The Brain & Behaviour Flashcards
(24 cards)
Damage to the medulla would most affect:
Heart rate regulation
The medulla oblongata is responsible for autonomic functions such as heart rate and breathing.
The primary ‘encoding station’ for declarative memory is the:
Hippocampus
The hippocampus plays a crucial role in the formation of new memories.
An action potential is characterized by a voltage shift from:
–70 mV to +40 mV
This shift represents the depolarization phase of the action potential.
Neurotransmitter release occurs across the:
Synaptic cleft
The synaptic cleft is the gap between neurons where neurotransmitters are released.
The hindbrain includes all EXCEPT:
Thalamus
The thalamus is part of the forebrain, not the hindbrain.
The corpus callosum enables:
Hemispheric communication
The corpus callosum connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
Damage to the left hemisphere most likely disrupts:
Language comprehension
The left hemisphere is primarily responsible for language processing in most individuals.
Neural plasticity refers to:
Experience-driven change
Neural plasticity allows the brain to adapt based on experiences and learning.
Feature detectors are found in the:
Primary visual cortex
Feature detectors are neurons that respond to specific features of visual stimuli.
The blood–brain barrier protects neurons by:
Filtering toxins
The blood-brain barrier regulates the passage of substances from the bloodstream into the brain.
Hemispheric lateralisation is masked by:
Corpus callosum
The corpus callosum facilitates communication between the two hemispheres, masking lateralisation.
Broca’s area is primarily involved in:
Speech production
Broca’s area is essential for the production of spoken language.
The somatic nervous system controls:
Voluntary muscle movements
The somatic nervous system is responsible for voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.
Myelin sheaths serve to:
Increase conduction speed
Myelin sheaths insulate axons, allowing electrical impulses to transmit faster.
The amygdala is crucial for:
Fear responses
The amygdala plays a key role in processing emotions, particularly fear.
PET scans measure:
Blood flow and metabolism
PET scans visualize metabolic processes in the body, including brain activity.
A resting potential of a neuron is about:
–70 mV
The resting potential is the electrical potential difference across the neuronal membrane at rest.
Long-term potentiation is a mechanism for:
Memory storage
Long-term potentiation strengthens synapses based on recent patterns of activity, essential for memory.
The basal ganglia primarily contribute to:
Motor control
The basal ganglia are involved in coordinating voluntary movements.
The blood–oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal is used in:
fMRI
BOLD signals are used in functional MRI to measure brain activity based on blood flow.
Central nervous system includes the brain and:
Spinal cord
The central nervous system comprises the brain and spinal cord, controlling most functions of the body.
Wernicke’s area damage results in:
Fluent but nonsensical speech
Damage to Wernicke’s area affects language comprehension, leading to incoherent speech.
Neurogenesis in adults primarily occurs in the:
Olfactory bulb and hippocampus
Adult neurogenesis is most noted in specific brain regions such as the hippocampus.
The hypothalamus controls all EXCEPT:
Voluntary movement
The hypothalamus regulates autonomic functions such as hunger and temperature, but not voluntary movement.
