Brain Documentary and Quiz questions Overview

Brain – Secret History Overview #11) Partial lobotomy = part of the brain is removed, in this case the part that had been damaged. The procedure was to prevent/control the seizures from her epilepsy. Epilepsy is the condition / disorder that causes seizures (and other effects).

#12 – What is Neuroplasticity? The idea that the brain can re-organize itself, using the healthy brain tissue to take over the work of damaged / dead brain tissue. Healthy parts of the brain can be trained to learn new jobs and perform new functions ! It’s NOT the idea that the brain can recognize itself. If you copy answers, think while you write.

What is the “Brain Port”? It Sends electrical impulses to your tongue based on images recorded by a camera on a special pair of glasses. Misconceptions some people had… It’s not a ‘cure’ for blindness, it’s just an alternative way to ‘see’ the world (using different senses… touch or taste!)

Quiz Return / Overview Today! Quizzes…. Make corrections and fix ALL mistakes (and possibly answer some questions verbally) to earn some extra marks; +50% of the mistakes you made, up to a maximum score of 16/25 If your score is higher than that, you can earn up to 2 bonus marks, but no more than 24.5/25

Quiz Return / Overview Today! 1)Which gland is known as the ‘master gland’?  The Pituitary gland! 2)Blood glucose monitored by the: Pancreas! 3)A goiter = swollen thyroid gland, from lack of iodine in the diet (Iodine is added to salt to ensure we don’t get goiters!) 4)Hormones = chemicals, travel through the blood.

Homeostasis! Homeostasis isn’t always maintained by the nervous and endocrine systems working together… sometimes one or the other does all the work. General Definition: It’s the maintenance of our body’s physiological processes at comfortable levels… e.x. temperature, blood pH, glucose levels, nutrient levels, etc.

6) When nervous and endocrine systems do work together, a)(2 marks) – Must mention sensory input from nervous system can influence response of glands in endocrine system… e.x. cooperation between hypothalamus and pituitary gland (b), which controls many bodily functions…. Or mention our response to fear (sensory input determines what we should be afraid of !!)

6. c) Which system is faster? Nervous system is faster because it sends its signals via electrical impulses. Endocrine system uses chemicals (hormones) and transmits them via the blood (which is slower, but has longer- lasting effects!)

7) Stress Response Our sensory organs take information from our surroundings and interpret them (nervous system). Based on that information, our brain can tell our body to produce stress-related hormones… the same hormones involved in fear responses. STRESS IS A FORM OF FEAR!

34-11 The Stress Response (cont.) 7) Physiologic response to stress caused by hormone release a) General stress syndrome (same symptoms as fear, but spread out over a longer period) Increased heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure (from adrenaline) Increase in glucose and fatty acids in blood, which leads to weight loss (cortisol steroid hormones) b) Prolonged Stress leads to: – Decreased body repair – Susceptibility to illness (stress hormones suppress the immune system)

8) How do hormones affect their targets?

9) – Clarification on Thyroid vs. Parathyroid..

10) Nerv. System paragraph. FOR A 4-MARK QUESTION YOU MUST MAKE AT LEAST 4 DISTINCT ‘POINTS’ ABOUT THE ISSUE. When it’s a 2-part question, make 2 points to address each one (2 points about broken brains, 2 points about technology) Examples: Broken brains allow us to infer (best answer!) which part of the brain does what, based on comparisons with normal brains.

10) Nerv. System paragraph Technology: X-rays don’t give a clear picture of the brain or its tissues!! A technique called ‘MRI’ – Magnetic Resonance Imaging (more on that in the computer lab today)

Bonus: What is positive feedback? If the stimulus is present, the response will continue until the stimulus stops. – E.x. a mother will continue producing the hormones that help her produce breast-milk as long as her child continues to ‘nurse’ (feed from her and not a bottle or other means)