Module 6 Review

REVIEW Tools of Discovery and Older Brain Structures

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

RETRIEVAL PRACTICE Take a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within this section). Then click the 'show answer' button to check your answers. Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term retention (McDaniel et al., 2009).

6-1 How do neuroscientists study the brain’s connections to behavior and mind?

Clinical observations and lesioning reveal the general effects of brain damage. Electrical, chemical, or magnetic stimulation can also reveal aspects of information processing in the brain. MRI scans show anatomy. EEG, PET, and fMRI (functional MRI) recordings reveal brain function.

6-2 What structures make up the brainstem, and what are the functions of the brainstem, thalamus, reticular formation, and cerebellum?

The brainstem, the oldest part of the brain, is responsible for automatic survival functions. Its components are the medulla (which controls heartbeat and breathing), the pons (which helps coordinate movements), and the reticular formation (which affects arousal).
     The thalamus, sitting above the brainstem, acts as the brain’s sensory control center. The cerebellum, attached to the rear of the brainstem, coordinates muscle movement and balance and also helps process sensory information.

6-3 What are the limbic system’s structures and functions?

The limbic system is linked to emotions, memory, and drives. Its neural centers include the hippocampus (which processes conscious memories); the amygdala (involved in responses of aggression and fear); and the hypothalamus (involved in various bodily maintenance functions, pleasurable rewards, and the control of the endocrine system). The hypothalamus controls the pituitary (the “master gland”) by stimulating it to trigger the release of hormones.

TERMS AND CONCEPTS TO REMEMBER

RETRIEVAL PRACTICE Match each of the terms on the left with its definition on the right. Click on the term first and then click on the matching definition. As you match them correctly they will move to the bottom of the activity.

Question

lesion [LEE-zhuhn]
electroencephalogram (EEG)
PET (positron emission tomography) scan
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
fMRI (functional MRI)
brainstem
medulla [muh-DUL-uh]
thalamus [THAL-uh-muss]
reticular formation
cerebellum [sehr-uh-BELL-um]
limbic system
hippocampus
amygdala [uh-MIG-duh-la]
hypothalamus [hi-po-THAL-uh-muss]
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.
the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions.
a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal.
neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.
a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.
the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.
tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue.
the brain’s sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.
a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.
two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.
a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function as well as structure.
a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.
an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

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