Question 1

Leo was rollerblading when a cat jumped right in front of him, causing him to fall. When he fell, he landed on the side of his head. Shortly afterward, Leo complained that he could not understand what people were saying to him. Which lobe would have been most affected by this fall given what he experienced?

Accepted Answer

The temporal lobe is responsible for processing auditory information, so damage to this area could result in difficulty understanding spoken language.

Question 2

The __________ is the upper part of the brain consisting of two cerebral hemispheres and the structures that connect them.

Accepted Answer

The cerebrum is the upper part of the brain consisting of two cerebral hemispheres and the structures that connect them. The occipital lobe is a specific part of the cerebrum responsible for processing visual information. The corpus callosum is a structure that connects the two hemispheres of the cerebrum. The cerebellum is a separate structure located at the base of the brain responsible for coordinating movement and balance.

Question 3

Imani was in an automobile accident and suffered an injury to her brain, resulting in paralysis of her left arm. What part of Imani's brain was injured?

Accepted Answer

The motor cortex is responsible for planning, controlling, and executing voluntary movements. Damage to the motor cortex on one side of the brain can lead to paralysis on the opposite side of the body, which explains Imani's left arm paralysis.

Question 4

__________ neurons are fired when an animal or person performs an action and also when an animal or person observes that same action being performed by another. For example, an infant will mimic the facial expressions of adults.

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons are responsible for mirroring the actions of others, allowing someone to observe and understand the actions of others without performing those actions themselves. This is what allows infants to learn by mimicking the facial expressions and actions of adults around them.

Question 5

Avery was rollerblading when a cat jumped right in front of her, causing her to trip and fall. When she fell, she partially landed on the front side of her head near her forehead. Shortly afterward, Avery exhibited symptoms similar to those of Phineas Gage. Which lobe would have been most affected by this fall?

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobe is responsible for decision making, personality, and motor function, which are all affected in cases similar to Phineas Gage. The fact that Avery landed on the front side of her head near her forehead suggests that the frontal lobe would have been the most affected by her fall.

Question 6

Riley was driving through a rough part of town late at night when a stray bullet hit the front side of his head. Both the left and right sides of his prefrontal cortex were severely damaged. As a result of the accident, Riley most likely __________.

Accepted Answer

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for personality, decision-making, and social behavior. Damage to this area can result in changes in personality, mood, and behavior. Therefore, it is likely that Riley suffered a change in personality as a result of the damage to his prefrontal cortex.

Question 7

Which region of the brain contains the auditory cortex?

Accepted Answer

The auditory cortex is responsible for processing sound information and is located in the temporal lobes of the brain. This region is specifically known as the primary auditory cortex, and is involved in analyzing the pitch, volume and spatial aspects of sounds.

Question 8

The area of the frontal lobe that is devoted to the production of fluent speech is __________ area.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

Incoming sensory messages are made sense of in __________.

Accepted Answer

Incoming sensory messages are processed and interpreted in the association areas of the brain. Broca's area is responsible for speech production, the motor projection areas are involved in motor control and movement, and Wernicke's area is involved in language comprehension.

Question 10

Ever since Trey suffered a brain injury by falling from a ladder, his wife has continued to tell his doctor that his personality has changed. He used to be fun loving and carefree, but he is now more critical and yells at his children for seemingly little reason. Trey is likely to have suffered damage to the __________ lobe of his cortex.

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobe controls personality, decision-making, and impulse control. Damage to this area of the brain can result in changes to a person's personality, which may include being more critical or easily agitated.

Question 11

Since Penelope is a split-brain patient, we can infer that she likely has a history of __________.

Accepted Answer

Split-brain surgery is typically reserved for patients with severe epilepsy that cannot be controlled with medication. By severing the connection between the two hemispheres of the brain, the surgery can help prevent the spread of seizures. Therefore, we can infer that Penelope has a history of severe epilepsy.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

The area described is the Wernicke's area, located in the left temporal lobe. Broca's area, located in the left frontal lobe, is important in language production. Gall's and Korsakoff's areas are not typically associated with language processing.

Question 13

Zachary's mother is usually meticulous in her presentation. When picking her up for a family dinner, he noticed that her makeup was only applied to the right side of her face. Her hair was also brushed on the right side, but on the left it was matted and uncombed. He immediately took her to the hospital as it was clear that she was unaware of any problems. She was diagnosed with __________, which is evidenced by damage to the association areas of the right hemisphere.

Accepted Answer

The symptoms described (differences in appearance on one side of the body) are indicators of spatial neglect, a condition caused by damage to the association areas of the right hemisphere. Wernicke's aphasia and Broca's aphasia are language deficits, and split-brain is a condition resulting from surgical intervention.

Question 14

Which of the following lobes are involved in planning, memory, and personality?

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobes are responsible for executive functions such as planning, memory, personality, and decision-making.

Question 15

Messages from the brain to the muscles and glands in the body begin their journey in the __________.

Accepted Answer

The motor cortex is responsible for initiating and transmitting messages from the brain to the muscles and glands in the body. The auditory association area is involved in processing auditory information, association areas are responsible for processing and integrating sensory information, and the somatosensory cortex is involved in processing sensory information from the skin, muscles, and joints.

Question 16

Phineas Gage tragically had a tamping iron propelled through his head. Both left and right sides of the prefrontal cortex were severely damaged. As a result of the accident, Phineas Gage __________.

Accepted Answer

Phineas Gage suffered a change in personality after his prefrontal cortex was severely damaged.

Question 17

Will was admitted to the hospital last week after he fell. When Will's son visited, he found that his father was unable to get words out in a smooth, connected fashion. If Will's difficulty speaking is due to brain damage, what is the likely location of the damage?

Accepted Answer

Broca's area is responsible for producing speech and damage to this area can lead to difficulties in speaking, such as the inability to generate words in a smooth and connected fashion, known as Broca's aphasia. the symptoms described in the scenario match Broca's aphasia, suggesting damage to Broca's area. Gall's area and Korsakoff's area are not established areas in modern neuroscience, and Wernicke's area is responsible for understanding language, not producing speech.

Question 18

Isaiah is having trouble deciding what he wants to eat for breakfast. Which lobe of his brain is especially active as he makes his selection?

Accepted Answer

The frontal lobe is responsible for decision-making and problem-solving, which are both involved in choosing what to eat for breakfast.

Question 19

Valentina 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. Valentina may be exhibiting __________ aphasia.

Accepted Answer

Wernicke's aphasia, also known as receptive aphasia, is characterized by fluent speech but poor comprehension and the use of incorrect words. This is typically caused by damage to the Wernicke's area in the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for language comprehension. Broca's aphasia is characterized by difficulty with speech production, but relatively preserved comprehension, and is caused by damage to the Broca's area in the left hemisphere. Gall's and Korsakoff's are not types of aphasia, but instead refer to other neurological conditions.

Question 20

The __________lobes are located just behind the temples and contain neurons responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech.

Accepted Answer

The temporal lobes are located just behind the temples and contain neurons responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech. Therefore, the best choice is A, the temporal lobes. The parietal lobes are involved in sensory and spatial information processing, the frontal lobes are responsible for cognitive functions such as decision making and problem solving, and the occipital lobes are responsible for processing visual information.

Quiz 2: The Biological Perspective