Final answer:
Sensitive parts of the body like the face and fingers fill disproportionate areas on the Penfield map, while less sensitive parts like the legs or back have smaller representations. The Penfield map, also known as the Penfield homunculus, is a representation of the human body mapped onto the primary motor and sensory cortex of the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The parts of the body that fill disproportionate areas of the Penfield map are the sensitive parts like the face and fingers. The map on the brain's cortex represents these sensitive parts with more areas than less sensitive parts like the legs or back. The Penfield map, also known as the Penfield homunculus, is a representation of the human body mapped onto the primary motor and sensory cortex of the brain. It was developed by Canadian neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield based on his observations during brain surgery.
The body parts are represented in a distorted manner, and the amount of cortical space dedicated to a body part is proportional to the degree of sensitivity or motor control that part has. Body parts with greater sensitivity or fine motor control are represented by larger areas on the Penfield map. For example, the hands, face, and tongue are disproportionately large on the Penfield map because they have a higher density of sensory receptors and finer motor control. In contrast, less sensitive areas like the trunk and legs are represented by smaller areas. In summary, the parts of the body that fill disproportionate areas on the Penfield map are those with higher sensitivity and fine motor control.