Contents:
- Medical Video: How the Brain Works Part 1 (UCLA)
- What is the brain made of?
- What are the main parts of the brain?
- Cerebrum
- Cerebellum
- Brain stem
- How to keep the brain healthy?
Medical Video: How the Brain Works Part 1 (UCLA)
Our brain is made of about 100 billion nerve cells called neurons. This is the most important part of the central nervous system that controls the ability to think, speak, feel, see, hear, breathe and make memory.
What is the brain made of?
The human brain has a weight of 1.3 to 1.4 kg and is made from a collection of soft and tender tissue like jelly and nerves that are connected to the spinal cord. Brain-forming cells are called neurons. Neurons have different forms depending on the location of the body and the role they have. Every neuron has projection like a finger called dendrites and long fibers that are axons.
There are 2 types material in the brain: material gray and material white. Gray matter receives and stores impulses and is the main nerve cell in the brain. The white matter in the brain carries impulses to and from gray matter. White matter contains nerve fibers (axons). White matter also includes most nervous systems where they can deliver and collect electrochemical signals. White matter makes tissue from millions of nerve fibers.
Some nerves in the brain go directly to the eyes, ears and other parts of the brain. Other nerves connect the brain to other parts of the body through the spinal cord.
What are the main parts of the brain?
The brain has 3 main parts: the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem.
Cerebrum
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, 85% of the total brain weight. The cerebrum has a wrinkled surface, the cerebral cortex, which consists of gray matter. Below the cerebral cortex is gray matter.
Cerebrum in humans is very large and more primary from other parts of the brain. The large outer part of the brain regulates the activities of reading, thinking, learning, speaking, emotions and planned muscle movements such as walking. Cerebrum also controls vision, hearing and other senses.
Cerebrum is divided into 2 hemispheres. The left part of the cerebrum controls the right side of the body and the left part of the cerebrum controls the left side of the body. The cerebrum is then divided into 4 parts:
- Frontal lobe: responsible for cognitive function and decision making.
- Temporal lobe: responsible for processing memory, combining it with taste, sound, sight, touch and emotional sensations.
- Parietal lobe: responsible for processing information about temperature, taste, touch, movement and spatial orientation.
- Occipital lobe: responsible for vision.
Cerebellum
The second largest part of the brain is the cerebellum, which is below the back of the cerebrum. The cerebellum has an important function in motor control and is responsible for coordinating muscle movements and controlling balance. The cerebellum consists of gray and white matter and transmits information to the spinal cord and other parts of the brain.
Brain stem
The brain stem is located in the lower part of the brain, connecting the cerebrum with the spinal cord.
How to keep the brain healthy?
Like the body, your brain can be trained to stay healthy. Here are some things you can do to keep your brain healthy.
It is clear that the more you train and use the brain, the better the brain's performance. The health of your brain can be affected by eating healthy, genetically good foods. In theory, you can train your brain since you are young, where the brain is in the most active condition and builds habits and cognitive memory. You can train the brain with activities such as sudoku, crossword puzzles and reading. Maintaining physical health can also help your brain.
Like other body parts, the brain needs blood to supply nutrients and oxygen. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol can cause blockages in the blood vessels that lead to the brain. To prevent this, give nutrients to the brain such as omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and vitamins B and D.
The complexity of the brain has not been explored further, but the brain is an organ that makes us human, providing capacity for art, language, moral and rational mind.
