Psych Brain Quiz

What is the function of the Hippocampus and where is it located?

Part of the limbic system; is involved in learning and in forming new memories. It is a horseshoe-shaped structure located below the thalamus just above the brainstem, and is present in both hemispheres.

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system; is involved in regulation of the emotions of fear and rage Aggresiveness vs. passivity

What is the function of the Hypothalamus and where is it located?

Part of the limbic system; regulates hunger, thirst, and body temperature and contains the so-called pleasure centers of the brain. **THINK 4 F's: Fight or Flight, Feeding, Fornication/"Funning" It is located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain.

Describe PET (Positron Emission Tomography) and why is it useful

Scans that locate tumors and abnormal electrical activity, like seizure activity

What does it mean to say that an axon's membrane is "selectively permeable?"

Some molecules can simply pass through the membrane while others have to pass through special channels controlled by gates.

What is the associated language cortex to the Broca's area? (Left Hemisphere)

Speaking

What is the associated cortex to the Temporal Lobe?

The Auditory cortex

What is the associated cortex to the Frontal Lobe?

The Motor cortex Filters messages from the limbic systme "Thinking" part of the brain/complex thinking Stress mutes the frontal lobe

Each hemisphere is primarily connected to the opposite side of the body. This means that a touch on the left hand would be registered in which hemisphere?

The Right hemisphere

What is the associated cortex to the Parietal Lobe?

The Somatosensory cortex

What is the associated cortex to the Occipital Lobe?

The Visual cortex

What is the associated language cortex to the angular gyrus? (Left Hemisphere)

The ability to read out loud

Why is it that normal humans (with an intact corpus callosum) can name objects placed in either hand and easily read words flashed to either visual field?

The corpus callosum quickly transfers the necessary information to each hemisphere. The information will go to the opposite hemisphere, but immediately transfer over to the corresponding hemisphere. People with split-brains cannot do the same because the main connection between the two is broken.

What are the major differences between the two hemispheres of the brain? Explain how visual information is processed depending on which visual field it is in.

The left hemisphere controls language for most people, while the right hemisphere (nonverbal) deals with spatial tasks like memorizing geometrical designs, remembering faces, or imagining images that are not in front of them at that very moment. The right visual field is connected to the left hemisphere of the brain and vice versa. Once information is put into one or both sides, it flows down to the opposite area and then transfers to the hemisphere which controls either language or spatial tasks. This information transfers over the corpus callosum.

Pituitary gland

The master gland of the endocrine system

Given what you know about synaptic transmission, how do you think a message jumps across the synaptic gap and is passed to the next neuron?

The neurons send an electrical impulse down its axon toward the axon terminal. If the conditions are right, the signal is passed across the synapse (the gap between neurons), and the next neuron produces its own impulse to carry the message down the axon. The neurotransmitter molecules float across the gap and find their way to the dendrites of other neurons.

Describe Stimulation and why is it useful

The process in which the "pleasure" and "punishment" centers of your brain are sent stimuli in order to manually control reactions in the body. Scientists have found they can use chemicals as an alternative method to drugs in the case of people in extreme pain or control violent emotional behavior.

If the left hemisphere generally controls language, what special abilities does the right hemisphere have?

The right hemisphere is devoted to the processing and control of spatial abilities - such as reading maps and solving three-dimensional puzzles. Some aspects of musical ability, such as the ability to distinguish musical chords, seem to be controlled by the right hemisphere.

Split-Brain: Words are flashed briefly to the left or right visual field of the participant. Try to predict the results. For example, when the word appears in the left visual field, will the person be able to read the word?

They will not be able to read the word.

If a participant is blindfolded and a fork is placed in his or her left hand, how would you guess that the person would respond?

They would not know what the object is.

What is the function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)? What are its two major components? Explain the difference between the two parts of the ANS.

This controls *involuntary activities*, like the heartbeat, breathing, stomach activity, etc. Its two major parts are the *sympathetic* (*prepares* the body for dealing with emergencies or strenuous activity) and *parasympathetic* (conserves energy and enhances the body's ability to *recover* from strenuous activity). Sympathetic speeds up the heart, regulates blood flow and pressure, and suspends some activities so the human can deal with the situation at hand, while parasympathetic deals with the aftermath, reducing the heart rate and blood pressure and generally bringing the body back to normal.

Describe Lesions and why is it useful

Used to find a correlation between a specific brain area and an occurring behavior (think Phineas Gage)

In a different task, a split-brain patient has to look at a completed block pattern and assemble the blocks near his or her right hand to match the pattern, using only the right hand. Can the patient do it? Explain your thinking.

Yes, because this task does not require the use of seeing and interpreting language.

Name the parts of a typical neuron and briefly describe each part's role in transmitting messages.

*Dendrites:* Receive information *Soma:* Cell body, contains the cell nucleus and other parts that keep the cell healthy and functioning properly *Axon:* An extension that adds length to the cell - Carry signals to other nerve cells *Axon terminals:* Points of departure for information making its way to dendrites of the next neurons in the sequence. Contain small sacs called synaptic vesicles that play an important role in transmission. The neuron's purpose is to move information from one point to another by transmitting an impulse down its length, or "firing."

Reticular formation

A nerve network that runs up the center of the brainstem; plays an important role in controlling alertness and attention

What is the function of the Cerebellum and where is it located?

Assists in balance and the coordination of voluntary movement Located at the back of the brainstem.

Why is the principle of complex communication important to understand?

Because all neural networks and functional areas are interconnected with and influenced by other networks in other regions of the brain.

How is the visual pathway from the eye different from that of the ear or hand?

Both hemispheres receive the information even if the information comes in on only one side (of your ears, hands etc.) The image you are looking at will fall on directly on the dividing line, but any object to the left of where you are staring will fall on the right side, and vice versa. Each visual field is projected onto the opposite hemisphere. But anything that lands on any particular side ends up in the visual area of its own hemisphere.

What is the function of the Medulla and where is it located?

Controls breathing and a variety of reflexes like the heartbeat (automatic/involuntary functions). It is in front of the cerebellum and is part of the brainstem.

Dendrites _______ Axons _________

Dendrites Detect Axons Announce

In terms of brain function, what is functional specialization?

Each function or capability of the nervous system is controlled by a specific cluster of neurons (a neural network) in a specific area of the brain.

What is the function of the Thalamus and where is it located?

Filters out all but the most important messages in the brain. Routes incoming messages from all the senses (except smell) to the appropriate brain areas for processing *Sensory switch* Located above the midbrain at the top of the brainstem.

A split-brain patient can name an unseen object placed in the right hand, but cannot name objects placed in the left hand. What does this suggest about the language abilities of the two hemispheres?

For right-handed people, the left hemisphere controls language, while the right hemisphere has very little language ability. It is the opposite for half of left-handed people.

How can a neuron that fires all or none relay different levels of stimulation?

If a neuron fires all or none, when there is a strong or weak stimulation at the cell's dendrites, *it will always fire with the same intensity*, no matter how much energy there is to trigger the cell.

Briefly explain split-brain research.

If a person's brain is split into its two separate hemispheres, cutting each hemisphere off from each other but not from any other functions. The two hemispheres cannot communicate, so the patient has difficulty performing certain tasks. The left hemisphere controls language, while the right hemisphere is good at performing spatial tasks such as recognizing faces and constructing puzzles.

Split-Brain: If a participant is blindfolded and a fork is placed in his or her right hand, how would you guess that the person would respond?

If they were right-handed, they would respond that it is a fork.

Pons

Integrates specific types of information from the eyes and the ears, and sends this on to other parts of the brain. Located near the top of the brainstem

What is the function of the Corpus Callosum and where is it located?

It is the large band of neural fiber connecting the two brain hemispheres and carries messages back and forth between the two hemispheres. It can be removed to limit seizure disorder's effects on the body

Explain, using relevant details, how the Phineas Gage case study helped inform psychologists of the brain's functioning.

It was found that damage to the frontal lobe affected his planning for the future, emotional control, and his ability to pay attention, and therefore that the frontal lobe controlled these aspects of thinking and behaving. His injury did not impair his bodily functions, or his memory or skills.

What is the associated language cortex to the Wenicke's area? (Left Hemisphere)

Language comprehension

When sound waves enter the right ear, which hemisphere receives the primary information?

Left hemisphere (and vice versa for the right ear)

Describe EEG (Electroencephalogram)and why is it useful

Monitors many neurons at a time and can detect changes in electrical activity and therefore determine what to do in the case of seizure disorders.