The human body is built out of so many complex organs which differently serve their purpose. The heart pumps blood. The stomach digests food. The kidneys filter blood. The brain controls thoughts, memories, and other organs as well. So what do we know about the human brain?
The brain is one of the largest and most complex organs in the human body. It controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger, and every process that regulates our body. The brain weighs about 3 pounds in the average adult and is about 60% fat and 40% is a combination of water, protein, carbohydrates, and salts. The brain contains blood vessels and nerves, including neurons and glial cells, and is not counted as a muscle. The brain is made up of more than a hundred billion communicational nerves known as synapses.
The brain can be divided into 3 main parts: the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and consists of the right and left hemispheres. It performs higher functions like interpreting touch, vision, and hearing, as well as speech, reasoning, emotions, learning, and fine control of movement. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body, and the left half controls the right side of the body. In general, the left hemisphere controls speech, comprehension, arithmetic, and writing. The right hemisphere controls creativity, spatial ability, artistic, and musical skills. The left hemisphere is dominant in hand use and language in about 92% of people. The brainstem is located in the middle of the brain and acts as a relay center connecting the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord. It performs many automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, wake and sleep cycles, digestion, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, and swallowing. The cerebellum or the little brain is located at the base and the back of the brain. It is responsible for the coordination of muscle movements, posture, and balance. The brain is surrounded by a layer of tissue called the meninges and the skull (cranium) helps protect the brain from injury.
There are 4 lobes of the human brain in which each one of them functions differently. The frontal lobes are the largest lobes of the brain and are responsible for personality, behavior, emotions, judgment, planning, problem-solving, speaking and writing, and other motor functions. The parietal lobes interpret language, words, sense of touch, pain, temperature, signals from vision, hearing, sensory, motor, and memory. The occipital lobes contain the visual processing system which interprets vision like color, light, and movement. The temporal lobes are involved with short-term memory, speech, musical rhythm, sequencing and organization, and some degree of smell recognition.
The brain works by sending and receiving chemical and electrical signals throughout the body. Different signals control different processes, and your brain interprets each. Some messages are kept within the brain, while others are relayed through the spine and across the body’s vast network of nerves to distant extremities. To do this, the central nervous system relies on billions of neurons (nerve cells).
Sources:
BBC. (2019, September 5). What are the organs of the human body? BBC Bitesize. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/znyycdm/articles/zbpdqhv.
Hoffman, M. (n.d.). Brain (human anatomy): Picture, function, parts, conditions, and more. WebMD. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.webmd.com/brain/picture-of-the-brain.
Brain anatomy and how the brain works. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain.
Mayfield Brain & Spine. mayfieldclinic.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-anatbrain.htm.
Written by: Sonalen Saing
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