Question 1

For which group is brain plasticity the greatest?

Accepted Answer

Brain plasticity is the greatest in young children because their brains are still developing and forming new neural connections. As they learn and experience new things, their brains have a greater capacity to adapt and change than that of adults.

Question 2

When does the process of myelination, or the development of myelin sheaths around a neuron's axon, start to take place?

Accepted Answer

The process of myelination starts to take place before birth when the fetus is in the mother's womb. Myelin development continues throughout childhood and adolescence, but the bulk of it occurs during prenatal and early postnatal life.

Question 3

Which of the following regions contains the auditory cortex?

Accepted Answer

The auditory cortex is located in the temporal lobes, specifically in the upper part of the temporal lobe known as the superior temporal gyrus. This region is responsible for processing auditory information, such as sound recognition and localization.

Question 4

The part of the occipital lobe that is responsible for receiving visual information from the eyes is called the __________

Accepted Answer

The primary visual cortex, located in the occipital lobe, is responsible for receiving and processing visual information from the eyes.

Question 5

Which of the following regions contains the primary visual cortex?

Accepted Answer

The primary visual cortex is located in the occipital lobe at the back of the brain.

Question 6

The area at the back of the temporal lobe that is crucial in the ability to listen, process, and understand what others are saying is __________ area.

Accepted Answer

Wernicke's area is located in the left temporal lobe and is responsible for the comprehension of spoken language. Broca's area, located in the left frontal lobe, is responsible for the production of language. Gall's and Korsakoff's areas are not related to language processing.

Question 7

Many older adults have difficulty with being steady on their feet, having difficulty with their gait, and overall balance issues. Research suggests that this is because as we age we commonly experience a loss of __________

Accepted Answer

Gray matter is responsible for processing information in the brain, including muscle control and sensory perception such as seeing and hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control. Loss of gray matter can affect balance and coordination, which explains why older adults may have difficulty with gait and overall balance.

Question 8

Mary suffered a head injury in a car accident last week. Since that time she is able to speak fluently but uses the wrong words when expressing herself. Mary may be exhibiting __________ aphasia.

Accepted Answer

Mary's symptoms suggest that she may be exhibiting Wernicke's aphasia, which is characterized by fluent, but meaningless, speech. In contrast, Broca's aphasia is characterized by slow, effortful speech production, while Gall's and Korsakoff's are not specific types of aphasia.

Question 9

Men have a higher proportion of __________ in their brains than do women.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that men have a higher proportion of white matter in their brains than women. White matter is responsible for connecting different parts of the brain and is thought to play a role in cognitive processing and communication. This difference in white matter may contribute to differences in cognitive abilities and may partially explain why men and women differ in certain types of tasks, such as spatial reasoning.

Question 10

When men are processing navigational information (e.g., making their way through a maze), they tend to use their left hippocampal region. Women doing the same task tend to use their __________

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that women tend to use their right parietal and frontal cortexes when processing navigational information.

Question 11

Jack suffered a brain injury as a result of hitting his head while waterskiing. One of the problems that developed was that Jack could not pronounce certain words correctly for a long period of time until he had extensive speech therapy and can now speak as he did before his accident. This is an example of the brain's __________ which allowed the structure and function of his brain cells to change to adjust to the trauma.

Accepted Answer

The concept being described is neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt and change in response to injury or experience. Option A ("adaptology") is not a recognized scientific term. Option B ("stagnation") does not accurately describe the process of the brain changing in response to injury. Option D ("reflex arc") refers to a specific neural pathway and is not relevant to the question being asked. Therefore, the correct answer is C ("plasticity").

Question 12

George and Kathy are searching for the location of a sound. Based on studies of adult brains, we can say that __________

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that men and women often use different areas of the brain for certain tasks, including spatial and auditory processing, which may lead George and Kathy to use different brain areas when locating a sound.

Question 13

By what age does the complete myelination of the reticular formation usually occur?

Accepted Answer

The complete myelination of the reticular formation usually occurs by the mid 20s.

Question 14

Small metal disks are pasted onto Miranda's scalp and they are connected by wire to a machine that translates the electrical energy from her brain into wavy lines on a moving piece of paper. From this description, it is evident that Miranda's brain is being studied through the use of __________

Accepted Answer

The use of small metal disks connected to a machine that translates electrical energy from the brain into wavy lines on a moving piece of paper describes an electroencephalogram (EEG). EEGs are commonly used to study brain activity and can be used to diagnose conditions such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, and brain injuries. Options A and B refer to imaging methods that use magnetic fields and radio waves, while option C involves the use of a small electrode to record electrical activity from a specific neuron.

Question 15

The part of the brain located just behind the temples, containing neurons responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech, is called the __________

Accepted Answer

The temporal lobes are responsible for processing auditory information and interpreting speech. They are located on the sides of the brain just above the ears, behind the temples.

Question 16

The process of synaptogenesis is always followed by the process of _________

Accepted Answer

Synaptogenesis, the formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system, is often followed by synaptic pruning, a process where extra neurons and synaptic connections are eliminated to increase the efficiency of neuronal transmissions.

Question 17

Men have a lower proportion of white matter __________

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that men have a lower proportion of white matter in the left brain compared to women.

Question 18

Mariska is able to hear normally, but she cannot understand the words of spoken language. Mariska is most likely suffering from __________ aphasia.

Accepted Answer

Mariska's ability to hear normally suggests that her auditory system is intact. However, her inability to understand spoken language points to a problem in processing auditory information, which is characteristic of auditory aphasia. Broca's aphasia is characterized by difficulty producing speech, while Wernicke's aphasia is characterized by difficulty understanding language and producing meaningful sentences. Apraxic aphasia is a motor speech disorder where a person knows what they want to say, but has difficulty coordinating the muscles necessary to say it.

Question 19

This is also referred to as word deafness, and ability to hear normally while not understanding spoken language.

Accepted Answer

Auditory aphasia, also known as pure word deafness, is a type of language disorder in which an individual is able to hear and distinguish sounds, but is unable to comprehend or understand spoken words. It occurs due to damage or injury to specific areas of the brain involved in language comprehension, particularly the temporal lobes. Broca's aphasia, on the other hand, involves difficulty with speech production, while Wernicke's aphasia is characterized by difficulty with language comprehension and production of coherent speech. Lateralization refers to the specialization of different functions on either the left or right hemisphere of the brain.

Question 20

John has decided to start to learn how to wrestle. His first day at practice, a seasoned wrestler slams the back of his head to the mat. John was shaken and reported to the trainer that he "saw stars" after he hit his head. As a result of "seeing stars," John's __________ was temporarily affected as a result of the slam.

Accepted Answer

The occipital lobe located in the back of the brain is responsible for processing visual information. "Seeing stars" is often a result of a blow to the head that causes the occipital lobe to malfunction temporarily, causing flashes of light or stars to appear in a person's vision.

Quiz 2: Biology and Behavior