The Brain: Regions and the Evidence for What They Do · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

How we mapped the working brain

Science · The Human Body · ages 15-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which cerebral lobe is strongly involved in processing what you see?

    • Temporal lobe
    • Parietal lobe
    • Occipital lobe

  2. Which brain part helps coordinate movement and balance?

    • Cerebellum
    • Brainstem
    • Occipital lobe

  3. A skill lost after localised brain damage can provide evidence that the damaged area or affected connections contribute to that skill.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Which functions does the brainstem help regulate?

    • Breathing and heart rate
    • Planning choices and recalling events
    • Recognising colours and visual shapes

  5. A patient spoke normally before a frontal injury. Afterwards, speech is impaired but sight is unchanged. Which conclusion matches the observed change?

    • The injury may affect tissue or connections used for sight
    • The injury may affect tissue or connections used for speech
    • The injury may affect tissue or connections used for hearing

  6. Which structural features make brain surgery difficult?

    • Delicate tissue, widely spaced pathways and restricted room for swelling
    • Delicate tissue, closely packed pathways and ample room for swelling
    • Delicate tissue, closely packed pathways and little room for swelling

  7. An fMRI signal associated with a task proves that the active region is the only region needed for that task.

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. Stimulating a small cortical area makes a patient's hand move. Which conclusion is supported by this observation?

    • Stimulation can reveal blood-oxygen changes associated with a hand task
    • The stimulated area or its connections can influence hand movement
    • Stimulation can locate damaged tissue by showing its structure
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_BA_DGCDic8-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

How we mapped the working brain W1-mt_BA_DGCDic8-s1

  1. Occipital lobe · The occipital lobe contributes to visual processing. Vision also involves other connected areas.
  2. Cerebellum · The cerebellum helps coordinate movement and balance. It works with other parts of the nervous system.
  3. True · The change can support the conclusion that the area or affected connections contribute to the skill. It does not establish that the area works alone.
  4. Breathing and heart rate · The brainstem helps regulate breathing and heart rate. This is a regulatory role, not a claim that the heart depends on the brainstem to generate every beat.
  5. The injury may affect tissue or connections used for speech · Speech changed after the injury, providing evidence for a link to speech-related tissue or connections. Sight was unchanged, and no hearing result is reported. The case does not establish that an area works alone.
  6. Delicate tissue, closely packed pathways and little room for swelling · Delicate tissue can be damaged, and closely packed pathways are hard to avoid. The skull limits room for swelling. Damage can permanently affect speech, movement or other functions.
  7. False · Functional MRI measures blood-oxygen changes related to activity. A task-related signal does not prove that the region is necessary or has an exclusive role.
  8. The stimulated area or its connections can influence hand movement · The movement response links stimulation of the area or its connections to hand movement. Blood-oxygen changes are measured by fMRI; structural scans locate damage. Neither scan result is reported here.
Worksheet · LightMySky