Nervous System
What is the main role of the nervous system?
To receive, process, and respond to information.
What is the basic building block of the nervous system?
The neuron.
What is the largest part of the brain?
The cerebrum.
Who was Phineas Gage?
A railway worker who survived a brain injury to his frontal lobe that changed his personality.
What does EEG stand for?
Electroencephalogram / Electroencephalograph
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
What part of the neuron receives messages from other neurons?
Dendrites.
Which lobe of the brain is responsible for decision-making and personality?
Frontal lobe
What did Gage’s case show about the frontal lobe?
It is involved in personality and decision-making.
What does an EEG measure?
Electrical activity of the brain.
What does the somatic nervous system control?
system control?Voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.
What is the role of the myelin sheath?
To insulate the axon and speed up neural transmission.
What is the function of the occipital lobe?
Processing visual ifnormation
Who conducted split-brain research on humans?
Roger Sperry.
What is one advantage of using MRI over CT scans?
MRI produces more detailed images of soft tissue
MRI can be used on pregnant women
MRI does not involve radiation
Which division of the autonomic nervous system prepares the body for “fight or flight”?
Sympathetic nervous system.
What is the small gap between neurons where messages are transmitted called?
The synaptic cleft / gap
What is the role of the cerebellum?
Coordination, balance, and fine motor control.
What was the purpose of Sperry’s split-brain research?
To study the functions of the left and right hemispheres after the corpus callosum was severed.
How does a functional MRI (fMRI) show brain activity?
It detects changes in blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain, showing which areas are active during different tasks.
How do the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems work together?
They act in opposition to maintain homeostasis (balance) in the body.
Explain how neurotransmitters influence behaviour.
They carry signals across synapses and affect mood, movement, and cognition
What is the function of the corpus callosum?
It connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing them to communicate and share information.
What did Sperry discover about hemispheric specialisation?
The left hemisphere controls language and logic; the right controls spatial and creative functions.
Which type of brain scan would be most suitable for identifying structural damage after a head injury, and why?
A CT (computerised tomography) scan, because it provides detailed images of the brain’s structure, can be done quickly in an emergency, and can reveal physical damage such as bleeding or fractures.