Unit 1 Part 2 The Brain Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are the primary roles of the brain stem in bodily functions?
the brain stem connects the spinal cord to the brain and is responsible for sending messages received on the right side of your body to the left and vice versa
How does the medulla oblongata contribute to life-sustaining functions?
It is responsible for maintaining and regulating heart rate, breathing, digestion, swallowing, and even sneezing
What is the function of the reticular activating system (RAS)?
It functions as a network of neurons located in the brain stem that extends to the thalamus, and plays a crucial role in regulating wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions
How does the brain’s reward center affect motivation and behavior?
The reward system is deeply intertwined with the neurotransmitter dopamine, which signals the occurrence of a rewarding stimulus
What are the key functions of the cerebellum?
plays a pivotal role in coordinating muscle movement, maintaining balance and posture, and contributing to various forms of procedural learning
What symptoms might a person exhibit if their cerebellum is damaged?
If the cerebellum is damaged,
a person might experience problems with balance and coordination, judging distances, and knowing when and where to stop moving forward. Some people with cerebellar damage have trouble walking in a straight line, and many also develop tremors
What role does the amygdala play in emotional responses, particularly in situations of fear or excitement?
The amygdala becomes active during potentially threatening situations, and allows for the experience of emotions
What functions does the hypothalamus perform in regulating bodily processes?
It regulates the autonomic nervous system. It sends signals of arousal to the pituitary gland, which then releases chemicals into the bloodstream. It releases hormones that are necessary for sexual activity and emotional bonding. It also plays a role in regulating the body’s temperature and sleep and fatigue.
What is the primary role of the hippocampus in memory formation?
The hippocampus plays an important role in transferring some short-term memory into long term memory and in recalling facts and events.
How do the left and right hemispheres communicate with each other?
In general, the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body. For example, when a right-handed person is writing, the left hemisphere is more involved than the right hemisphere in coordinating the hand movements. However, the right hemisphere isn’t uninvolved in the writing process, and it communicates with its partner on the left by passing information through the corpus callosum (Latin for “tough body”), a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres.
What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex, and how are they distinguished?
frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. They are distinguished by their location. The frontal lobe is in the front, the parietal lobe is right behind the frontal lobe, the temporal lobe is on each side of the brain, the occipital lobe is in the back of the brain.
Which part of the brain is involved in language production, and where is it located?
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How does the occipital lobe contribute to vision?
This lobe processes visual signals and coordinates various aspects of vision. The part of the occipital lobe at the very back, directly behind the eyes, is the primary visual cortex, which has an important role in taking information from the eyes and interpreting it so that a person knows what he or she is seeing. Another part is recognizing shapes, angles, shadows, and movement
What condition is described that affects facial recognition, and what part of the brain is commonly associated with this issue?
Facial blindness. It is associated with with damage to the right temporal lobe in an area known as the fusiform gyrus.
How do the functions of the left and right temporal lobes differ?
The right temporal lobe is for processing melody and tonal changes in music. Part of the left posterior temporal lobe is known as Wernicke’s area, which is important for language comprehension.
What is the role of association areas in the cerebral cortex?
Association areas process higher-order functions - thinking, remembering, planning, forming judgements, and speaking. These association areas are not initially responsible for any specific functions; instead, they are malleable, based on a person’s experiences in life.
What role does the motor cortex play in relation to movement?
It plays a large role in voluntary movements, receiving information from and working with other parts of the brain.
Explain the concept of brain plasticity
the reorganization of neural pathways as a result of experience. Basically, the brain will adapt and recover.
How does the severing of the corpus callosum affect communication between the brain’s hemispheres?
The two hemispheres will not communicate with each other. Each side will act independently.
How do Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area differ in their roles in language processing, and what are effects of damage to these regions?
Broca’s area moves the muscles to create speech. Wernicke’s area which processes both spoken and written language
How does the brain’s plasticity change over time, and why are younger brains more adaptable than older ones?
Plasticity is stronger when we are young and reduces as we age, so many older adults experiencing a stroke never recover full functioning.
How did Phineas Gage’s accident contribute to our understanding of brain function and personality?
Gage had a rod go through his head. He had severe changes in personality following the accident, in particular that he became loud and socially inhibited, acting in ways that were seen as inappropriate at the time. Gage’s thinking frontal lobe were severed from his emotional limbic system, causing him to be controlled by his emotions. They helped understand which part of the brain affects what.
What are the differences between the various brain imaging techniques, and when would each one be used?
To create an EEG, technicians attach electrodes to a person’s scalp to record the waves. CT scans involve taking two-dimensional x-ray photographs from different angles and using them to create a three-dimensional representation of an organ or other body part. MRIs is an imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio waves to generate detailed images of parts of the body made up soft tissue, so they are especially useful when it’s necessary to see the structure of brain or other internal organs.
How does an electroencephalogram (EEG) work, and what types of brain activity can it help scientists and doctors understand?
technicians attach electrodes to a person’s scalp to record the waves of electrical activity that travel across the brain’s surface during various states of consciousness. They can make inferences about the patterns of behavior that may be caused by the unusual electrical activity. An EEG can help to identify the occurrence of disorders, such as sleep apnea or seizures.
