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The Brain Homework (using the book) p.256 to 261.

Outline the parts and function of the four major parts of the brain: (1) cerebrum, (2) diencephalon, (3) cerebellum, (4) brain stem. (Images helpful) Cerebrum - (telencephalon) - communicates & coordinates activities of other parts of the brain.

Diencephalon - encircles the third ventricle that includes the thalamus and hypothalamus

Cerebellum - recieves sensory input from the eyes, ears, joints, and muscles about the present position of body parts as well as motor output from the cerebral cortex; after interpretation it sends r through the brain stem to the skeletal muscles

Brain Stem - contains the mid-brain, pons, and medulla oblongata.

(5) What is the function of the limbic system? blends primitive emotions and higher mental functions into a united whole ie. sexual behavior and eating seem pleasurable and mental stress produces high blood pressure (6) What limbic system structure is involved in the flight or fight reaction. Explain. the amygdala causes experiences to have emotional overtones, creating the feeling of fear. it stimulates flight or fight reactions by using past knowledge to asses current situations (7) What limbic system structure is involved in learning and memory. Explain. hippocampus, acting as an information gateway during learning it decides which information should be retained through memory and how it should be encoded by other brain regions; hippocampus also communicates with the frontal cortex (8) Describe the various types of memory. short term - prefrontal area; retention of information for only a few minutes ie. phone number long term memory - retention of information that lasts longer than a few minutes semantic memory - one part of long term that retains numbers, words, etc. episodic memory - second part of long term memory that retains persons, events, etc. skill memory - independent from episodic memory; involved in performing motor activities ie riding a bike (think about what you are doing when learning but once mastered actions become automatic) (9) What appear to be the roles of the left hemisphere of the cerebrum and the right hemisphere? left - verbal, logical, analytical, rational right - nonverbal, visuospatial, intuitive, creative (10) What is Wernicke's area and Broca's area? Wenicke's area - brain area involved in language comprehension Broc's area - region of the frontal lobe that coordinates complex muscular actions of the mouth, tongue, and larynx, making speech possible.