Michelle Torres
Mr. Barile
English 1A
16 July 2015
Importance of the Brain
Thinking seems like something we do that vast amounts of effort is required to assist the process. However, that is not the case. Our brains work in a way that requires little effort for the most part. There are four main parts of our brains that help us involuntarily and those are the cerebrum, cerebellum, limbic system, and the brain stem. Each part of the brain also has important functioning areas within them. So the question at hand is: what do these functioning areas of the brain do and what do they do for us?
The Cerebrum is the largest part of the human brain. This is a part of the brain that is usually associated with higher brain functioning. Higher brain
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functioning in regards to our brain is both thought and action. This part of our brain is one of the most wrinkled areas. However the wrinkles are not a negative aspect since they make out brain work a lot more efficiently. How do the wrinkles affect the cerebrum? What the wrinkles do is increase the surface area, which simultaneously increase the amount of neurons involved in that area. This is called cortical folding. The cerebrum is also furrowed, which divides our brains into two halves. There is the right hemisphere which is related to creativity and there is the left hemisphere which is related to logic. There are four parts that the cerebrum is divided into that are important to our everyday functions, those parts are the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes.
The frontal lobe usually corresponds with reasoning, how we plan, our parts of speech, movement, emotion and our abilities to solve problems. Then there is the parietal lobe, this area of the cerebrum is related to movement, orientation, our ability to recognize things, and perception of stimuli. The occipital lobe is relative to visual processing and then there is the temporal lobe which is associated with perception, how we recognize auditory stimuli, memory, and our speech.
The next important part of our brain is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is usually referred to as the little brain, it is also the second largest region of the brain. The cerebellum is the second oldest part of our brain at an evolutionary level. This portion of our brain is another highly folded area. This area of the brain has to do with our methods of regulation, how our movements are coordinated, posture and balance.
Another equally important part of our brains is the limbic system. The limbic system is most often referred to as the “emotional brain”. This area of the brain is concealed by the cerebrum. Since it is the emotional part of our brain it contains areas that relate to emotion regulation, sleep, memory and spatial
information. The limbic system contains the thalamus, amygdala, hypothalamus and the ever important hippocampus. The thalamus is “a mass of gray matter deeply situated in the forebrain at the top most portion” (“Brain Structures and their Functions” 2015). What the thalamus does is it assists our sensory and motor functions since it is an area of our brain where neurons send information. Equally important to that, is the amygdala. The amygdala is the most developed part of the brain which is involved in memory, emotions, and fear. Next, there is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is on the underside of the thalamus and is usually involved in functions such as homeostasis, emotions, thirst/hunger regulation, the sleep cycle and the autonomic nervous system. The last component of the limbic system is the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the area of our brain that assists with learning, memory, and allowing us to recall spatial relationships. The last portion of the human brain that assists our daily lives is the brain stem. What the brain stem is responsible for is breathing, blood pressure, and heart functionality. It is usually referred to as the “simplest part of our brain” and is made up of the mid-brain, pons, and medulla. So what exactly is it that the mid-brain, pons, and medulla do for us as? For starters, the mid-brain is near the front of the brain stem. The mid-brain is most often involved with vision, hearing, eye and body movement. Then, there are the pons which are involved in motor control and our sensory analysis process. The pons are incredibly important for how our levels of consciousness are affected during the sleeping process. The last portion of the mid-brain is the medulla, also known as the medulla oblongata. The medulla is mostly responsible for maintaining vital bodily functions like breathing. Our entire body is controlled by an organ that weighs no more than 1400 grams. Every aspect of ourselves is constantly being assisted by the brain. The brain not only functions constantly, but also involuntarily. We as humans need to thoroughly acknowledge how amazing the brain truly is.
The brain has four major lobes. The frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe, and temporal lobe are responsible for all of the activities of the body, from seeing, hearing, tasting, to touching, moving, and even memory. After many years of debating, scientist presents what they called the localization issue, Garret explains how Fritsch and Hitzig studied dog with conforming observations, but the cases of Phineas Gage’s accident in 1848 and Paul Broca’s autopsy of a man brain in 1861 really grabbed the attention of an enthusiastic scientific community (Garret 2015 p.6)
The cerebrum is one of the parts of the brain that provides equilibrium when it comes to motor skills and plays a petit role in our concentration and language it also normalize our responses to fear and pleasure, with its appearance as an attached part at the bottom of the brain the cerebrum receives inputs from various parts of the brain and the spinal cord. (Pinel, 2009).
The cerebrum consists of two hemispheres, separated by a deep fissure called the Corpus Callosum, the hemispheres are divided into four lobes; the frontal, partials, occipital and temporal.
The cerebrum is located at the anterior-most part of the brain and is responsible for the combination of complex sensory and neural functions, as well as the initiation and coordination of voluntary activity in the body. It is the largest brain structure in humans and makes up two-thirds of the total mass of the brain (“Cerebrum Anatomy”, 2015). Its surface, a covering made up of grey matter usually 2-4mm thick, is called the cerebral cortex and is mainly made up of the cell bodies of neurons. The cerebral cortex is responsible for integrating sensory impulses, directing motor activity, and controlling higher intellectual functions. It is also responsible for the state of consciousness, which still remains a mystery to neurologists and the rest of the science community (Swenson, 2007).
The human brain is a very complex organ which controls everything that makes us who we are. The function of the brain is broken down into two hemispheres, each responsible for different aspects of the thought process. The left and right hemispheres impact learning by directly controlling the process in which information is analyzed utilizing each hemispheres specific function.
Technology and the Brain As a college student, using the internet and technology is a daily task. Everything you need for your classes: schedules, homework, quizzes, and even tests are all online. The debate on technology and the brain suggests that technology may have an effect on the brain, effect multi-tasking, and cause addiction. Brain Activity
The frontal lobe comprises a third of the brain and it enables us to engage in higher cognitive functions such as planning and problem solving (Jonides & Smith, 1999). The frontal lobe is divided into 3 regions, the motor cortex, premotor cortex, and prefrontal cortex. The motor cortex is located in the precentral gyrus and directs fine motor coordination. The premotor cortex is involved in planning, organizing, and integrating body movements. The prefrontal is involved in executive functions, including short-term memory, working memory, decision making, and prioritizing behaviors (Wilson, 2003). Some of the frontal lobe disorders than can cause brain damage and behavioral changes are Huntington’s disease, infection, stroke, tourettes, dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, tumors, closed head injury and traumatic brain injury (Chow, 2000).
The simple skill of writing, while something we all possess, has many different impacts on the brain. We think of it as a simple action, yet it can be as manipulative as a drug. Studies over the years have proven this using modern technology. Writing affects our minds in many different ways and in many different forms.
Although the brain only weighs about three pounds, it is a very powerful and essential organ in the body (Brain Structures and Their Functions). The cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brain stem are the three main parts of the brain. The cerebrum fills up most of the skull, its main functions are for remembering, problem solving, thinking, and feeling (Bellamy 23). It also controls movement throughout the body. The cerebellum is located towards the back of the head. It controls mostly just coordination and balance (Brain Structures and Their Functions). The brain stem is underneath the cerebrum and in front of your cerebellum. It attaches the brain to the spinal cord and controls functions like breathing, digestion, heart rate and blood pressure (Carter 12). The brain is also divided into halves. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, while the right side of the brain, controls the left side of the body (Bellamy 17).
The brain has many different parts to it which help one function through daily life; parts such as the cerebrum which controls voluntary movement and regulates functions such as thinking, speaking and the ability to recall information. The cerebellum controls the balance and coordination and finally the brain stem, which consists of the medulla oblongata and the spinal cord which controls all involuntary functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. The brain stem is also able to carry out these actions even when someone is asleep. To fully understand how crucial the brain is to survival one must understand the functions of the brain stem.
It is the most important part of the body, because without a brain, none of us would be alive. In the brain, there are the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum holds memories, controls movement, and does problem solving and thinking. It is the biggest part of your brain. The cerebellum is underneath the cerebrum and controls coordination and balance.
In the conclusion, many people opinion would disagree say the heart was the most important part of the body. They didn’t know the only way the heart will working is by the brain, and the neurons are sending signals. Our body are like light switch your turn back on and off, plus you could even restart your body. In other cases, the brain is the most tangled part of the human body. It is the center of alertness and also rules all voluntary and involuntary movement and bodily functions. It can communicates with each part of the body throughout the nervous system, is a network of channels that carry electrochemical signals.
The left and right hemispheres of the brain are each divided into sections. Within each sections are lobes, controlling such processes as our visualization, our movement, and our personalities. For instance, the occipital lobe in the back of our brain is responsible for processing vision, and the frontal lobe behind our forehead controls cognition and personality. The lobes of the brain are split between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. This well-designed arrangement is for the lobes to function correctly, so the two hemispheres of the brain can communicate with one
The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The brain doesn't just control your organs, but also can think and remember. That part of the brain is called the mind.
Most of the body’s functions such as, thinking, emotions, memories and so forth are controlled by the brain. It serves as a central nervous system in the human body. The mind is the intellect/consciousness that originates in the human brain and manifests itself in emotions, thoughts, perceptions and so forth. This means that the brain is the key interpreter of the mind’s content. Jackson and Nagel seem to resist identifying what we call “mental events” with brain events, for different reasons, while J.J.C. Smart takes the opposing view.