Semester 1 Module 9 - Brain Anatomy

Question 1

What is evolution?

Answer 1

Change over time.

Question 2

What are the two central concepts of Darwin’s theory of evolution?

Answer 2

Adaptation and Natural Selection.

Question 3

What is adaptation?

Answer 3

the ability to adapt to changing environments.

Question 4

What is natural selection?

Answer 4

process by which some species’ varations are passed on and some are not. `

Question 5

What are the four principles of Darwin’s Theory of evolution?

Answer 5

Plant and animal species are dynamic over time (change is inevitable).
Evolution is gradual and continuous.
Natural selection occurs with and without environmental change.
Universal common ancestry.

Question 6

What is a gene?

Answer 6

A section of DNA.

Question 7

What is a codon?

Answer 7

3 x nucleobase (unit of DNA code).

Question 8

What is transcription?

Answer 8

a segment of DNA is copied into mRNA.

Question 9

What is translation?

Answer 9

The process of protein synthesis.

Question 10

What were Mendel’s law of heredity?

Answer 10

Law of segregation, law of independent assortment, law of dominance.

Question 11

What is the law of segregation?

Answer 11

each inherited trait is defined by a gene pair. Offspring inherit one genetic allele from each parent when sex cells unite in fertilisation.

Question 12

What is the law of independent assortment?

Answer 12

genes for different traits are sorted separately from one another. inheritance of one trait is not dependent on the inheritance of another.

Question 13

What is the law of dominance?

Answer 13

if the alleles at a locus differ, the dominant allele will be expressed.

Question 14

What is epigenetics?

Answer 14

The study of heritable phenotypic change.

Question 15

What are microglia?

Answer 15

The immune cells of the brain. Monitor cells for damage and clearance of cell debris.

Question 16

What happens in the frontal lobe?

Answer 16

Higher cognitive functions.

Question 17

What happens in the temporal lobe?

Answer 17

Hearing and memory.

Question 18

What happens in the brainstem?

Answer 18

Basic body functions.

Question 19

What happens in the parietal lobe?

Answer 19

sensation, perception, and integration.

Question 20

What happens in the occipital lobe?

Answer 20

Vision.

Question 21

What happens in the cerebellum?

Answer 21

movement and balance.

Question 22

What is the hippocampus important for?

Answer 22

memory.

Question 23

What is the amygdala important for?

Answer 23

emotion.

Question 24

What does the limbic system handle?

Answer 24

Paleomammial cortex, memory, emotion, and arousal.

Question 25

What does the basal ganglia handle?

Answer 25

voluntary movement/behavioural control, procedural and habit learning.

Question 26

What are the main parts of the brainstem and what are their functions?

Answer 26

From top to bottom:
the midbrain - monitor control, sleep/wake, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation.
the pons - involuntary movement, regulation of respiration.
the medulla oblongata - control of ventilation, heart rate, blood pressure, reflexes, and autonomic nervous system.

Question 27

What are the processes of gene expression?

Answer 27

transcription and translation.

Question 28

How many neurons did Azevedo et al. (2009) calculate were in the whole human brain?

Answer 28

86 billion