A person can live with his brain literally split in two. Human brain has two sections, the left one responsible for rational, analytical, quantitative and logical thinking and the right one responsible for imaginative, conceptual and intuitive. If these two hemispheres are separated, the patient will survive only with some notable differences. The person wasn't able to learn with the two hemispheres simultaneously.
2. What was the reason why this procedure was performed on patients?
These two hemispheres are connected together by a little bundle of nerves called corpus callosum that used to be cut in 1960' to treat a kind of epilepsy.
3. Explain one of the tests Sperry and Gazzaniga performed on these split brain patients.
a) A person with split brain would be shown a picture, for example a fork, and then asked what it is.
b) Person would be given an object and asked what it was.
4. What were the results of this test?
a) The person would not be able to say what the picture is, yet would be able to write it on the paper and be aware that he wrote something.
b) If a person would be given an object, for example a toothbrush, to hand that is taken care of by hemisphere also responsible for visual things, person would understand what he is holding but wouldn't be able to say what it is, just show brushing motion.
5. What is the reason that these results occurred?
Since the brain is split, the two hemispheres do not communicate with each other. It is almost as if the people had two brains and you can talk only to one at a time.
6. What is the corpus callosum and what role does it serve in your brain?
Corpus callosum is a bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of brain and allows communication between them which allows simultaneous work and understanding.
Sources:
http://www.openzine.com/aspx/ReadMore.aspx?ID=122859&lid=78&IssueID=19000&zineID=0&divid=317
http://www.macalester.edu/academics/psychology/whathap/ubnrp/split_brain/pioneers.html
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