Biology of the Brain

Question 1

A bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain’s two hemispheres and facilitating interhemispheric communication.

Answer 1

Corpus Callosum

Question 2

The process of intentionally damaging brain tissue to study its effects on behavior.

Answer 2

Lesion

Question 3

The brain’s relay station, transmitting sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex.

Answer 3

Thalamus

Question 4

A work schedule that involves hours outside the traditional 9AM to 5PM, often disrupting normal sleep patterns.

Answer 4

Shift Work

Question 5

A small brain region controlling autonomic functions like hunger and hormones.

Answer 5

Hypothalamus

Question 6

A temporary sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s internal clock is out of sync with the time zone they are in.

Answer 6

Jet Lag

Question 7

A region of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movements.

Answer 7

Motor Cortex

Question 8

A strip of the parietal lobe that processes sensory input from the body.

Answer 8

Somatosensory Cortex

Question 9

Studies on patients with severed corpus callosum to understand hemispheric specialization.

Answer 9

Split Brain Research

Question 10

A set of brain structures involved in emotion, motivation, memory, and behavior regulation

Answer 10

Limbic System

Question 11

The deepest stage of non-rapid eye movement sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep.

Answer 11

NREM Stage 3

Question 12

A stage of non-rapid eye movement sleep characterized by sleep spindles.

Answer 12

NREM Stage 2

Question 13

Parts of the cerebral cortex involved in higher mental functions usually involve more than one lobe.

Answer 13

Association Areas

Question 14

A sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Answer 14

Insomnia

Question 15

A disorder where individuals act out their dreams during REM sleep.

Answer 15

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Question 16

Big brain regions at the back of the head responsible for visual processing.

Answer 16

Occipital Lobe

Question 17

Loss of ability to understand or express speech, caused by brain damage.

Answer 17

Aphasia

Question 18

A region in the temporal lobe involved in language comprehension.

Answer 18

Wernicke’s Area

Question 19

The front part of the frontal lobes involved in complex behaviors like impulse control and personality

Answer 19

Prefrontal Lobe

Question 20

Neural circuits in the brain that regulate motivation, reinforcement, and pleasure responses.

Answer 20

Reward Center

Question 21

The part of the brain connecting the cerebrum with the spinal cord, responsible for automatic survival functions.

Answer 21

Brainstem

Question 22

A network of neurons in the brainstem regulating wakefulness and sleep-wake cycles.

Answer 22

Reticular Activating System

Question 23

Big brain regions involved in processing auditory information and memory.

Answer 23

Temporal Lobes

Question 24

Mental skills involving managing oneself and one’s resources to achieve a goal.

Answer 24

Executive Functioning

Question 25

The lightest stage of non-rapid eye movement sleep, where one drifts in and out of sleep.

Answer 25

NREM Stage 1

Question 26

The brain’s ability to understand and produce language.

Answer 26

Linguistic Processing

Question 27

A sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep.

Answer 27

Sleep Apnea

Question 28

The process by which short-term memories are transformed into long-term memories.

Answer 28

Memory Consolidation

Question 29

Also known as sleepwalking, a disorder where individuals walk or perform other activities while asleep.

Answer 29

Somnambulism

Question 30

The state of being aware of and able to think about one’s own existence, thoughts, and surroundings.

Answer 30

Consciousness

Question 31

A pea-sized gland at the brain’s base, often called the “master gland” because it controls other glands.

Answer 31

Pituitary Gland

Question 32

Complex cognitive processes such as reasoning, problem-solving, and planning.

Answer 32

Higher-Order Thinking

Question 33

A limbic system structure involved in forming and storing long-term memories.

Answer 33

Hippocampus

Question 34

A theory that sleep helps to consolidate and strengthen memories.

Answer 34

Consolidation Theory

Question 35

A limbic system structure linked to emotion, particularly fear and aggression.

Answer 35

Amygdala

Question 36

A theory suggesting that dreams are the brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity during sleep.

Answer 36

Activation-Synthesis (dreams)

Question 37

The idea that each hemisphere of the brain is specialized for certain functions.

Answer 37

Hemisphere Specialization

Question 38

The base of the brainstem controlling heartbeat and breathing

Answer 38

Medulla

Question 39

Vivid sensory phenomena that occur during the transition from wakefulness to sleep.

Answer 39

Hypnogogic Sensations

Question 40

Each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body.

Answer 40

Contralateral Hemispheric Organization

Question 41

The body’s internal clock regulating the -hour cycle of biological processes.

Answer 41

Circadian Rhythm (sleep/wake cycle)

Question 42

A region in the frontal lobe involved in the mechanical production of speech.

Answer 42

Brocas Area

Question 43

The theory that sleep helps to restore and rejuvenate the body’s resources.

Answer 43

Restoration of Resources

Question 44

The outer layer of the brain involved in complex cognitive processes like thought, perception, and language.

Answer 44

Cerebral Cortex

Question 45

A hindbrain structure controlling balance, coordination, and motor skills.

Answer 45

Cerebellum

Question 46

A sleep stage characterized by rapid eye movements and vivid dreams.

Answer 46

REM Sleep

Question 47

The increase in REM sleep following periods of sleep deprivation.

Answer 47

REM Rebound

Question 48

A sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.

Answer 48

Narcolepsy

Question 49

The brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experiences.

Answer 49

Plasticity

Question 50

A brain imaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.

Answer 50

fMRI

Question 51

Big brain regions involved in processing sensory information and spatial orientation.

Answer 51

Parietal Lobe

Question 52

Big brain regions involved in movement, planning, and judgment.

Answer 52

Frontal Lobe

Question 53

A test that measures electrical activity in the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp.

Answer 53

EEG