientists study the brain
1) studying people with brain damage
2) electrically stimulate different parts of the brain
3) scanning the brain
Explain how if someone suffered from a stroke, how would scientists use this to study the brain
If the stroke damaged a particular section of the brain and this lead to loss of hearing etc then we can make the judgement that that section of the brain was responsible for hearing
By electrically stimulating different part of the brain so scientists can study it, what equipment is used to do this
Using tiny electrodes
Suggest how electrically stimulating the brain could help scientists studying the brain
Using tiny electrodes on one area of the brain for example could causes muscles to contract and cause a body movement. However if we zapped a different area of the brain and the person’s vision went funny we can see what different areas of the brain are responsible for
What 3 types of scanning can we use to scan the brain
- CT scan (X-ray)
- PET scan (radioactive chemicals)
- MRI scan (magnetic fields)
How does a CT scan scan the brain
Using X-rays
How does a PET scan scan the brain
Using radioactive chemicals
How does an MRI scan scan the brain
Using magnetic fields
What type of scan would we use to look for areas of the brain that are damaged
CT scan (X-ray)
What types of scans could we use to measure the underlying activity of the brain
MRI scan (magnetic fields)
PET scan (radioactive chemicals)
In an MRI scan, if you a shown a sad image what can we expect to happen
If the sad image makes you feel sad, certain areas of the brain will glow brighter showing which areas of the brain are responsible for making you feel that emotion
In an MRI scan, if you listen to music what can we expect to happen
Areas that are responsible for listening to music will glow brighter on the MRI scan
Why is treating the brain so difficult
It can lead to a wide range of things going wrong such as:
- tumours
- trauma
- mental health problems (depression)
- infection
The brain is encased in a skull and surrounding tissue is fragile
The brain is complex
What kinds of things can go wrong when trying to treat the brain
- tumours
- trauma
- mental health problems (depression)
- infection
Why is the brain physically very difficult to treat
It is encased in a skull surrounded by brain tissue which is extremely fragile
Why can’t we treat the brain with drugs or chemicals
The brain is too complex to treat with drugs and chemicals and we dont fully understand it yet
When we view images of the brain we are generally looking at a cross section of brain.
What is a cross section?
A view into the inside of something made by cutting through it
What part of the brain is responsible for unconscious activities
Medulla
What part of the brain is responsible for conscious activities
Cerebral cortex
