Brain and Behavior

In this activity you will take a tour of the human brain and explore the major brain regions to discover the functions of each region or area.

Functional Specialization
• In terms of brain function, what is functional specialization? Each independent part of the brain is responcible for a certain function such as hearing, sound, or moving a body part.

• Why is the principle of complex communication important to understand? Complex Communication is important to understand because we need to know how each influence happens and what influences each part of the brain. Also an understanding of where each influence developed and origionated.

Test Yourself on Lower Brain Structures
•Match each brain part with its function:

o__C_ Pituitary glandA. Located above the midbrain at the top of the brainstem; routes incoming messages from all the senses (except smell) to the appropriate brain areas for processing

o__D_ MedullaB. Part of the limbic system; regulates hunger, thirst, and body temperature and contains the so-called pleasure centers of the
brain

o__J_ PonsC. The master gland of the endocrine system

o__E_ Reticular formationD. Located in the brainstem; controls breathing and heartbeat

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

o__I_ MidbrainF. Located at the back of the brainstem; assists in balance and the coordination of voluntary movement

o__A_ ThalamusG. Part of the limbic system; is involved in learning and in forming new memories

o__G_ HippocampusH. Part of the limbic system; is involved in regulation of the emotions of fear and rage

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

o__B_ HypothalamusJ. Located in the brainstem; controls breathing and heartbeat; connects the medulla to the two sides of the cerebellum to help coordinate and integrate movement on each side of the body; involved in sleep and dreaming

22PsychSim 5: Brain and Behavior

The Cerebral Cortex
• Each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is divided into four regions called “lobes.” Name them. Match each lobe to its associated cortex:

o__B_Frontal Lobe A. Somatosensory cortex

o__A_Parital Lobe B. Motor cortex

o__D_Temporal Lobe C. Visual cortex

o__C_Accipital Lobe D. Auditory cortex

The Cerebral Cortex
• Name the three distinct areas of language cortex in the left hemisphere. Match them to their relat- ed dysfunction.

o_B__Broca’s Area A. Ability to read aloud

o_C__Wernicke’s Area B. Speaking

o_A__Angular Gyrus C. Language comprehension

Right Hemisphere Abilities
• If the left hemisphere generally controls language, what special abilities does the right hemisphere have?
The special abilities that the right side of the brain has is the ability to perform better in spatial tasks, face recognition, expression of emotion, reading emotions, intuition, creativity, etc.