Question

Create a project that illustrates your understanding of ONE of the following concepts related to biological influences on behavior:

-Everyday examples of the different functions of the two hemispheres of the brain

-Everyday examples of neuroplasticity—that is, of the way the brain is changed and shaped by experience

-Examples of how hormones affect a person’s daily life

-The cortical lobes involved in the following behaviors:

-Seeing faces in the audience.

-Hearing questions from the audience.

-Remembering where your car is parked when you are ready to go home.

-Noticing that your new shoes are too tight and hurting your feet.

Be sure to include the following required elements in your submission:

- Your project illustrating one of the concepts listed above.

- A written summary of at least 200 words clarifying the visual representation you’ve created (in .doc or .rtf format).

Answer 1

The left and right hemispheres of the brain may seem like mirror images of each other superficially, however, they are very different in their functioning which is known as lateralization of functions. The two hemispheres perform different functions and together they are capable of executing complex actions. Corpus Callosum, is a band of nerve fibers which connects the two hemispheres of the brain. It passes between the two hemispheres, through which they communicate. If the Corpus Callosum is cut there's no communication between the two hemispheres.

Assuming that the two hemispheres are no longer connected, and the subject is seated with a special set of glasses and is presented with a visual stimulus on the right visual field which is a picture of a baseball, then, he is verbally going to answer what he sees. The response made by him is that he sees a baseball. The way our visual system is constructed, the right visual field stimulates the left hemisphere, which controls speech. Thus, he was able to answer what he could see, verbally. Also considering if a picture of violin is flashed to the same subject on the left visual field, the subject would not be able to name it. He would instead mimic what he sees through actions or gestures but he would not be able to name it. The left visual field stimulates the right hemisphere, which controls our motor activities. This is the reason why both the hemispheres cannot be severed. They need to communicate with each other for a person to perform functions normally. If they were not severed, the subject would have answered what he sees on the screen, a baseball and a violin.