Question 1

Research on left-handedness indicates that

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that left-handers are less likely than right-handers to process speech primarily in their left hemisphere. This is known as the "mixed dominance" theory. Options A, B, and D are all false.

Question 2

The ability to recognize faces with the right hemisphere but not with the left hemisphere best illustrates

Accepted Answer

The ability to recognize faces with the right hemisphere but not with the left hemisphere is an example of lateralization, which refers to the specialization of different brain regions for specific functions.

Question 3

After Terry lost a finger in an industrial accident,the area of his sensory cortex devoted to receiving input from that finger gradually became very responsive to sensory input from his adjacent fingers.This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates neural plasticity, which refers to the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, especially in response to injury or experience. In Terry's case, the area of his sensory cortex previously used to receive input from his now-missing finger has adapted and taken on a new function by processing input from his adjacent fingers. This is an example of how the brain can adapt to changes and reorganize itself to compensate for lost function.

Question 4

Cold war nuclear tests enabled researchers to use carbon dating to detect

Accepted Answer

Cold war nuclear tests increased the levels of carbon-14 in the atmosphere, which was incorporated into the DNA of new cells. This allowed researchers to use carbon dating to detect neurogenesis, or the creation of new neurons, by measuring the age of cells in the brain.

Question 5

If an individual's right cerebral hemisphere is completely destroyed by disease,that person is unable to see anything

Accepted Answer

The right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body and vice versa. Therefore, damage to the right hemisphere would affect the left field of vision of both eyes.

Question 6

Split-brain patients have had their ________ surgically cut.

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is a large bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. When it is surgically cut, the two halves of the brain can no longer communicate effectively, resulting in a condition known as split-brain. The hippocampus, somatosensory cortex, and frontal lobes are all important parts of the brain, but they are not typically targeted in split-brain surgery.

Question 7

The left cerebral hemisphere is typically superior to the right in

Accepted Answer

The left cerebral hemisphere is typically dominant for language processing and speech production.

Question 8

A failure to recognize that one's arm or leg is part of one's self is most likely to be associated with damage to the

Accepted Answer

The right hemisphere is responsible for spatial awareness and integrating information about one's own body into a unified sense of self. Damage to the right hemisphere can result in a condition called hemineglect, where the patient fails to acknowledge or attend to one side of their body or their external environment, indicating a lack of awareness of their own body as part of themselves.

Question 9

If primed with the flashed word foot,the ________ hemisphere will be especially quick to recognize the word heel.If primed with foot,cry,and glass,the ________ hemisphere will be especially quick to recognize the word cut.

Accepted Answer

The left hemisphere is responsible for language processing and is especially quick to recognize related words (such as foot and heel). However, when multiple unrelated words are presented (foot, cry, glass), the right hemisphere may be more adept at recognizing a word that is semantically distant from the primes (such as cut). Therefore, the correct answer is left;right.

Question 10

The right hemisphere is superior to the left at

Accepted Answer

The right hemisphere of the brain is known to specialize in facial recognition, making option B the correct answer. The left hemisphere is typically responsible for arithmetic and language-related tasks, including understanding simple verbal requests and controlling speech.

Question 11

The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres is called the

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres.

Question 12

What will most likely happen as a neurosurgeon sedates the entire right cerebral hemisphere of a right-handed patient who is asked to count aloud with both arms extended upward?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What will most likely happen as a...

Question 13

According to Roger Sperry,a recognition that the mind cannot be fully explained by the activity of nerve cells is important for appreciating our human capacity for

Accepted Answer

Roger Sperry believed that recognizing the limitations of the neuroscientific approach to explain the mind is essential for acknowledging the concept of moral responsibility, which is a uniquely human capacity. He argued that while the brain and nerve cells are involved in cognitive processes, they cannot fully account for the complexity of human consciousness, decision-making, and free will. Therefore, Sperry believed that a holistic view of human nature is necessary, which includes not only biological but also psychological, social, and ethical perspectives.

Question 14

People who can hear usually process their speaking with the ________ hemisphere.Deaf people usually process their language signing with the ________ hemisphere.

Accepted Answer

Both hearing individuals and deaf individuals typically process their primary language in the left hemisphere of the brain. This includes spoken language for hearing people and sign language for deaf individuals.

Question 15

Information is most quickly transmitted from one cerebral hemisphere to the other by the

Accepted Answer

The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres and is responsible for the communication and coordination between them. This allows for quick transmission of information between the hemispheres. The other choices are not directly involved in interhemispheric communication.

Question 16

Left-handers are more numerous than usual among those with

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that left-handers are more likely to have reading disabilities such as dyslexia.

Question 17

A picture of a cat is briefly flashed in the left visual field and a picture of a mouse is briefly flashed in the right visual field of a split-brain patient.The individual will be able to use her

Accepted Answer

The right hand is controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain, which receives visual information from the right visual field. Therefore, the patient would be able to use their right hand to indicate they saw a mouse, which was flashed in the right visual field.

Question 18

Neurogenesis refers to

Accepted Answer

Neurogenesis is the process of forming new neurons in the brain.

Question 19

Visual information processing in the temporal lobe of deaf people whose native language is sign best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Plasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and adapt in response to changes in environment or experience. In this case, the deaf individuals have adapted to processing visual language (sign) in their temporal lobe, which would involve neural plasticity.

Question 20

The brain is most likely to compensate for a loss of neurons by

Accepted Answer

The brain has the ability to generate new brain cells through a process called neurogenesis. This is a way for the brain to compensate for lost neurons and maintain cognitive function. Choices B, C, and D do not address the issue of neuronal loss and compensation.

Quiz 3: The Biology of Mind