Psychology 4: Getting to know you brain Flashcards
Who was Franz Joseph Gall?
Franz Joseph Gall was a Phrenologist (the detailed study of shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities) in the early 1800s. While Phrenology was dismissed as a false science or pseudoscience Gall was on track with his proposition that different parts of the brain control specific aspects of our behaviour
What is the mind?
The mind is what the brain does. Different parts of the brain control specific aspects of our behaviour. Localised parts of the brain have different functions
FUNCTION IS LOCALISED
What is the CNS?
The Central Nervous System is our command system
What is the PNS?
The Peripheral Nervous System is our network of scout like sensory neurons
What is the tale of Phineas Gage?
In 1848 Phineas Gage was working on a railroad and was tapping gun powder into a hole in the ground with an iron pole when the bun powder ignited sending the pole up through his left cheek and out the top of his head. Amazingly he stood up, approached a near by cart, explained what had just happened and then they took him home. All while being concious! When the doctor came to inspect Phineas he refused to believe a rod had passed through his head until Phineas began coughing causing a tea-cups worth of brain to fall out the top of his head. After a few months he was virtually healed up and back to moving around as he used to. But his friends claimed that Phineas was no longer himself. While the pre-accident Phineas was soft spoken and pleasent the post-accident Phineas was mean and vulgar. Phineas is an extreme example of how functions of the brain are localised
True or False: We use only 10% of our brains
False. Brain scans show that nearly every region of the brain lights up during even simple tasks like walking and talking
How much of our daily energy does the brain consume?
The brain itself requires around 20% of our daily energy
What is the innercore of the brain called?
The innercore of the brain is called the Old Brain
The old brain consists of the brain stem, the pons, medulla, thallamus, reticular formation and cerebellum
What anchors our brain?
The Brain Stem
The most ancient and central core of the brain where the spinal chord enters the brain
What sits above the brain stem?
The Medulla
Automatically controls the beating of hearts, the breathing of lungs etc
What sits above the Medulla?
The Pons
Helps coordinate several of the automatic functions
The pons is involved in a lot of important functions including arousal (the non-sexy kind….mostly), autonomic functions, sleep and relaying information between the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex
What is at the top of the Old Brain?
The Thallamus
A pair of egg shaped structures that take in sensory information related to seeing, hearing, touching and tasting
Which of the sections of the Old Brain is finger shaped?
Reticular Formation
A finger shaped network inside the brain stem that’s essential for arousal (refers to sleeping and walking and pain perception)
Which part of the Old Brain is as large as a baseball?
Cerebellum (little brain)
Baseball sized, swells form bottom of brain stem
Is responsible for non-verbal learning and memory, the perception of time and modulating emotions
Controls voluntary movement (sweet dance moves)
Impared easily under the influence of alcohol hence the term “tipsy”
The old brain is the equivelent of where brain development stops for reptiles. Where do we look to for higher functions?
The Limbic System
Sits between the old brain and Cerebrum
Consists of Amygdala, Hypothallamus, Hippocampus and Pituitary Gland
What is the amygdala?
Two lima-bean sized clusters of neurons, involved in memory consolidation and emotion
What is the Hypothalamus?
Located below the thalamus the Hypothalamus is a section of the brain regulates body temperature, circadian rhythms and hunger. Helps govern the endocrine system especially the Pituitary Gland which secretes many different hormones
What is the Hippocampus?
The Hippocampus is a section of the brain central to learning and memory, if damaged a person may lose the ability to retain new information
What connects the two hemispheres of the brain?
Left and Right hemispheres provide us with a split brain connected by the corpus callosum
What surrounds the cerebrum?
The Cerebral Cortex
An intricate system of over 20 billion neurons
Divided into 4 lobes
Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Occipital Lobes and Temporal Lobe
What are Glial Cells?
The Glial Cells provide a spider web of support that surround, insulate and nourish neurons
What are the basic properties of the Frontal Lobe?
Frontal Lobe
Located behind forehead
Contributes to speaking, planning, judging, abstract thinking and personality aspects
What are the basic properties of the Parietal Lobe?
Parietal Lobe
Behind Frontal Lobe
Sense of Touch
Body Position
What are the basic properties of the Occipital Lobes?
Occipital Lobes
Back of head
Information related to sight
What are the basic porperties of the Temporal Lobe?
Temporal Lobe
Just above ears
Comprehension
Sound
Speech
Which part of the brain controls voluntary movements?
The motor cortex (rear of frontal lobe)
Controls voluntary movements and sends messages from the brain to the rest of the body like “pet that dog” or “Pick up that mug”
Which part of the brain processes incoming information from sensory neurons?
The Somatosensory Cortex behind the motor cortex processes incoming information like “Ooooo that doggy is soft” or “GAH THAT MUG IS HOT!”
