Chapter 3, Problem 2CT

Watch this animation (http://openstaxcollege.org/l/braindevel) to examine the development of the brain, starting with the neural tube. As the anterior end of the neural tube develops, it enlarges into the primary vesicles that establish the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. Those structures continue to develop throughout the rest of embryonic development and into adolescence. They are the basis of the structure of the fully developed adult brain. How would you describe the difference in the relative sizes of the three regions of the brain when comparing the early (25th embryonic day) brain and the adult brain?

A presynaptic neuron in the cerebrum transmits information to hundreds of other neurons. This process is an example of (a) convergence (b) divergence (c) temporal summation (d) spatial summation (e) a graded potential

Figure 35.26 Which of the following statements is false? The parasympathetic pathway is responsible for relaxing the body, while the sympathetic pathway is responsible for preparing for an emergency. Most preganglionic neurons in the sympathetic pathway originate in the spinal cord. Slowing of the heartbeat is a parasympathetic response. Parasympathetic neurons are responsible for releasing norepinephrine on the target organ, while sympathetic neurons are responsible for releasing acetylcholine.

Read this article (http://openstaxcollege.org/l/3word) to learn about a young man who texts his fiancée in a panic as he finds that he is having trouble remembering things. At the hospital, a neurologist administers the mental status exam, which is mostly normal except for the three-word recall test. The young man could not recall them even 30 seconds after hearing them and repeating them back to the doctor. An undiscovered mass in the mediastinum region was found to be Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the immune system and likely caused antibodies to attack the nervous system. The patient eventually regained his ability to remember, though the events in the hospital were always elusive. Considering that the effects on memory were temporary, but resulted in the loss of the specific events of the hospital stay, what regions of the brain were likely to have been affected by the antibodies and what type of memory does that represent?

Phineas Gage was a 19th century railroad worker who survived an accident that drove a large iron rod through his head. If the injury resulted in him becoming temperamental and capricious what part of his brain was damaged? frontal lobe hippocampus parietal lobe temporal lobe

Watch this video (http://openstaxcollege.org/l/lumbarpuncture) that describes the procedure known as the lumbar puncture, a medical procedure used to sample the CSF. Because of the anatomy of the CNS, it is a relative safe location to insert a needle. Why is the lumbar puncture performed in the lower lumbar area of the vertebral column?

Watch this video (http://openstaxcollege.org/l/whitematter) to learn about the white matter in the cerebrum that develops during childhood and adolescence. This is a composite of MRI images taken of the brains of people from 5 years of age through 20 years of age, demonstrating how the cerebrum changes. As the color changes to blue, the ratio of gray matter to white matter changes. The caption for the video describes it as less gray matter, which is another way of saying more white matter. If the brain does not finish developing until approximately 20 years of age, can teenagers be held responsible for behaving badly?