Peeking into the Human Brain

Question 1

dimensions of human brain

Answer 1

weight -> 1.5 kg
cortex only abt 2mm thick (grey matter) contains nerve cells & occupies outer region of the brain

Question 2

how can we study human brain function??

Answer 2

studying how a given part of the brain develops from birth
studying mistakes from the brain - visual illusions
studying the behaviour of ppl that have suffered brain damage
brain scans

Question 3

visual illusions??

Answer 3

mistakes made by the brain

Question 4

vision of a newborn for months one and two

Answer 4

one month -> spatial defintion
two months -> colour defintion

Question 5

what can we learn from mach bands

Answer 5

the importance of locating edges (process starts in retina key aspect of infant vision)

Question 6

Human cortical area damage??

Answer 6

person becomes motion blind (cannot see a person entering a room/ pour a cup of tea) cant see motion at all

Question 7

parietal cortex damage??

Answer 7

sees things as full even though its only half the object (draws half of a full picture)

Question 8

frontal cortex damage??

Answer 8

causes brain damage, personality changes, dulls senses

Question 9

Brain scans examples

Answer 9

EEG
MRI
fMRI
PET
MEG

Question 10

some medical reasons for studying human brain function

Answer 10

medical -> it enables us to better understand and treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression and epilepsy. By uncovering the underlying mechanisms, we can develop targeted therapies and drugs improve patient care.

Question 11

some non-medical reasons for studying human brain function.

Answer 11

non-medical: it advances our knowledge cognition, behaviour and consciousness; sheds light on fundamental aspects of the human experience. This knowledge benefits fields such as psychology & education by enhancing our understanding of decision-making, learning processes and social behaviour

Question 12

some technological reasons for studying human brain function.

Answer 12

techonological applications -> driving innovations like brain-computer interfaces that can assist individuals with disabilities or lead to immersive virtual reality experiences. It also has ethical and philosophical significance adressing questions abt consiciousness, identity & the nature of humanity