The central nervous system and human behaviour

Question 1

2 main functions of the nervous system

Answer 1

1. Collects, processes and responds to information from the environment
2. Coordinates the working of different organs and cells in the body

Question 2

What are the 2 main parts of the central nervous system

Answer 2

The spinal cord

The brain

Question 3

The spinal cords:

What is it responsible for

Answer 3

reflex actions such as pulling your hand away from a hot pan

• passes messages to and from the brain

Question 4

The brain:

role

Answer 4

where decision making takes place

Question 5

The brain:

structure

Answer 5

Devided into 2 near-symmetrical hemispheres

Question 6

The brain:

control of body

Answer 6

brains control of body in contralateral,

• left hemispshere controls activity on right side of the body
• right hemisphere controls activity on left side of body

Question 7

The brain:

what is the outer layer of the brain called

Answer 7

cerebral cortex, distinguishes our mental functioning from that of other animals

• 3mm thick

Question 8

Subcortical structures:

Thalamus role

Answer 8

• Brains relay station
• recieves info from various senses and passes to cerebral cortext for higher level processing

Question 9

Subcortical structures:

Hypothalamus role

Answer 9

• controls motivational behaviour (hunger, thirst, sex)
• maintains balance in body’s internal function like temperature

Question 10

Subcortical structures:

Limbic system role

Answer 10

• highly interconnected with areas of the cortex, integrates cortical and subcortical areas of the brain

Question 11

The cerebral cortex:

What are the 4 lobes of the cerebral cortex of both hemispheres

Answer 11

Frontal lobe

Partietal lobe

Temporal lobe

Occipital lobe

Question 12

The cerebral cortex:

What is the role of the convolutions

Answer 12

Increases the cortex’s surface area, giving it more processing power

Question 13

The cerebral cortex:

Frontal lobe - location

Answer 13

on the front

Question 14

The cerebral cortex:

Frontal lobe - function

Answer 14

controls cognitive functions like thinking, planning, problem solving and decision making

• contain motor cortex which controls voluntary movements on the opposite side of body
  (Left lobe - right side, Right lobe - left side)

Question 15

The cerebral cortex

Partiel lobe - location

Answer 15

just behing frontal lobe, other side of the central sulcus

Question 16

The cerebral cortex:

Partiel lobe - function

Answer 16

contains somatosensory cortex - processes sensory info from the skin in contralateral manner

Question 17

The cerebral cortex:

Temporal lobe - location

Answer 17

beneath lateral sculus of each hemisphere

Question 18

The cerebral cortex:

Teporal lobe - function

Answer 18

contains auditory cortex - deals with auditory info coming in from opposite ears (contralateral).
- process location, volume and pitch of sounds

Question 19

The cerebral cortex:

Occipital lobe - location

Answer 19

back of the brain

Question 20

The cerebral cortex:

Occipital lobe - function

Answer 20

contains main visual cortex, along with secondary visual cortex’s - vision seen from left eye, processed by right occipital lobe (and vise versa)

Question 21

Language areas of the brain

What are the 2 language areas of the brain

Answer 21

Brocas area and Wernickes area

Question 22

Language areas of the brain

Role of Broca’s area

Answer 22

responsible for speech production

• damage to this causes slow, laborious speech lacking fluency

Question 23

Language areas of the brain

Role of Wernicke’s area

Answer 23

comprehension of speech sounds

• damage causes fluent but meaningless speech