Let’s get to know the brain better

Every animal such as mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians – like humans has an organ called the brain. But the human brain is unique. Although our brain is not the largest among living things, it gives us the power to speak, imagine and solve problems. This is truly an amazing organ.

The brain performs an incredible number of tasks, including:

It controls body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.

Your brain receives information from your various senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch) about the world around you.

It controls when you move, talk, stand or sit, and shake objects.

It allows you to have your own feelings, dreams, and thoughts.

All these tasks are regulated and coordinated by a member that is the size of a small cauliflower.

The brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves are a complex and integrated information processing and control system known as the central nervous system. Together, they regulate all conscious and unconscious aspects of your life. The scientific study of the brain and nervous system is called neuroscience or neurobiology.

Your brain is made up of approximately 100 billion nerve cells called neurons. Neurons have an amazing ability to collect and transmit electrochemical signals

Neurons are similar to other cells, but their electrochemical aspect enables them to send signals over long distances.

Neurons have three basic parts:

cell body This main part contains all the necessary components of the cell, such as the nucleus (containing DNA), endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes (to make proteins) and mitochondria (to make energy).

The axon, which carries the electrochemical message (nerve impulse or action potential) along the length of the cell, like a cable. Depending on the type of neuron, axons can be covered with a thin layer of myelin sheath, like the insulation of an electric wire. Myelin is made of fat and protein and helps speed the transmission of a nerve impulse down a long axon. Myelinated neurons are typically found in peripheral nerves (sensory and motor neurons), while unmyelinated neurons are found in the brain and spinal cord.

Dendrites or nerve endings. These tiny projections make connections to other cells and allow the neuron to communicate with other cells or sense the environment. Dendrites can be seen at one or both ends of a cell.

Neurons have different sizes. For example, a sensory neuron from the tip of your finger has an axon that travels the length of the arm to reach the brain, whereas a neuron in the brain may be only a few millimeters long.

They are different depending on the function of the neurons. Motor neurons that control muscle contraction are located on one side of the cell body, at the other end of the dendrites, which are connected to the cell body through a long axon.

Sensory neurons have dendrites at both ends, and are connected by a long axon to the cell body in the middle. Interneurons or interneurons carry information between motor and sensory neurons.

These basic parts of the nervous system are also different according to their function.

Sensory neurons transmit signals from the external parts of the body (environment) to the central nervous system.

Motor neurons, or motoneurons, carry signals from the central nervous system to the outside parts of your body (muscles, skin, glands).

Interneurons connect different neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

The simplest type of neural pathway is a single-synaptic (single-connection) reflex pathway, such as the knee-jerk reflex. When the doctor taps the right spot on your knee with a rubber mallet, the receptors send a signal to the spinal cord through a sensory neuron. The sensory neuron transmits this message to a motor neuron that controls your leg muscles. Nerve impulses are sent down the motor neuron and lead to muscle contraction. This response is an intense muscle movement that happens quickly and is not processed in the brain. Humans have many such reflexes, but the more complex they become, the more complex they become, and the brain is involved in many of them.

The brain has the following parts:

The brainstem, which includes the medulla (a large part of the upper spinal cord), the pons, and the midbrain. The brain controls reflexes and automatic functions (heart rate, blood pressure), limb movements, and visceral functions (digestion, urination).

The cerebellum receives information from the vestibular system that indicates position and movement and uses this data to coordinate limb movements.

The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are responsible for intellectual functions, body temperature, and behavioral responses such as feeding, drinking, sexual response, violence, and pleasure.

The brain (also called the cerebral cortex or cortex) includes the cortex, many fiber tracts (corpus callosum) and some deeper structures (basal ganglia, amygdala, and hippocampus). These parts integrate information from all sensory organs, initiate movement, control emotions, and memory and thinking processes.

The lower brain includes the spinal cord, brain stem and diencephalon. The midbrain itself includes the medulla, corpus callosum, midbrain, hypothalamus, and thalamus.

Within each of these structures are nerve cell centers, known as nuclei, that are specialized for specific functions (breathing, heart regulation, sleep).

Medulla – The medulla contains a center for regulating blood pressure and breathing, as well as a section for distributing information from the sensory organs that come from the cranial nerves.

corpus callosum – this part contains the center that transmits movement and position information from the cerebellum to the cortex. It also contains nuclei involved in breathing, taste and sleep and connects the medulla to the midbrain.

The midbrain includes centers that connect different parts of the brain involved in motor function (cerebellum, basal ganglia, cerebral cortex), eye movements, and auditory control. One part, called the substantia nigra, is involved in voluntary movements. When this part does not work, tremors like Parkinson’s disease symptoms are experienced.

Thalamus – The thalamus connects the sensory pathways entering the brain to the appropriate cortical areas, makes aware of sensory information and participates in the exchange of motor information between the cerebellum, basal ganglia and cerebral cortex.

Hypothalamus – The hypothalamus contains the center that controls hormonal secretions from the pituitary gland. These centers monitor sexual reproduction, eating, drinking, growth and behavior of mothers such as lactation (milk production in mammals). The hypothalamus is also involved in almost every aspect of behavior, including your biological “clock” which is associated with the light-dark cycle (daily rhythms).