Despite the many advances in research and clinical technology, a lot of questions about the brain remain unanswered. Every day, we take who we are, what we perceive, and what we are able to do for granted, without sparing so much as a thought for the marvellous organ that helps to make it all possible.
So, the next time you pick a flower and smell it or rummage for the ripest apple at the market, take a moment to acknowledge how truly wonderful each and every one of your smallest actions is. The hypothalamus is a small area of the brain that helps to stimulate key functions. For example, it helps to regulate temperature, weight, emotions…. Once considered little more than tightly packed cabling, white matter is now known to be as important as gray matter.
We explain why white matter…. Are you looking for ways to improve your mind and boost brain power in ? Look no further; we have compiled the best brain enhancing methods to try. The human brain is a hugely complex organ, made of different areas that handle different functions.
The cerebellum is the part that handles many…. Unraveling the underlying neural mechanisms of human creativity is a tough knot to untie. Despite its difficulties, or perhaps because of them…. Seven or more things you didn't know about your brain. Written by Maria Cohut, Ph.
Share on Pinterest Brain size can vary, depending on age, sex, and overall body mass. How big are our brains? It has the ability to send and receive a large amount of information. Because of this, there are still many mysteries about the human brain. Here are some quick facts to help you understand the most complicated organ in your body.
The texture of the brain is like a firm jelly. The heaviest normal human brain weighed 4. It belonged to the Russian Writer Ivan Turgenev. And the smallest brain, just 2. Dehydration and a loss of sodium and electrolytes can cause acute changes in memory and attention. To prevent any loss of body or brain function, take steps to keep your body properly hydrated. The human brain is the largest brain of all vertebrates relative to body size. Chemical activity in your brain, the nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull, or the muscles of your head and neck or some combination of these factors can play a role in primary headaches.
Serotonin is a chemical necessary for communication between nerve cells. When serotonin or estrogen levels change, the result for some is a headache or migraine. Serotonin levels may affect both sexes, while fluctuating estrogen levels affect women only.
This is about the same as the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. These neurons are connected by trillions of connections, or synapses. Information runs between these neurons in your brain for everything we see, think, or do. These neurons move information at different speeds.
The fastest speed for information to pass between neurons is about mph. We actually use all of it. The brain has a higher cholesterol content than any other organ. The brain is highly dependent on cholesterol, but its cholesterol metabolism is unique. Because the blood-brain barrier prevents brain cells from taking up cholesterol from the blood, the brain must produce its own cholesterol.
The limbic system in the mid-brain deals with emotions in both waking and dreaming and includes the amygdala, which is mostly associated with fear and is especially active during dreams. Dreams are proof that your brain is working even when you are sleeping. The average human has about dreams per night. When you play the piano or hit a tennis ball you are activating the cerebellum. The uppermost part of the brainstem is the midbrain, which controls some reflex actions and is part of the circuit involved in the control of eye movements and other voluntary movements.
The forebrain is the largest and most highly developed part of the human brain: it consists primarily of the cerebrum 2 and the structures hidden beneath it see " The Inner Brain ".
When people see pictures of the brain it is usually the cerebrum that they notice. The cerebrum sits at the topmost part of the brain and is the source of intellectual activities. It holds your memories, allows you to plan, enables you to imagine and think. It allows you to recognize friends, read books, and play games. The cerebrum is split into two halves hemispheres by a deep fissure. Despite the split, the two cerebral hemispheres communicate with each other through a thick tract of nerve fibers that lies at the base of this fissure.
Although the two hemispheres seem to be mirror images of each other, they are different. For instance, the ability to form words seems to lie primarily in the left hemisphere, while the right hemisphere seems to control many abstract reasoning skills. For some as-yet-unknown reason, nearly all of the signals from the brain to the body and vice-versa cross over on their way to and from the brain.
This means that the right cerebral hemisphere primarily controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere primarily controls the right side.
When one side of the brain is damaged, the opposite side of the body is affected. For example, a stroke in the right hemisphere of the brain can leave the left arm and leg paralyzed. Each cerebral hemisphere can be divided into sections, or lobes, each of which specializes in different functions. To understand each lobe and its specialty we will take a tour of the cerebral hemispheres, starting with the two frontal lobes 3 , which lie directly behind the forehead. When you plan a schedule, imagine the future, or use reasoned arguments, these two lobes do much of the work.
One of the ways the frontal lobes seem to do these things is by acting as short-term storage sites, allowing one idea to be kept in mind while other ideas are considered.
In the rearmost portion of each frontal lobe is a motor area 4 , which helps control voluntary movement. When you enjoy a good meal—the taste, aroma, and texture of the food—two sections behind the frontal lobes called the parietal lobes 6 are at work.
The forward parts of these lobes, just behind the motor areas, are the primary sensory areas 7. These areas receive information about temperature, taste, touch, and movement from the rest of the body. Reading and arithmetic are also functions in the repertoire of each parietal lobe. As you look at the words and pictures on this page, two areas at the back of the brain are at work. These lobes, called the occipital lobes 8 , process images from the eyes and link that information with images stored in memory.
Funny Fill-In. Amazing Animals. Weird But True! Party Animals. Try This! Explore More. Your brain generates enough electricity to power a lightbulb. Neurons send info to your brain at more than miles kilometers per hour. When you learn, you change the structure of your brain. Exercise helps make you smarter.
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