Question

A zombie outbreak has occurred! The government is struggling to contain this outbreak and is recruiting all scientists to understand what is happening during this zombie transformation. This transformation appears to be due to viral transmission following a scratch or bite from an infected person. As of now, we have determined the following signs and symptoms of this zombie transformation:

• Able to initiate voluntary movements, but the movements are unrefined and uncoordinated
• Increased appetite (for brains)
• Low problem-solving abilities and lack of impulse control
• Lack of fear
• Poor memory of events that have happened
• Lack of emotion, aside from rage
• Impaired touch sensation
• Intact reflexive orienting behavior to auditory and visual stimuli
• Intact respiratory functioning

If we have any hope of containing this outbreak, we need to understand what is happening in the brains of these zombies. We need your help! Using what you know about functional neuroanatomy, answer the following questions to help us understand which areas of the brain must be contributing to these symptoms (5pts each). Then label the provided diagram to show us where these areas are (1pt each).

1. Initiation of voluntary movement is intact. What set of structures must be functioning properly? Explain your reasoning:

2. The staggering and unrefined movements of the zombies suggests which structure may be impaired?* Explain your reasoning:

3. The zombies show a severely increased appetite, specifically for brains. What brain structure that regulates feeding behavior must be involved?* Explain your reasoning:

4. Zombies are not able to solve problems and demonstrate very impulsive behavior. What lobe must be damaged?* Explain your reasoning:

5. The zombies seem to show no memory of what has happened. Which structure must be damaged for this to be the case?

6. Their lack of fear suggests which brain structure is damaged?

7. In addition to lacking fear and memory, they seem to show no emotion except for rage. Given all those symptoms, which system appears to be dysfunctional? Explain your reasoning:

8. The zombies do not have good touch-sensations. This suggests the primary _______ cortex* in the __________ lobe* is dysfunctional.

9. Zombies are still able to orient to auditory and visual stimuli. The area of the brain responsible for their ability to reflexively orient towards a human voice is the ___________ _____________,* while the area responsible for their ability to reflexively orient towards a human running away from them is the ____________ _____________.*

10. Zombie still maintain their respiratory function. Which structure must still be intact?* Explain your reasoning:
11. Locate and label the 8 structures and lobes from the questions with asterisks (questions: 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 10). Some structures and areas have already been labeled to help you. You can label using textboxes and arrows in MS Word, print it out and label by hand, or whatever method works best for you.

Answer 1

The zombies primary sensory Cortex The primary somatosensory cortex is located in the postcentral gyrus, and is part of the somatosensory system. It was initially defined from surface stimulation studies of Wilder Penfield, and parallel surface potential studies of Bard, Woolsey, and Marshal

parietal lobe is the 2 nd answer

The primary somatosensory cortex is located in a ridge of cortex called the postcentral gyrus, which is found in the parietal lobe. It is situated just posterior to the central sulcus, a prominent fissure that runs down the side of the cerebral cortex.