Edexcel GCE Biology

Unit 5 Exercise, energy and coordination

Name: ____________________

Date: ___________________

8.3 Brain and behaviors

A. The human brain
1. Summarize the functions of the main areas of the human brain.

2. Summarizes the main imaging techniques used to investigate the brain structure and
function. Explain how they work, the advantages and limitations of each and gives
examples of their use in both understanding brain structure and function and in diagnosing
disease.

GCE Biology 6BI05_Foundation_8.3_ Brains and behaviors

B. Nature and nurture in brain development

1. Summarize the evidence, described here from the animal experiments, for the existence of
critical windows of development of sight in mammals.

C. Development of the human brain

1. What is meant by the term critical window of development in the brain? Explain
how nature and nurture interact during these periods of development.

2. What do you think are the ethical issues involved in using newborn babies in research
into brain development?

GCE Biology 6BI05_Foundation_8.3_ Brains and behaviors

D. Learning and memory

1 What does innate behavior tell us about the development of the brain?

2. How can animal behavior be used to help compare the contributions of nature and nurture to
brain development?

GCE Biology 6BI05_Foundation_8.3_ Brains and behaviors

E. Habituation
1.
Sea slugs and other similar non-vertebrates can transmit nervous impulses rapidly
although they do not have myelinated neurons. Why does this make them such useful
experimental animals?

2.

Describe an example each of habituation for invertebrates and vertebrates.

GCE Biology 6BI05_Foundation_8.3_ Brains and behaviors