P2 - 5.3 Brain Flashcards
(39 cards)
What is the brain made up of
Billions of interconnected nerve cells
What is the brain responsible for
All of our complex behaviours
What is the central nervous system made up of
Brain and spinal chord
In the central nervous system what is the function of the brain
To make all the important decisions as a response to a reflex
What is the big wrinkly bit at the top of the brain called
Cerebral cortex
What is the cerebral cortex important for
- consciousness
- intelligence
- memory
- language
Senses:
- vision
- hearing
What senses does our cerebral cortex do
Hearing
Vision
How many parts is the cerebral cortex split up into
2 parts, left and right
What side of the body does the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex control
Muscles on the right hand side of the body
What side of the body does the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex control
Muscles on the left hand side of our body
What is the name of what the cerebral cortex is split up into
Left hemisphere
Right hemisphere
What is the back of the brain called
Cerebellum
What is our cerebellum responsible for
- balance
- muscle coordination
What is the middle of the brain called
Hypothalamus
What is the hypothalamus responsible for
- Regulating body temperature
- sending signals to pituitary gland
Where can you find the pituitary gland
Below the hypothalamus at the bottom of the brain
What is the part of our brain called that attaches the brain to our spinal chord
Brain stem
What is located in the brain stem
Medulla
What is the medulla responsible for
Unconscious activities:
- breathing
- heart beating
Draw and label the brain
- cerebral cortex
- cerebellum
- brain stem
- medulla
- Hypothalamus
- pituitary gland
What ways can scientists study the brain
1) studying people with brain damage
2) electrically stimulate different parts of the brain
3) scanning the brain
Explain how if someone suffered from a stroke, how would scientists use this to study the brain
If the stroke damaged a particular section of the brain and this lead to loss of hearing etc then we can make the judgement that that section of the brain was responsible for hearing
By electrically stimulating different part of the brain so scientists can study it, what equipment is used to do this
Using tiny electrodes
Suggest how electrically stimulating the brain could help scientists studying the brain
Using tiny electrodes on one area of the brain for example could causes muscles to contract and cause a body movement. However if we zapped a different area of the brain and the person’s vision went funny we can see what different areas of the brain are responsible for
