Remede

I would like to bring some other information to the table that you might be unaware of ...if you have any severe stuffiness in the neck do not ignore it or stiffness that stretches into the back of the head....or sudden pounding in the head often after exercise ...like a pulse or sinus rhythms in the head and a loud pounding in the ears ...these can be sign of subliminal bleeding in the brain ...and this type of stroke you hardly have any time the effects are not gradual the person almost immediately lose their speech movement it is not gradual at all in many cases accompanied by a violent seizure ...this is the difference between a hemmoragic stroke a bleed into the brain ...and an ischemic stroke caused by a clot...so I felt as a stroke survivor of both kind of Strokes I would like to give you a bit of insight.

The brain is a fabulously complex organ. It alone takes up 30% of all our resources and is the driving force of over 90% of our body. But, what exactly is the brain, the mind? We’re going to look over some of the functions of the brain, the basic structures, and discuss the importance of them in our lives.

how the human brain works
The last 10% comes from the endocrine system working on its own, reflex motion, and ‘gut feeling’. But, that’s a whole other topic.

Structure & Function of the Brain

The brain is part of the nervous system. It controls and works with the spinal cord as part of the central nervous system. The brain directly interacts with the cranial nerves, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, and the cranial nerves control the autonomic or involuntary nerves. The somatic or voluntary motor nerves are the other part of the peripheral nervous system and indirectly work with the brain. It also accepts sensations from the sensory nerves, those of which are in the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Some of these nerves directly connect to the brain, especially the olfactory nerves.

Traditionally, it was thought that the brain controlled every organ in the body, including the heart, digestive system, and muscles. However, we have found out in recent years that the brain may be the driving force, but all of the nerves in the body are able to function on their own and are responsive to the nervous system and endocrine system. Reflex actions, such as when the doctor taps your knee and you kick, are part of this response.

When the brain works with the other organs of the endocrine system, they are able to produce chemicals and nerve impulses that affect every other part of our body. The endocrine primarily produces neurotransmitters, some of which are acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and many, many more. We have several articles on these, so follow the links above to learn more.

The brain is incredibly complex and can do just about anything. Primarily, the main function of the brain is storage of memories and coordination of nerve impulses. The brain controls our conscious movements and has majority control over unconscious movements.

But, how does the brain think? That is a question that’s been puzzling scientists because our brains are so unique throughout the whole world. Humans are the only species of animal that can reason and deduce. We appear to be the only creatures that have control of the brain, rather than having the brain control us. Whole religions have formed around how to control the brain, and we have some articles over here on how to improve your memory to help you begin to control yours.

The Human Brain Anatomy

We’re not going to delve deep into the parts of the human brain, because this is such a complex topic. We recommend signing up for a course at your local college on anatomy and physiology in order to get the full scope of exactly what the brain is and how it functions.

The brain is made of two major elements: nerves and endocrine tissue. It contains billions of nerves and several endocrine organs. Located in the skull, the brain sits atop the whole body. We literally start thinking from the top downward.

Scientists have been looking for a map of the human brain and its functions since the discovery of the importance of the brain, but as we learn more about the brain, we realize it has become an incredibly complex and difficult task.

At first, scientists were not sure of what part of the brain controlled what, but now we know it is different in different people and can vary in different cultures. For example, people who have experienced stroke are able to adapt their brains so that one part of the brain can take over the function of another. The literal way of how the human brain processes information changes through this adaptation.

Scientists have also discovered that ancestry and upbringing can affect how the brain performs various functions. Language is a perfect example of this: Asian languages are concept languages that can convey thoughts via groupings of descriptor words and each word can have layers of meaning. Haiku is an extreme example. Indo-European languages are literal or semantic languages where word order and phrasing give the depth of meaning and each word is specific and unique.

The brain is divided into four main sections, which each have a few subsections. Here’s the main breakdown:

Cerebrum

Main thinking part of the brain

Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Temproral Lobe
Limbic System

Diencephalon
Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Brain Stem

Medulla Oblongata
Pons
Mid Brain
Cerebellum

brain parts and functions
When we begin looking at the human brain, it is easy to say that the cerebrum is the most important part of the brain. In the brain, it is how we humans learn, process information, store information, and how we retrieve things or remember. It is nearly homogeneous in nature, with the cells that make up the section of the brain being virtually identical.

cerebrum parts and function
However, without the other sections of our brain, there would be no need for this. The cerebellum dictates our ability to move and maintain posture. The diencephalon helps regulate our body temperature, emotions, and sensory input. The brain stem is the main area where breathing, digestion, and our hearts are regulated. We need every part of our brain to be human.

Major Structures of the Brain

The four main parts of the brain are what we covered earlier. Looking at the anatomical structure of the brain, the brainstem contains the area that controls unconscious functions. It is also the go-between between the higher functions of the brain and the rest of the body. It is also known as The Reptilian part of our brain, as most of our instincts emerge from this area.

Brainstem

brainstem anatomy
The brainstem contains the medulla. This is a two-way conduction between the spinal cord and the higher brain centers. Cardiac, respiratory, and vasomotor control centers are located here. It is composed of both gray matter and white matter that are mixed closely to form the reticular formation.

The pons is a slightly more bulbous area of the brain stem that is a two-way pathway between the brain and the other regions of the body. Its main control is over respiration. This is composed mostly of white matter, with a little bit of gray matter interspersed.

The mid-brain is the go-between of the higher and lower functions of the brain. It is a visual, auditory and olfactory relay that is composed mostly of white matter, with a little bit of gray matter next in.

gray matter vs white matter
Diencephalon

The diencephalon is perhaps the smallest portion of our brain. However, it might be the most important. This is the location of the pituitary, pineal, hypothalamus and thalamus gland. These glands are incredibly important to the body as they produce some of the most potent hormones in our body.

diencephalon definition and function
The thalamus sits on top of the hypothalamus and helps produce sensations for the body. It is one of the chief controllers of the pleasant or unpleasant feelings, as well as arousal. The hypothalamus is one of the smallest organs in the body and has control over nearly all organs of the body. It helps control the vital functions of the heartbeat, construction and dilation of the blood vessels, and contraction of the stomach and intestine. Antidiuretic hormones are produced here and they control the amount of urine that is excreted. The hypothalamus is responsible for maintaining body temperature and producing the hormones that control the release and production of nearly all the other hormones in the body.

The pineal gland is unusual. Being larger in the young, it tends to become encrusted with calcium deposits as a person ages. It is the production center for melatonin * and what some consider the third eye.

The pituitary gland is a high hormone-producing gland. It is the production center for the thyroid stimulating hormones, adrenocorticotropic (cortisol) production, follicle stimulating hormones (producing eggs/ secrete estrogen), luteinizing hormones (releases the egg), and other growth hormones. It will also produce prolactin during nursing.

Cerebrum

The cerebrum is located in the back part of the brain. It lies under the occipital lobe of the cerebellum. The primary function is muscle coordination and the maintenance of equilibrium and posture. Is difficult to monitor this section of the brain, because it is so vital to every motion of our body.

In relation to the function of the cerebrum, this is a hard question to answer. This is because the neurons of the cerebrum do not function alone and are work with many other parts of the brain to coordinate motion.

Cerebellum

The cerebellum is the largest part of the human brain and the most developed. It is the seat of human learning and what we most think of when people mention the brain. The cerebrum controls our sensory perception, emotional control, conscious motion, and memory. This is where we think.

Minor Structures of the Brain

Of course, the brain is not just nerves. There is a large number of blood vessels that supply the brain with nutrients. However, they do not run into the brain itself. The brain is covered by a thin membrane that is most often known as the blood-brain barrier. It permits certain chemicals, oxygen, and nutrients to reach the brain, but keeps out many of the undesirable drugs and waste products.

Each nerve within the brain is covered by a myelin sheath. This is the thin layer of fats and proteins that protect the nerve from outside stimulus. It is this sheath that is just destroyed by excessive sugar in the blood and other diseases that cause neuropathy and nerve degeneration.

Within the cerebrospinal fluid are many of the hormones and nutrients that the brain uses to sustain itself. This fluid is very pure and sterile, being held in place by the blood-brain barrier. In the case of accidents or surgery, when this barrier is breached, the likelihood of survival goes way down. Infection is highly likely given the very nutrient-rich fluid that the brain sets in.

International Nurses Day is an international day observed around the world on 12 May each year, to mark the contributions that nurses make to society.

We salute the efforts taken by the frontline medical professionals.