Brain

Question 1

What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

Answer 1

The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. Its function is to process and integrate information and control bodily functions.

Question 2

What is the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

Answer 2

The PNS connects the CNS to the body and controls voluntary and involuntary functions.

Question 3

What are the divisions of the Peripheral Nervous System?

Answer 3

The PNS is divided into the Somatic Nervous System and the Autonomic Nervous System.

Question 4

What is the function of the Somatic Nervous System?

Answer 4

It controls voluntary movements and transmits sensory and motor signals.

Question 5

What are afferent and efferent nerves?

Answer 5

Afferent (sensory) nerves transmit information from sense organs to the CNS, while efferent (motor) nerves transmit information from the CNS to effectors (muscles/glands).

Question 6

What is the function of cranial nerves?

Answer 6

Cranial nerves control facial movement, sensation, and glandular secretion.

Disorder: Bell’s Palsy—damage to cranial nerves causing facial paralysis.

Question 7

What is the function of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)?

Answer 7

The ANS regulates involuntary functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiration.

Question 8

What are the divisions of the Autonomic Nervous System?

Answer 8

The ANS is divided into the Sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and Parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) divisions.

Question 9

What are the similarities and differences between human and animal brains?

Answer 9

Both have two hemispheres and longitudinal fissures. Animals (e.g., rats) have large olfactory bulbs, while humans have a convoluted cerebral cortex.

Question 10

What are the functions of the cerebellum, medulla, and pons?

Answer 10

The cerebellum coordinates movement, balance, and timing; the medulla regulates heartbeat, breathing, and reflexes; the pons controls sleep, dreaming, and relays sensory info.

Question 11

What is the location and function of the midbrain?

Answer 11

The midbrain is located between the hindbrain and forebrain and processes auditory and visual stimuli, regulating reflexes and movement.

Question 12

What are the meninges?

Answer 12

The meninges surround the brain and spinal cord, protecting the CNS and containing cerebrospinal fluid.

Question 13

What is a gyrus and a sulcus?

Answer 13

A gyrus is a raised ridge of the brain, while a sulcus (or fissure) is a groove in the brain. Major ones include the lateral fissure, central fissure, and longitudinal fissure.

Question 14

What are deep brain structures and their functions?

Answer 14

The thalamus acts as a sensory relay center; the hypothalamus regulates hormones, temperature, and hunger; the basal ganglia coordinate movement; the amygdala processes emotions; and the hippocampus is involved in memory formation.

Question 15

What is Parkinson’s Disease?

Answer 15

Parkinson’s Disease is characterized by tremors, slow movement, and rigidity due to basal ganglia degeneration.

Question 16

What are the major brain lobes and their functions?

Answer 16

The occipital lobe processes vision; the frontal lobe is involved in planning, decision-making, and voluntary movement; the temporal lobe handles hearing, memory, and language comprehension; the parietal lobe processes sensory information and spatial awareness.

Question 17

What is the difference between primary and association areas in the brain?

Answer 17

Primary areas are involved in direct sensory/motor processing (e.g., motor cortex), while association areas integrate complex tasks (e.g., planning, thinking).

Question 18

What is the function of the motor, somatosensory, auditory, and visual cortex?

Answer 18

The motor cortex controls voluntary movements; the somatosensory cortex processes touch, pain, and temperature; the auditory cortex interprets sound; and the visual cortex processes visual information.

Question 19

What is contralateral control?

Answer 19

Contralateral control means that each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body.

Example: The left hemisphere controls the right hand.

Question 20

What is the cortical homunculus?

Answer 20

The cortical homunculus is a map of body parts represented in the brain, with areas like hands and lips having large representation due to precision.

Question 21

What is a scotoma?

Answer 21

A scotoma is a small blind spot in the visual field, typically caused by damage to the occipital lobe, specifically in the primary visual cortex.

Question 22

What is hemianopia?

Answer 22

Hemianopia is blindness in half of the visual field, resulting from damage to the occipital lobe affecting the visual cortex on one side.

Question 23

What is hemiplegia?

Answer 23

Hemiplegia is paralysis of one side of the body, caused by damage to the contralateral motor cortex in the frontal lobe.

Question 24

What is prosopagnosia?

Answer 24

Prosopagnosia is the difficulty in recognizing faces, resulting from damage to the temporal and occipital lobes, particularly the fusiform gyrus.

Question 25

What are behavioral changes after frontal lobe/prefrontal cortex damage?

Answer 25

Symptoms include poor impulse control, emotional blunting or excessive emotional reactions, difficulty planning and making decisions, socially inappropriate behavior, apathy or lack of motivation, and possible reckless or psychopathic tendencies.

Question 26

What is apraxia?

Answer 26

Apraxia is an impairment in organizing or executing voluntary movements, typically due to damage in the frontal lobe, particularly motor association areas.

Question 27

What is neglect syndrome?

Answer 27

Neglect syndrome involves ignoring one side of the body or space, difficulty attending to objects on the affected side, and lack of awareness of deficits, usually due to damage in the parietal lobe, most commonly the right hemisphere.

Question 28

What are implicit processing effects in neglect syndrome patients?

Answer 28

Patients may have emotional responses to unseen objects, priming effects that improve recognition of objects on the neglected side after exposure, and unconscious adjustments in movements to avoid unseen obstacles.

Question 29

What are the functions of the right hemisphere?

Answer 29

The right hemisphere is specialized for spatial awareness and attention, melody processing, facial recognition, and recognition of natural objects.

Question 30

What are the functions of the left hemisphere?

Answer 30

The left hemisphere is specialized for language processing, recognition of manufactured objects, and voluntary action control.

Question 31

What is split-brain surgery?

Answer 31

Split-brain surgery involves the surgical severing of the corpus callosum to prevent seizure spread, often used to treat severe epilepsy.

Question 32

What is the corpus callosum?

Answer 32

The corpus callosum is the largest cerebral commissure with over 200 million axons, connecting the left and right hemispheres and enabling interhemispheric communication.

Question 33

What is alien hand syndrome?

Answer 33

Alien hand syndrome is a condition where one hand moves involuntarily, sometimes contradicting the person's conscious intent, often caused by damage to the corpus callosum or frontal lobe.

Question 34

What insights can be gained from split-brain surgery?

Answer 34

The left hemisphere struggles to name objects in the left visual field, can understand words but cannot verbally express them, and uses compensatory strategies to communicate across hemispheres.

Question 35

What is neural plasticity?

Answer 35

Neural plasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize and form new connections. ## Footnote In callosal agenesis, alternate pathways (e.g., enlarged anterior commissure) compensate for the missing corpus callosum.