The Cerebrum Answers

Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: Memory and learning are functions of the cerebrum. We use our memory to help us learn through storage in short- and long-term memory. New information is stored in short-term memory. If it is information we want to keep, such as names, numbers, dates, and faces, it is transferred to long-term memory. To make sure information is properly stored, repetition is required. In the case of learning and memory, practice makes perfect.

Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: Mirror neurons are activated by performing an action or seeing another perform the action. They were found by chance during experiments with monkeys, when researchers discovered that the same neurons that fired while performing a behavior also fired while observing the behavior. Mirror neurons have been linked to motor skill development, imitating another’s behavior, feeling empathy for another, understanding or comprehending social behavior, and language development.

Responses may vary but should include some or all of the following information: The primary cortex associated with the occipital lobe is the primary visual cortex, which is mainly responsible for processing visual information. The parietal lobe contains the primary somatosensory cortex and is mainly responsible for registering sensory input. The temporal lobe houses the primary auditory cortex and is primarily responsible for receiving and processing auditory information. The frontal lobe contains the primary motor cortex, which is responsible for controlling muscle movement.

The frontal lobe contains the primary motor cortex, which controls voluntary movement. The parietal lobe contains the primary somatosensory cortex, which processes sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain. The occipital lobe contains the primary visual cortex, which processes visual information. The temporal lobe contains the primary auditory cortex, which processes sound.

The hippocampus, located in the medial temporal lobe, is especially important for memory and learning. We learn by encoding new information, connecting it to what we already know, and consolidating it into memory. When we retrieve and apply those memories, they help us understand and learn new information.

Mirror neurons are nerve cells that fire both when an individual performs an action and when the individual observes someone else performing a similar action. They were discovered in monkeys when researchers noticed that neurons in the premotor cortex fired while the monkey watched an experimenter grasp food. Researchers have linked them to imitation, understanding others’ actions and intentions, empathy, language development, and social learning.