The Brain

Question 1

What are the three areas of the brain?

Answer 1

Forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain

Question 2

What makes up the hindbrain?

Answer 2

Medulla oblongata, the pons and cerebellum

Question 3

What is the function of the medulla?

Answer 3

This is where all the nerves from the spinal cord connect to the brain. Where messages are sent through. Controls bodily functions such as

Question 4

What is the function of the pons?

Answer 4

Regulates alertness, sleeping dreams, breathing and respiration

Question 5

What is the function of the cerebellum?

Answer 5

Involved in maintaining balance, breathing and controlled muscle action.

Question 6

What is it called when the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body?

Question 7

What makes up the midbrain?

Answer 7

Reticular formation, thamalus, hypothalamus, corpus callosum, amygdala and hippocampus

Question 8

What is the reticular formation?

Answer 8

A network of neurons which maintain alertness and filter out information to the right areas of the brain.

Question 9

What is the function of the thalamus?

Answer 9

It is like a sensory relay station for all the sense (except smell). Sensory information gets sent through the brain from here.

Question 10

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

Answer 10

It regulates the endocrine system by releasing hormones and controls the body’s environment in homeostasis.

Question 11

What is the corpus callosum?

Answer 11

A large group of nerves deep within the middle of the brain which connects the two hemispheres. Messages from each hemisphere pass through the corpus callosum.

Question 12

What is the function of the amygdala?

Answer 12

Controls emotions of fear, rage and aggression. Stimulates the fear response.

Question 13

What is the role of the hippocampus?

Answer 13

Where memories are formed.

Question 14

What is the cerebrum?

Answer 14

The largest area of the brain. Divided into two hemispheres and each hemisphere is divided into four lobes.

Question 15

What are the four lobes of the brain?

Answer 15

Frontal, Parietal, Occipital and Temporal

Question 16

What is the role of the frontal lobe?

Answer 16

Controls mental abilities such as reasoning, planning, thinking, problem solving and judgement.
Controls expression of characteristics, emotions and personality.
Contains the primary motor cortex which controls voluntary movements.

Question 17

What is the Broca’s area and where is it found?

Answer 17

The area of speech production and language expression. It is found in the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere.

Question 18

What is the role of the parietal lobe?

Answer 18

Receives and processes sensory information.
Contains the primary somatosensory cortex which controls sense of touch, pressure and pain.
Controls visual attention and spacial reasoning.

Question 19

What is the role of the occipital lobe?

Answer 19

Where visual information is processed.

Contains the primary visual cortex.

Question 20

What is the role of the temporal lobe?

Answer 20

Where hearing and sounds are interpreted.
Contains the primary auditory cortex which receives, processes and identifies sounds.
Has an important role in memory.
Involved in memory formation and object identification.
Identifies sound, pitch and frequency.

Question 21

What other structures are found in the temporal lobe?

Answer 21

Wernicke’s area is in the temporal lobe and involved in speech comprehension.
Deep in the temporal lobe is the amygdala and hippocampus.