The Brain Flashcards
What system is the brain a part of?
The Central Nervous System.
What is the brain made up of?
Billions of interconnected neurones.
What is the brain in charge of?
All our complex behaviours. It controls and coordinates everything you do - running, breathing, sleeping, etc.
What do different regions of the brain carry out?
Different functions.
What are some different regions of the brain and what do they do?
Cerebral cortex - This is the outer wrinkly bit. It’s responsible for things like consciousness, intelligence, memory and language.
Medulla - Controls unconscious activities like breathing and your heartbeat.
Cerebellum - Responsible for muscle coordination.
What are three different methods to study the brain and map out which parts do what?
- Studying patients with brain damage - if a small part of the brain has been damaged, the effect this has on the patient can tell you a lot about what the damaged part of the brain does. E.g. if an area at the back of the brain was damaged by a stroke and the patient went blind, you know that that area has something to do with vision.
- Electrically stimulating the brain - the brain can be stimulated electrically by pushing a tiny electrode into the tissue and giving it a small zap of electricity. By observing what stimulating different parts of the brain does, it’s possible to get an idea of what those parts do. E.g. when a certain part of the brain (known as the motor area) is stimulated, it causes muscle contraction and movement.
- MRI Scans - a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner is a big fancy tube-like machine that can produce a very detailed picture of the brain’s structures. Scientists use it to find out what areas of the brain are active when people are doing things like listening to music or trying to recall a memory.
What has knowledge of how the brain works led to? Give an example.
Led to the development of treatments for disorders of the nervous system. For example, electrical stimulation of the brain can help reduce muscle tremors caused by nervous disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
What is the problem with the brain being incredibly complex and delicate?
The investigation of brain function and any treatment of brain damage or disease is difficult. It also carries risks, such as physical damage to the brain or increased problems with brain function (e.g. difficulties with speech).
