Question 1

Imagine that a picture of a blue circle is briefly flashed in the left visual field of an individual with a severed corpus callosum. At the same time, a picture of a red square is briefly flashed in the right visual field. What would this individual likely say based on Roger Sperry's work with split-brain patients?

Accepted Answer

If the blue circle is flashed in the left visual field and the red square is flashed in the right visual field, the information from each image would only be processed in the opposite hemisphere of the brain due to the severed corpus callosum. Sperry's work with split-brain patients showed that information presented to one hemisphere cannot be verbally reported by the other hemisphere. Since the left hemisphere processes language, the individual would not be able to say that they saw the blue circle, which was presented to the right hemisphere. Instead, they would likely say that they saw the red square, which was presented to the left hemisphere. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 2

Which type of cell can turn into any type of cell if the conditions are just right?

Accepted Answer

Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into multiple types of cells if the conditions are optimal. This property of stem cells makes them crucial in medical research and therapies. Neutral cells, neural cells, and egg cells do not have the same potential for differentiation as stem cells.

Question 3

For most people, which area of the brain is associated with language?

Accepted Answer

The left cerebral hemisphere is typically associated with language for most people. This hemisphere is often referred to as the "dominant hemisphere" for language, as it tends to be more involved in language processing and production than the right hemisphere. However, it is important to note that there is some individual variability in hemispheric dominance for language, and some individuals may exhibit more bilateral language processing.

Question 4

What is the area of the frontal lobe that plays an important role in the production of speech?

Accepted Answer

Broca's area, located in the frontal lobe of the brain, is associated with the production of speech. It is specifically responsible for coordinating the motor movements necessary for speech production, including those involving the lips, tongue, and vocal cords.

Question 5

Because the speech centre is generally located in the left hemisphere of the brain, what would a split-brain patient be unable to describe?

Accepted Answer

In split-brain patients, the corpus callosum is severed, preventing communication between the two hemispheres. The left hemisphere, which typically controls speech, processes information from the right visual field. Therefore, an object seen in the left visual field, processed by the right hemisphere, cannot be verbally described because the speech center in the left hemisphere does not receive this information.

Question 6

Which of the following procedures is done in order to study the functional specialization of the two sides of the brain?

Accepted Answer

The procedure of surgically disconnecting the two sides of the brain, known as corpus callosotomy, is used to study the functional specialization of each hemisphere. By doing so, researchers can observe how the two hemispheres process information independently and how they work together to perform complex tasks. The other options listed are not specific to studying hemispheric specialization.

Question 7

You are planning to conduct a study using children and adolescents of various ages, in order to examine their performance in tasks involving perceptual asymmetries. In these tasks, each hemisphere receives different pieces of information. What issue might you need to consider in terms of experimental control before you conduct your study?

Accepted Answer

An older child has a more mature corpus callosum, the structure that connects the two hemispheres of the brain, and will perform better on tasks involving perceptual asymmetries. Therefore, it is important to control for age in the study to avoid confounding variables. A, B, and C are not directly related to the issue of experimental control in tasks involving perceptual asymmetries.

Question 8

What will be difficult for you if you experience damage to Broca's area?

Accepted Answer

Broca's area is responsible for speech production, so damage to this area would make it difficult for an individual to speak. Controlling arms and legs is controlled by the motor cortex, being creative is associated with various areas of the brain, and hearing is associated with the auditory cortex.

Question 9

Monique is not able to understand spoken language. If Monique's problem stems from damage to the cerebral cortex, where is the damage likely to be?

Accepted Answer

Wernicke's area is responsible for language comprehension, so damage to this area would result in difficulty understanding spoken language, as seen in Monique's case. The cerebellum is involved in motor coordination, Broca's area is responsible for language production, and the right parietal lobe is involved in spatial awareness and attention.

Question 10

If you sent the word "banana" to a split-brain patient's left hemisphere and the word "cucumber" to his right hemisphere, which of the following would he be able to name verbally?

Accepted Answer

The left hemisphere of the brain typically controls language processing and speech production, while the right hemisphere is more involved in processing visuospatial information. When information is presented to only one hemisphere of a split-brain patient, the information cannot be transmitted to the other hemisphere due to the severed corpus callosum. Therefore, the patient can only verbally name the item presented to the left hemisphere (banana) since that hemisphere controls language processing and speech production. The item presented to the right hemisphere (cucumber) cannot be named verbally because the right hemisphere cannot communicate the information to the left hemisphere for verbal processing.

Question 11

Chase is using a single earphone to listen in on a conversation. Based on the research that investigated hemispheric specialization in intact brains, what could we suggest in order for Chase to recognize the words he hears most quickly?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that the left hemisphere of the brain is more specialized for language processing. Therefore, putting the earphone in his right ear would allow the sound to be processed by the left hemisphere, which would result in quicker recognition of the words.

Question 12

Imagine that a picture of a spoon is briefly flashed in the left visual field of an individual with a severed corpus callosum. At the same time, a picture of a cup is briefly flashed in the right visual field. What would this individual likely say based on Roger Sperry's work with split-brain patients?

Accepted Answer

When a picture is presented in the right visual field, it goes to the left hemisphere which is responsible for language processing. However, in a split-brain patient, the left hemisphere cannot communicate with the right hemisphere due to the severed corpus callosum. Therefore, the patient would only be able to verbally report what was seen in the right visual field, which in this case was the cup. The left hemisphere would not have received any information about the spoon in the left visual field.

Question 13

Which part of the body would be most directly affected if the left hemisphere of the brain were damaged?

Accepted Answer

The left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body. Therefore, if the left hemisphere were damaged, the right half of the body would be most directly affected.

Question 14

If one group of animals is raised in a stimulating environment and another group of animals is raised in a boring environment, which of the following should be enhanced in the animals raised in the stimulating environment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If one group of animals is raised...

Question 15

If a right-handed subject whose corpus callosum has been cut were asked to reproduce a drawing, what could we predict?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If a right-handed subject whose corpus callosum...

Question 16

What is the left hemisphere's specialty, in both split-brain people and neurologically intact people?

Accepted Answer

The left hemisphere is known for its specialization in verbal processing, such as language production, comprehension, and reading. This specialization has been observed in both split-brain patients and neurologically intact individuals through various experiments and studies.

Question 17

If you have difficulty understanding the meaning of speech as a consequence of brain damage, where is the damage likely to be located?

Accepted Answer

Damage to Wernicke's area is associated with difficulty understanding the meaning of speech.

Question 18

If you knew that a surgeon was about to do a surgery in which the cerebral hemispheres of the brain would be surgically disconnected, who is he going to operate on?

Accepted Answer

Disconnecting the cerebral hemispheres, known as a corpus callosotomy, is a surgical procedure usually performed on patients with severe epilepsy to help alleviate seizures.

Question 19

Zeke has no problem understanding what other people say to him, but he has difficulty producing spoken language. If Zeke's problem stems from damage to the cerebral cortex, where do you expect the damage to be?

Accepted Answer

Zeke's difficulty in producing speech indicates damage to Broca's area, which is responsible for the production of language. The other options are not directly involved in language production.

Question 20

What has traditionally been the main reason for the characterization of the left hemisphere as the "dominant" hemisphere?

Accepted Answer

The main reason for the characterization of the left hemisphere as the "dominant" hemisphere is the evidence that the left hemisphere usually processes language. However, it is important to note that the right hemisphere also plays an important role in language processing, particularly in areas related to prosody and non-literal language.

Quiz 3: A:The Biological Bases of Behaviour