THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: the brain

Question 1

What are the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain responsible for?

Answer 1

Hindbrain (brain stem): involuntary survival functions

Midbrain: motor responses and some reflex responses

Forebrain: thinking, planning, and responses to sensory stimulus

Question 2

Define: cerebral cortex

Answer 2

The outer layer of the brain, responsible for higher order processes (thinking and planning)

Question 3

The cerebral cortex is divided into ____ and ______ ___________.

Answer 3

Left and right hemispheres

Question 4

Define: hemispheric specialisation

Answer 4

The dominance of one hemishpere of the cerebral cortex over the other in some skills

eg. left: language abilities, logic and maths, right side of the bdoy
right: spatial abilities, creativity, left side of the body

Question 5

Since the left and right hemispheres are structurally separated, how do they communicate?

Answer 5

Through the corpus callosum

Question 6

Define: corpus callosum

Answer 6

A bundle of nerve fibres that allow communication between the left and right hemispheres

Question 7

Describe a research thing about the corpus callosum

Answer 7

Roger Sperry severed the corpus callosum in epilepsy patients to relieve their symptoms