History and Structure of the Brain Study

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of the fasciculus arcuatus?

Connection between the left and right hemispheres

Connection between sensory and motor language areas (correct)

Projection from the cortex to the spinal chord

Regulation of neurotransmitter release

Which type of fibers are responsible for connecting different hemispheres of the brain?

Commissural fibers (correct)

Projection fibers

Sensory fibers

Association fibers

Which of the following neurotransmitters is associated with the substantia nigra?

Dopamine (correct)

Acetylcholine

GABA

Serotonin

Which area is primarily involved in sensory processing of olfactory information?

Olfactory bulb Signup and view all the answers

What type of fibers primarily connect the cortex with the subcortex?

Projection fibers Signup and view all the answers

What is the total number of layers in the neo (or iso-) cortex?

6 Signup and view all the answers

Which layer of the cerebellar cortex contains the Purkinje cells?

Purkinje layer Signup and view all the answers

What significant discovery did Luigi Galvani make in 1773?

Electrical stimulation causes muscle movement Signup and view all the answers

What process did Hans Berger develop in 1929?

Electroencephalography Signup and view all the answers

Which structure is NOT part of the allocortex?

Internal pyramidal layer Signup and view all the answers

Which type of cells are glial cells categorized into?

Oligodendroglia, Astroglia, and Microglia Signup and view all the answers

How many layers make up the cerebellar cortex?

3 Signup and view all the answers

What is the average weight of a male human brain according to the given information?

1375 g Signup and view all the answers

Which layer of the neo (or iso-) cortex is responsible for forming cortico-cortical fibers?

External pyramidal layer Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic layer does the allocortex possess?

Three layers Signup and view all the answers

Which technology was introduced in the 1980s for non-invasive brain studies?

Photon Emission Tomography Signup and view all the answers

Which type of cells are primarily found in the external granular layer of the cerebellar cortex?

Small pyramidal cells Signup and view all the answers

Who were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work on the nervous system in 1906?

Ramón y Cajal and Camillo Golgi Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is associated with the research of Otto Loewi?

Acetylcholine Signup and view all the answers

In the layers of the neo (or iso-) cortex, which layer is the first?

Molecular layer Signup and view all the answers

How many neurons are approximately found in the human brain?

10^11 Signup and view all the answers

What does the ventral pathway primarily facilitate in the visual system?

Form recognition and object representation Signup and view all the answers

Which structure is NOT part of the limbic system?

Cerebellum Signup and view all the answers

What condition was highlighted by the case of Phineas Gage?

Connection between brain lesions and emotional processing capacity Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the brain is primarily associated with emotion?

Limbic system Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the emotional system is accurate?

It includes connections between lesions and emotional capacity. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the amygdala play within the limbic system?

Processing emotions Signup and view all the answers

Which area is associated with forming memories in relation to emotions?

Gyrus parahippocampalis Signup and view all the answers

Which structure is NOT associated with the control of eye and arm movements?

Amygdala Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of the primary motor cortex (M1)?

Controlling voluntary movements Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of cortical plasticity primarily relate to?

The brain's ability to change and adapt over time Signup and view all the answers

Who developed a classification of the brain's cytoarchitecture in 1907?

Korbinian Brodmann Signup and view all the answers

Which area is primarily associated with language comprehension?

Wernicke's area Signup and view all the answers

What significant change occurs in brain plasticity after early childhood?

It is significantly reduced Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is part of the visual system?

Dorsal pathway Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'motor homunculus' refer to?

A visual representation of the motor areas linked to body parts Signup and view all the answers

Which functional area in the brain is primarily associated with motor control?

Primary motor cortex Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of removing a cerebral hemisphere in an adult?

Significant loss of function or death Signup and view all the answers

How does the representation of the body in the brain differ between motor and sensory systems?

Motor representation focuses on physical movement, while sensory emphasizes input Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

History of Brain Research

Luigi Galvani showed that stimulating a nerve of a dissected frog caused muscle movement
Ramón y Cajal and Camillo Golgi received the Nobel Prize for their work on the nervous system
Otto Loewi and Henry Hallett Dale discovered chemical neurotransmission
Hans Berger developed electroencephalography (EEG) to measure electrical potentials from a living brain
Photon Emission Tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were developed in the 1980s and 1990s respectively
Broca and Wernicke studied the consequences of brain lesions

Brain Facts

Brain weighs around 1200-1400g
Brain contains 10^11 neurons
Brain has around 10^14 - 10^15 synapses
Glial cells are 10-50 times more numerous than neurons
Brain is composed of 78% water, 10% lipids, and 8% proteins

Brain Structure

The brain's structure includes the cortex, cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord
The cortex is divided into allocortex (3 layers) and neocortex (6 layers)
The cerebellum has three layers: molecular, Purkinje, and granular
The brainstem is crucial for basic life functions like breathing, heart rate, and sleep-wake cycles

Neuronal Types

Different neurons use specific neurotransmitters:
- Acetylcholine (ACH): found in the brainstem, formatio reticularis (FR), striate cortex, septal cortex, basal forebrain
- Dopamine: found in the substantia nigra, hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, and FR
- Serotonin: found in the FR (e.g., Raphé)
- Glutamate, Aspartate: found in the olive complex, thalamus, cerebellar cortex, neocortex, pons nuclei
- GABA: found in the thalamus, cerebellar cortex (except granular cells), hippocampus, striate cortex, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain

Brain Function

The brain's functional networks include the motor system, sensory system, visual system, and emotional system
The motor system includes the primary motor cortex (M1), supplementary motor cortex (SMA), premotor cortex (PMA), and posterior parietal cortex
The sensory system is responsible for processing sensory information
The visual system processes visual information and consists of the dorsal pathway (where/how) and the ventral pathway (what)
The emotional system is connected to the limbic system, which includes the hippocampus, gyrus cinguli, gyrus parahippocampalis, amygdala, limbic frontal regions, limbic areas in the diencephalon, and limbic midbrain

Brain Plasticity

The brain is very plastic in children, enabling recovery from brain damage
The brain's plasticity decreases with age making it more difficult to recover from brain damage later in life

Phrenology

Phrenology, developed by Gall in 1812, is a pseudoscience that studied skull bumps to understand personality and mental abilities
Phrenology is not a valid method for understanding brain function

Brain Structure and Function

Brodmann's areas are regions of the cerebral cortex based on cytoarchitecture
The motor homunculus represents the relative distribution of motor cortex devoted to different body parts
The sensory homunculus represents the relative distribution of sensory cortex devoted to different body parts

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Description

Explore the fascinating history and facts about brain research through this quiz. Discover key figures like Galvani and Cajal, learn about the brain's structure, and understand its composition. Test your knowledge on the major advancements in neuroscience.