Jordan Givan- The Brain and Lymbic System

Dr. Casey Casler - CCD The Brain and Limbic System Directions : Use the information from chapter 3 to answer the following questions. Please answer the questions by synthesizing the information and putting it in your own words . This will help you shorten your workload and understand the material in a much more comprehensive manner. Answers don’t have to be lengthy, just as long as needed to answer the question fully. Bullet points are fine. Students typically can answer these in 3-7 sentences. Any videos/audio files required to complete this assignment can be found in the Content section of D2L under Course Videos . Questions 1 - 8, please label the lobes of the brain AND describe their primary functions (purpose, what it does). Brain Lobe Primary Function 1. #1 Frontal Lobe 2. The frontal lobe contains the motor cortex, which is able to plan and coordinate movement. The prefrontal cortex, regulates thoughts, actions and emotions. And the Broca’s area, which controls our ability to speak and process language 3. #2 Parietal Lobe 4. The parietal lobe contains the somatosensory cortex which is essential for processing touch temperature and pain. Different parts of the cortex processes sensations from different body parts. 5. #3 Occipital Lobe 6. The occipital lobe is located in the very back of the brain. It is responsible for processing incoming visual information. 7. #4 Temporal Lobe 8. The temporal lobe is associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some parts of language. The auditory cortex, located within the temporal lobe, is responsible for processing auditory information. Questions 9 – 18, please label the following brain stem structures AND describe their functions.

Dr. Casey Casler - CCD Brain Stem Primary Function 9. Pons 10.The pons connects the hindbrain with the rest of the brain. It also is involved in regulating brain activity during sleep. Is a part of the brain stem 11. Medulla 12.The medulla controls the automatic processes of the nervous system, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. Is a part of the brain stem 13. Cerebellum 14.The cerebellum receives messages from muscles, tendons, joints, and structures in our ears to control our motor skills, movement, coordination, and balance. It is also considered to be an important are for processing some types of memories. 15. Substantia nigra 16.Both the substantia nigra and the VTA contain cell bodies that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, and are critical for movement. They are also involved in mood, reward, and addiction. 17. VTA 18.Both the VTA and the substantia nigra contain cell bodies that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, and are critical for movement. They are also involved in mood, reward, and addiction. Questions 19 – 22, please label the following language areas AND describe their functions.

Dr. Casey Casler - CCD 25. Watch the video “ Brain Plasticity – The Story of Jody ” and write a brief reaction. For example: What was the take home point? What did you? Dislike? Agree with? Disagree with? What surprised you? (5-10 sentences).  After Jodie turned three, she had a series of seizures and could barely use her left arm and leg anymore  All her seizures were coming from the right side of her brain  It was found that she had Rasmussen’s syndrome.  It is a degenerative brain disorder that disrupts the electrical activity that makes our brains work  The doctors suggested a procedure that would remove the right side of her brain  Our brains are able to change shape and create new connections between neurons to replace lost/damaged ones  I didn’t know before this video that it was possible to remove a part of the brain and a person is still able to function. That is such a cool thing our bodies are able to do.  I also found it interesting that our brain is able to adapt and create new connection when a part of the brain is removed or damaged. T HE L IMBIC S YSTEM AND O LDER B RAIN S TRUCTURES 26. What is the function/role of the Limbic System? The limbic system is involved in processing emotion and memory. Our sense of smell is projected to the limbic system and can invoke emotional responses other senses can’t. Questions 28 – 35, please label the structures of the limbic system structures AND describe their functions. Structure Function 27. #1 Hypothalamus 28.The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, appetite, and blood pressure. It is also serves as an interface between the nervous system and the endocrine system and in the regulation of sexual motivation and behavior. 29. #2 Amygdala 30.The amygdala is important in our experience of emotion and in tying emotional meaning to our memories.

Dr. Casey Casler - CCD 31. #3 Hippocampus 32.The hippocampus is an important structure for learning and memory 33. #4 Thalamus 34.The thalamus is the sensory relay for the brain. All senses, except for smell, are routed through the thalamus before traveling to other areas of the brain. 35. View the video “ Brain Dissection ” and write a brief reaction. For example: What was the take home point? What did you? Dislike? Agree with? Disagree with? What surprised you? (5-10 sentences).  Imperial College London is able to receive brains for research purposes  When they first receive a brain, they examine the outside of it to see if it will tell them what happened to the person  If a part of the brain is soft, it might indicate they had a stroke  They remove the brain stem and cerebellum from the rest of the brain  They then cut it in half, and then cut it into slices  They are able to get a closer look at the brain by doing this to ensure the structures of the brain are the way they should be  The process for examining the brain is really interesting. I didn’t know how many steps went into fully examining a brain