chap 4,5 - the brain

• What are the 3 theories of the brain

  Brian vs heart debate

  Mind body problem

  Phrenology
• What is the brain vs heart debate ?

  Associations between the heart and the emotions

  Is our brain the source of mental processes ?

  Brain hypothesis is supported today

  Peoeple think heart as a symbolic factor of mind
• What is the mind body problem

  Philosophical question as to whether out mind is seperate and distinguishable from the body or if they are 1 integrated entity. Do mind influence body or body influence mind ? What disgtingusges both
• What is dualism 


  The idea that mind and body are seperate because they are distinguishable by functions and substance

  Mind , non physical , spiritual entity (soul)

  Body , physical , fleshy structure , (matter)
• What is monism 


  The fact that our thoughts are not tangible does not mean they are not part of a physical process

  Brain scan technologies support this today
• What is Phrenology 


  The relationship between the skulls shape and size to determine personality and mental functioning

  By feeling bumps and grooves on the skull
• First brain experiments 


  Ablation

  Electrical stimulation of the brain

  Split brain experiments
• What is ablation 


  The surgical removal , cutting of a region of the brain tissue.

  • Scalpel cuts
  • Irreversible
  • Unethical unless brain tumor
• Electrical stimulation of the brain (esb)

  A electrified fine wire disc placed into a specific part of the brain

  Can be used to cause a stimulation (response) or for inhibition (blockage)
• What is the split brain experiment

  Removal of corpus callosum which connects the left and right hemispheres
• The left visual field is controlled by 


  The right hemisphere
• The right visual hemisphere is controlled by

  The left hemisphere
• Result of the split brain experiment patients 


  images shown on the left side - could not say what they say

  images shown on the right side - could be seen and named
• The left brain is responsible for 


  Vocalising what can be seen

  When things aren't processed in the left hemisphere they cannot be said
• What are all 4 neuroimaging techniques ?

  CT - computerized tomography

  MRI - magnetic resonance imagining

  PET - positron Ellison tomography

  fMRI- functional magnetic resonance imagining
• The 2 types of imaging

  Structural and functional
• CT and MRI are examples of

  Structural imaging - showing only the photos of the brain
• PET and fMRI are examples of

  Funtional imaging - where the brain is shown in action through oxygen levels or radio active substance
• The brain regions are

  Hindbrain

  Mid brain
• Structure within the hind brain

  Cerebellum

  Medulla

  Pons
• Structure in the midbrain

  Reticular information
• Structure within the fore brain

  Cerebrum

  Hypothalamus

  Thalamus
• Hind brain - cerebellum funtion

  Fine muscle movements and regulates posture
• Hindbrain - medulla funtion 


  Spine to brain

  Vital bodily functions- swallow breathing heart rate

  Damage = death
• Hind brain - pons funtion 


  Sleep and dreaming

  "Bridge" that connects parts of the brain with one another
• Mid brain - Reticular information funtion 


  Reticular means network

  Screens incoming info so brain doesn't overload
• Fore brain - hypothalamus funtion 


  Maintains body internal environment, release of hormones , basic biological needs- hunger thrist sleep
• Fore brain - thalamus funtion 


  "Gateway" from lower brain to the cortex in upper brain

  Filters info from sense receptors

  Role in attention
• Fore brain - cerebrum funtion 


  Most mass

  Where neruons connect with eachother and receive and process incoming and outgoing information
• What is localization 


  Each area has a specific funtion
• Sensory areas 


  Receive and process sense of information

  • Taste , smell , touch , auditory, visuals
• Motor areas 


  Initaite voluntary movements
• Association areas 


  Sensory + motor areas and then integrate information

  • Learning memory reasoning and language
• Name the 4 parts of the cerebral cortex

  Frontal

  Partial

  Occipital

  Temporal
• Frontal lobe consists of

  prefrontal (association) - complex mental processes , logic and reasoning , planned movement

  premotor (motor) - voluntary motor movements, process and plan motor movement from prefrontal cortex into an organized sequence of motion

  primary motor context (motor) - controling skeletal muscle movement

  • Brocas area (association) - production of speech
• parietal lobe consists of

  primary somatosensory cortex (sensory) - receives and processes information , touch pressure pain , different areas of this cortex recive info about different body parts.
• occipital lobe consists of

  primary visual cortex (sensory area) - receives and processes visual info from retina
• temporal lobe consists of

  primary auditory cortex (sensory) - receives and processes sound from both ears .

  left hemisphere - verbal sounds such as spoken words

  right hemisphere - non verbal sounds music

  Wernicke's area ( association ) - comprehension of speech - cannot understand what words mean unless processed here
• whats a neuron ?

  messenger nerves cells which are building blocks of nervous system , transmit messages

  • dendrite- extension of neuron that receives information from other neurons and transmits it to the soma
  • axon - transmits messages from soma to other cells in body ( axon can be super long or super short )
  • myelin - covers axon and prevents disturbances , neurons wrapped in myelin communicate faster then unmyelinated
  • axon terminal - sends neural messages to next neurons
• what is the synaptic gap 


  when neuronal messages are being sent between neurons, they are sent across the space between the neurons known as the synaptic gap