Week4 Brain

Question 1

3 major divisions of the brain

Answer 1

Hindbrain, Midbrain, Forebrain

Question 2

Describe hindbrain

Answer 2

-the lowest and most primitive level of the brain
-contains brain stem and cerebellum

Question 3

Describe brain stem

Answer 3

-One of the oldest and most primitive aspects of the brain
-The medulla - enables heart rate & respiration to occur automatically
-The pons - helps to control vital functions, esp. respiration, also helps to regulate sleep, & acts as relay between the cerebellum & the cerebral cortex

Question 4

Describe the cerebellum

Answer 4

The Cerebellum:
-control & coordination of muscular movement, plus learning & memory
- Responsible for precise timing & coordination of movement
-Damage to the cerebellum leads to severe motor disturbances (jerky, uncoordinated movements).

Question 5

Cerebellum initiates movement (T/F)

Answer 5

False

Question 6

Athletes and cats have more advanced cerebellum (T/F)

Answer 6

True

Question 7

Describe the Midbrain

Answer 7

• Contains clusters of sensory & motor neurons
• The Reticular Formation: alerts higher centres of the brain that messages are coming & then either admit or block those messages
• It plays a role in consciousness, sleep & attention.

Question 8

Describe the forebrain

Answer 8

The brain’s most recently evolved part
- Cerebrum: the major structure of the forebrain
- Consists of two large hemispheres that wrap around the brain stem
- Outer portion of the forebrain is covered by a layer of tissue, the cerebral cortex.

Question 9

Where are thalamus and hypothalamus located?

Answer 9

Forebrain

Question 10

Functions of thalamus

Answer 10

-organizes inputs from sensory organs
-routes them to the appropriate areas of the brain

Question 11

Functions of hypothalamus

Answer 11

-involved in motivation & emotion
-controls hormonal secretions that regulate sexual behaviour, metabolism, & reactions to stress.
-involved in experiences of pleasure/displeasure (eg social behaviour, aggression, sleep, drinking)

Question 12

Damage to thalamus can cause

Answer 12

hallucination (unable to distinguish reality and imagination)

Question 13

Describe function of the Limbic System

Answer 13

Helps coordinate behaviours needed to satisfy motivational & emotional urges that arise in the hypothalamus

Question 14

What does the limbic system contain

Answer 14

-Hippocampus: involved in forming, consolidating & retrieving memories
-Amygdala: involved in emotional behaviours (mainly fear and angry)—> Important for emotional memories

Question 15

Damage to amygdala may cause

Answer 15

Difficulty to remember the emotional part of a memory

Question 16

Hippocampus creates memories (T/F)

Answer 16

False

Question 17

Describe the Cerebral Cortex

Answer 17

-Sheet of grey, unmyelinated cells that form the outermost layer of the human brain (80% of the human brain)
-wrinkly in appearance.
-Bulges called gyri
-Grooves are called fissures: folds in the cerebral cortex; allows greater surface area in a smaller space
-Fissures separate the brain into four lobes (frontal, parietal, occipital, & temporal)

Question 18

Describe Motor Cortex

Answer 18

-Controls the 600 or more muscles involved in voluntary body movements
-Each hemisphere governs movement on the opposite side of the body

Question 19

The size of body part is not directly proportional to our brain’s representation of them.

Answer 19

True as this relates to each body part’s significance to sensation and complexity of motion

Question 20

Describe the Sensory Cortices

Answer 20

-Receives input from our sensory receptors
-Somatosensory cortex: receives sensory input that gives rise to our sensations of heat, touch, & cold and to our senses of balance and body movement
-Amount of area allotted is proportionate to sensitivity

Question 21

Association Cortex

Answer 21

• Involved in many important mental functions, including perception, language, and thought
• Stimulation does not cause specific sensory or motor reactions
• Damage can cause disruption or loss of speech, understanding, thinking, & problem solving

Question 22

Agnosia

Answer 22

The inability to identify familiar objects

Question 23

The Frontal Lobes

Answer 23

29% of human brain; less in all other mammals
Least understood part of the brain
Damage can result in an inability to plan & carry out a sequence of actions
Involved in emotional experience

Question 24

Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 24

For executive functions

Question 25

Executive functions

Answer 25

• mental abilities that allow people to direct their behaviour in an adaptive fashion

Question 26

Damage to EF may cause

Answer 26

-Problems planning strategically, controlling impulses, setting goals, & basically poor judgement
-an inability to understand & anticipate future consequences
Famous historical case: Phineas Gage

Question 27

Hemispheric Lateralisation

Answer 27

-The two cerebral hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum, a large band of myelinated nerve fibres.
-Most information is transmitted between the two hemispheres via these nerve fibres enabling them to work effectively as a single unit.
-Lateralisation: the relatively greater localization of a function in one hemisphere or the other

Question 28

Left hemisphere

Answer 28

mathematical & logical abilities are localised here, as are most aspects of verbal abilities & speech.

Question 29

Right hemisphere

Answer 29

perceiving & understanding spatial relations, recognising faces, perceiving emotion, mental imagery, & certain aspects of musical & artistic abilities.

Question 30

Aphasia and its cause

Answer 30

the partial or total loss of the ability to communicate
-results from damage to Broca’s or Wernicke’s areas in the left hemisphere

Question 31

What does split brain research demonstrate

Answer 31

-Visual input is not unified in these research participants
-Input on right side is sent to left hemisphere & vice-versa

Question 32

Split brain research is conducted on people who have

Answer 32

undergone severance of the corpus callosum.

Question 33

Neural Plasticity

Answer 33

The ability of neurons, brain areas & networks to change in structure & function

Question 34

Possible factors for neuroplasticity

Answer 34

Stimulating environment (e.g., massage, & music)
Cultural factors (e.g., European vs. Japanese adults)
Your job/career (e.g., taxi drivers)

Question 35

Brain plasticity is a life-long phenomenon. (T/F)

Answer 35

True as remaining neurons form new connections in response to experiences and we form new memories
However, one- to two-year old children have around 50% more brain synapses than do mature adults.
Over time, unused or weaker synapses are pruned away, and some neurons die.

Question 36

Broca and Wernicke’ areas are for?

Answer 36

Broca: production
W: comprehension

Question 37

Endocrine System

Answer 37

numerous hormone-secreting glands distributed throughout the body

Question 38

Hormones

Answer 38

chemical messengers that are secreted from the glands into the bloodstream

Question 39

Adrenal Glands

Answer 39

twin structures that serve as hormone factories, producing & secreting about 50 different hormones
eg produce several stress hormones

Question 40

Antigens

Answer 40

foreign substances that trigger a biochemical response from the immune system

Question 41

Antibodies

Answer 41

biochemical weapons needed to destroy the antigens

Question 42

Psychosocial factors can influence _______ system functioning

Answer 42

Immune