Module 7: The Brain
1) Studying the brain (P. 142-3)
o Who is Phineas Cage? Why is he important?
o What are the 4/5 techniques we use to study the brain?
o Which 2 study brain structure?
o Which 2/3 study brain function?
o Structure vs. function: give an example of when you might use each
technique?
2) How many different brain systems do we have?
3) What do our lower level brain structures (or brainstem) govern?
o What do each of the following do?
 Brainstem
 Medulla
 Reticular Formation
 Thalamus
 Cerebellum
4) What does the limbic system do?
o What do each of the following do?
 Hypothalamus
 Amygdala
 Hippocampus
5) What does the cerebral cortex do?
o What is the longitudinal fissure?
o What is the corpus callosum?
o How many brain lobes do we have?
 Where is each lobe located?
 What does each lobe govern?
o Where are the sensory and motor cortexes located?
 What does the (somato)sensory cortex govern?
 What does the motor cortex govern?
 How is space distributed on these two cortexes—by size or by
functional importance?
6) What do our right and left hemispheres each govern?
o What are the Broca’s & Wernicke’s area?
o Where specifically are these two areas located?
7) What is split brain research?
o Explain why someone with a hemispherectomy when shown the word
HEART will say they see the word Art, but will point to the word HE
with their left hand
8) What is brain plasticity?
o Is it more likely when we’re young or when we’re older?
Extra Credit
9) What is a lesion? What is an ablation?
10) What is the triune model of brain development?
o What kind of model is it?
o What makes up the forebrain?
o What makes up the hindbrain?
11) What is the pons? Where is it located?
12) Which brain system controls the endocrine system?
13) What’s another name for the cerebral cortex?
14) What are gyri and sulci?
15) What is a particularly large sulcus called?
16) What does contralaterality refer to?
17) What are association areas? What is parallel processing?
18) What does expressive and receptive aphasia refer to?