CNS and Human Behaviour

Question 1

Functions of the CNS

Answer 1

• Collects, processes and responds to info in the environment.
• Coordinates the working of different organs and cells.

Question 2

Spinal Cord

Answer 2

Responsible for reflex actions like when you touch something hot.

Question 3

The Brain

Answer 3

Source of conscious awareness and decision making.

Question 4

Corpus Callosum

Answer 4

Connects the two brain hemispheres.

Question 5

Left and Right hemisphere

Answer 5

Left hemisphere controls activity on right side of the body and vice versa.

Question 6

Brains outer layer

Answer 6

Cerebral cortex
3mm thick and covers inner parts of the brain

Question 7

Cortical and subcortical

Answer 7

Cortical belongs to the cortex and subcortical is below the cortex.

Question 8

Subcortical - Thalamus

Answer 8

• Receives info from various senses except smell.
• Passes info to appropriate areas of cerebral cortex for processing.
• Acts as a filter of info.
• Plays a role in sleep, wakefulness and OCD.

Question 9

Subcortical - Hypothalamus

Answer 9

• Below the thalamus,
• Controls motivational behaviours like hunger, thirst and sex.
• Controls fight or flight.
• Balances temp and regulates endocrine system.

Question 10

Subcortical - Limbic System

Answer 10

• Several structures like the amygdala.
• Regulates emotional response.
• Memory and learning.

Question 11

Subcortical - Cerebellum

Answer 11

• 2 hemispheres.
• Coordinate balance, posture and movement.

Question 12

Subcortical - Corpus Callosum

Answer 12

• Dense collection of nerves connecting two hemispheres below cerebral cortex.
• Allows communication between the two hemispheres.

Question 13

Lateralisation and Localisation

Answer 13

Left hemisphere associated with language - lateralisation.

Localisation - Certain areas in each hemisphere responsible for specific functions and behaviours.

Question 14

Cerebral Cortex

Answer 14

• Subdivided into four lobes in each hemisphere.
• Convolutions increase cortex’s surface area giving it more processing power.

Question 15

Cerebral Cortex - Frontal lobes

Answer 15

• 40% of the cerebral cortex.
• Control high level cognitive functions like thinking and problem solving.
• Contains motor cortex, each one controls voluntary movements on the opposite side of the body.

Question 16

Cerebral Cortex - Parietal lobes

Answer 16

• Process sensory info from skin, in a contralateral manner.

Question 17

Cerebral Cortex - Temporal Lobes

Answer 17

• Each lobe contains an auditory cortex dealing with sound from the opposite ear. Process location, volume and pitch.

Question 18

Cerebral Cortex - Occipital Lobes

Answer 18

• Each lobe has a primary visual cortex and several secondary areas.
• Everything seen on the right of our FOV is initially processed by the left visual cortex and then shared with the right.

Question 19

Broca’s Area

Answer 19

Broca identified a small area in the left frontal lobe responsible for speech production.

• Damage causes Broca’s Aphasia. Slow laborious speech.

Question 20

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 20

He was describing patients with language understanding difficulties, producing fluent meaningless speech. He located the main area of damage in the left temporal lobe.