Psychology: Brain and Behavior

Question 1

Oldest part of the brain

Answer 1

Oldest
Brainstem
Thalamus
Reticular Formation
Cerebellum

Question 2

Newer part of the brain

Answer 2

New
Amygdala
Hypothalamus
Hippocampus

Question 3

Newest part of the brain

Answer 3

Newest
Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobes
Occipital Lobes
Temporal Lobes

Question 4

Medulla (Function/Location)

Answer 4

Function:
The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Location:
Base of brainstem.

Question 5

Cerebellum (Function/Location)

Answer 5

Function:
Processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

Location: (look at the picture)

Question 6

Reticular Activating System (Function)

Answer 6

Function:
A nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Location: (look at the picture)

Question 7

Substantia Nigra (Function)

Answer 7

Function:
The function is a dopamine factory center. Plays role in reward, movement, addiction, and eye movement.

Location: (Look at the picture)

Question 8

Basal Forebrain (Function)

Answer 8

Function:
The function is motor control, learning, and action selection.

Question 9

Hippocampus (Function)

Answer 9

Function:
The function is linked to emotions of fear and anger.

Question 10

Amygdala (Function)

Answer 10

Function:
The function is to direct maintenance activities: eating, drinking, body temp, and control of emotions.

Question 11

Neocortex (Four lobes of the neocortex)

Answer 11

Frontal Lobe:
Speaking, muscle movements, making plans, and judgments.

Parietal Lobe:
Processes somatosensory information from body.

Temporal Lobe:
Perception of auditory stimuli,

Occipital Lobe:
Center of visual perception

Question 12

Broca’s Area (Function)

Answer 12

Function:
Motor Speech Area

Location:
The dominant hemisphere of the frontal lobes, is in the left hemisphere.

Question 13

Wernicke’s area (Function)

Answer 13

Function:
Perception and language processing.

Location:
In the left cerebral hemisphere, near the back of the temporal lobe.

Question 14

Primary Sensory Cortex and Primary Motor Cortex (Function)

Answer 14

Function:
Primary Sensory Cortex (Function): Discriminates among different intensities and qualities of sensory information

Function:
Primary Motor Cortex (Function): To generate signals to direct the movement of the body.

Question 15

Describe brain plasticity (4 different ways)

Answer 15

(1): Before birth and until maturation is complete: Brain changes in response to experience.

(2): During learning (long-term potentiation): Pathway activated there are changes within the cell to make it so that the first neuron can cause a change in the second neuron more easily.

(3): Stem Cells:

(4): Neurogenesis: Most of the neurons we are born with:

Sleeping: Allows for the growth of new neurons
Exercise: Causes inflammation and allows for the growth of new neurons.

Question 16

Be able to describe the function of dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, Glutamate, and endorphins.

Answer 16

Dopamine: Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

Acetylcholine: Enables muscle action, learning, and memory.

Serotonin: Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal.

GABA: A major inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Glutamate: A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory.

Endorphins: Neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure

Question 17

Be able to describe the process of interneuron communication.

Answer 17

Interneuron: A neuron that conveys impulses from one neuron to another.

When an action potential reaches knob-like terminals at an axon’s end, it triggers the release of (neurotransmitters).

Neurotransmitter molecules cross the synaptic gap and bind to receptor sites on receiving neuron either exciting or inhibiting the receiving neuron’s readiness to fire.

Question 18

Be able to identify and locate the main parts of a neuron.

Answer 18

Cell Body: The cell’s life support center.

Dendrites: Receive messages from other cells.

Axon: Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons.

Myelin Sheath: Covers axon of some neurons & speeds neural impulses.

Terminal Branches: Branches form junctions with other cells.