Question 1

Which word in parentheses better fits each of the following definitions?
 1. Basic building blocks of the nervous system (nerves, neurons)
 2. Cell parts that receive nerve impulses (axons, dendrites)
 3. Site of communication between neurons (synapse, myelin sheath)
 4. Opiate-like substance in the brain (dopamine, endorphin)
 5. Chemicals that make it possible for neurons to communicate (neurotransmitters, hormones)
 6. Hormone closely associated with emotional excitement (epinephrine, estrogen)
B. Imagine that you are depressed, and you hear about a treatment for depression that affects the levels of several neurotransmitters thought to be involved in the disorder. Based on what you have learned, what questions would you want to ask before deciding whether to try the treatment?

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Question 2

Mentally fill in the missing parts of the nervous system "house." Be sure, once more, that you can describe what each part of the system does.

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Question 3

Why is transcranial magnetic stimulation essentially a virtual lesion method?

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Question 4

What are the two general approaches to mapping the brain?

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Question 5

Name two types of cognitive tasks that may show different patterns of brain activity depending on a person's culture.

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Question 6

What can be learned by studying patients who have had a part of the brain damaged because of disease or injury? What can be learned by studying individuals whose disorders have required surgical lesions? What are the drawbacks of the case study method? Include in your essay an evaluation of the case studies of Phineas Gage and split-brain patients.

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Question 7

A researcher scans the brains of gum-chewing volunteers, finds out which part of their brains is most active, and concludes that he or she has discovered the brain's "gum-chewing center." What's wrong with this conclusion?

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Question 8

Which hemisphere is sometimes called an "interpreter," and why?

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Question 9

During childhood:

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During childhood, some synapses are strengthened while others weaken and wither away, leading to neural pruning, an essential process for brain development.

Question 10

What does fMRI tell us that structural MRI does not?

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Question 11

Thousands of people have taken courses and bought tapes that promise to develop the creativity and intuition of their right hemispheres. What characteristics of human thought might explain the eagerness of some people to glorify "right-brainedness" and disparage "left-brainedness" (or vice versa)?

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Question 12

Bearing in mind that both sides of the brain are involved in most activities, identify which of the following is (are) more closely associated with the left hemisphere:

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Question 13

A new study reports that in a sample of 11 brains, 4 of the 6 women's brains, but only 2 of the 5 men's brains, had multiple chocolate receptors. (Note: We made this up; there's no such thing as a chocolate receptor, sorry.) The researchers conclude that their findings explain why so many women are addicted to chocolate. What concerns should a critical thinker have about this study?

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Quiz 4: The Brain and Nervous System