Of the brain parts listed below, which two would you NOT want to damage and why, and then explain the function of the other parts and what one could expect if each of them were to be damaged? hippocampus, Wernicke's area, reticular formation, medulla, Broca's area, amygdala, corpus callosum

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer will include that one would not want to lose functioning of the medulla and reticular formation. The medulla is required to maintain heart rate and breathing, while the reticular formation, which lies inside the medulla and brainstem, controls alertness and wakefulness and reflexes involved in breathing, sneezing, coughing, and vomiting. Damage to the medulla would pose an immediate threat to survival with damage to the reticular formation leading to an irreversible coma or death. However, damage to the hippocampus would affect memory formation, while damage to Broca's and Wernicke's areas would affect one's speech and language comprehension, respectively. Damage to the amygdala would disrupt a person's fear system, so that the person might show little to no fear even in dangerous situations or show excessive fear without knowing why. The splitting of the corpus callosum has been done in cases of severe epilepsy without any detrimental effects. After this "split-brain" operation (severing the corpus callosum), each hemisphere will have its own separate perceptions, concepts, and impulses to act. However, one hemisphere usually overrides the other, if conflicts arise. Thus, damage to the brain structures, besides the medulla and reticular formation, would be uncomfortable but would not be fatal.