The Brain: The Negative Effects Of Damage To The Brain

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Weighing only 3 pounds, the human brain is the most complex structure known to man. It is what sets humans apart from the rest of the other animals. It is a powerful organ that allows us to learn, store memories, think creatively, and communicate with one and another. Physical damage to any organ in the human body can be detrimental and that is no different with the brain. However, once the brain is damaged, there is often nothing that can be done. Damage to the brain is not only done physically, but a person 's lifestyle, in particular, living in poverty has negative effects to the brain. According to the 2012 Census report, poverty affects 46.5 million people in the United States alone. Out of the 46.5 million people, 16 million are children. The National Scientific Council report summarized the conditions associated with poverty "as overcrowding, noise, substandard housing, separation from parent(s), exposure to violence, family turmoil," and other stressful …show more content…

The brains of children are still developing; however, constant stressful conditions can stun or slow down the development of the brain. Furthermore, high levels of cortisol have shown to convert the stems cells present in the brain to mature into oligodendrocytes, a type of glial cell responsible for producing the myelin sheath (a type of fatty covering for the nerve cells), instead of maturing into mature neurons or astrocytes. Even though myelin sheath is important, astrocytes are needed for the formation of connections to the prefrontal cortex. Therefore, resulting in issues with memory and learning. Additionally, high levels of cortisol have shown to destroy the nerve cells present in the hippocampus resulting in a decrease in size. Consequently, these children suffer intellectual, memory, and spatial learning

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