The Human Brain is an important and interesting organ, which controls and co-ordinates the functions of each and every cell, in the human body. The brain, along with the spinal cord, is the supreme authority for the working of all other organs. The human brain is protected by a system of membranes known as 'meninges' and enclosed in a bony structure called 'cranium'. On average, a typical human brain weighs 1.5 kg. It contains about 80 to 120 billion nerve cells. It is considered to be one of the most complex organs of the human body.
The human brain consists of many parts. Some of the prominent ones are:
The human brain consists of many parts. Some of the prominent ones are:
- Cerebrum
- Cerebellum
- Brainstem
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Hippocampus and
- Amygdala
Cerebrum:
The cerebrum (represented in brown colour, with wrinkled surface, in the image above), also known as the telencephalon, is the largest part of the human brain. It consists of two hemispheres - the left cerebral hemisphere and the right cerebral hemisphere (The two cerebral hemispheres can be seen in the introductory image). The left cerebral hemisphere controls the right half portion of the human body and the right cerebral hemisphere controls the left half portion of the human body. The two cerebral hemispheres are connected by a wide, flat bundle of nerve fibres called 'corpus callosum'. The cerebrum is surrounded by a sheet of neural tissue known as the 'cerebral cortex'. The cerebral cortex consists of four main lobes or regions - The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe. The cerebrum directs the movements of each and every part of the human body. It is the part of the human brain, that enables a person to learn, think, reason, memorize and experiment. The cerebrum also processes information from the sensory organs of the human body.
Cerebellum:
The cerebellum (In Latin, 'cerebellum' means 'little brain') is a small part of the human brain, found beneath the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex (see the image above). Its main function is to create and co-ordinate the movements of the muscular system and the skeletal system of the human body. It is also associated with remembering, understanding and producing language, making decisions, solving problems and attention.
Brainstem:
The brainstem (shown in violet colour, in the image above) is the region of the human brain that connects the brain with the spinal cord. It consists of three parts namely the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. The midbrain (also known as mesencephalon) helps to relay information for hearing and vision. The pons deals with taste, eye movement, sleeping, swallowing, respiration, hearing, facial expressions etc. The medulla oblongata acts as a reflex center for sneezing, coughing, swallowing, vomiting and contains nuclei for controlling heart beat, blood pressure and respiration.
Thalamus:
The thalamus (refer the image above) is a structure in the human brain, located between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain. It is also known as the 'Gateway of Cerebral Cortex'. It receives information from various sensory organs of the human body and sends it to the cerebrum.
Hypothalamus:
Located below the thalamus, the hypothalamus (see the image above) is one of the most important parts of the human brain. It connects the endocrine system with the nervous system via the pituitary gland. It controls emotions like happiness, sadness, fear, shock, anger, anxiety etc. It also consists of a variety of other nuclei that perform various other functions.
Hippocampus and Amygdalae:
Hippocampus, another important part of the brain, plays a major role in consolidation of information and spatial navigation. The amygdalae (singular: amygdala) are almond-shaped groups of nuclei found within the medial temporal lobes of the human brain.
Apart from these important parts, the human brain also contains various other parts that perform specialized tasks.
The brain is one of the most wonderful organs in the human body. It forms the physical structure that generates the mind. It is the center for all actions of the body. A defect in any part of the human brain will affect the functioning of many parts of the human body.
The cerebrum (represented in brown colour, with wrinkled surface, in the image above), also known as the telencephalon, is the largest part of the human brain. It consists of two hemispheres - the left cerebral hemisphere and the right cerebral hemisphere (The two cerebral hemispheres can be seen in the introductory image). The left cerebral hemisphere controls the right half portion of the human body and the right cerebral hemisphere controls the left half portion of the human body. The two cerebral hemispheres are connected by a wide, flat bundle of nerve fibres called 'corpus callosum'. The cerebrum is surrounded by a sheet of neural tissue known as the 'cerebral cortex'. The cerebral cortex consists of four main lobes or regions - The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and temporal lobe. The cerebrum directs the movements of each and every part of the human body. It is the part of the human brain, that enables a person to learn, think, reason, memorize and experiment. The cerebrum also processes information from the sensory organs of the human body.
Cerebellum:
The cerebellum (In Latin, 'cerebellum' means 'little brain') is a small part of the human brain, found beneath the occipital lobe of the cerebral cortex (see the image above). Its main function is to create and co-ordinate the movements of the muscular system and the skeletal system of the human body. It is also associated with remembering, understanding and producing language, making decisions, solving problems and attention.
Brainstem:
The brainstem (shown in violet colour, in the image above) is the region of the human brain that connects the brain with the spinal cord. It consists of three parts namely the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. The midbrain (also known as mesencephalon) helps to relay information for hearing and vision. The pons deals with taste, eye movement, sleeping, swallowing, respiration, hearing, facial expressions etc. The medulla oblongata acts as a reflex center for sneezing, coughing, swallowing, vomiting and contains nuclei for controlling heart beat, blood pressure and respiration.
Thalamus:
The thalamus (refer the image above) is a structure in the human brain, located between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain. It is also known as the 'Gateway of Cerebral Cortex'. It receives information from various sensory organs of the human body and sends it to the cerebrum.
Hypothalamus:
Located below the thalamus, the hypothalamus (see the image above) is one of the most important parts of the human brain. It connects the endocrine system with the nervous system via the pituitary gland. It controls emotions like happiness, sadness, fear, shock, anger, anxiety etc. It also consists of a variety of other nuclei that perform various other functions.
Hippocampus and Amygdalae:
Hippocampus, another important part of the brain, plays a major role in consolidation of information and spatial navigation. The amygdalae (singular: amygdala) are almond-shaped groups of nuclei found within the medial temporal lobes of the human brain.
Apart from these important parts, the human brain also contains various other parts that perform specialized tasks.
The brain is one of the most wonderful organs in the human body. It forms the physical structure that generates the mind. It is the center for all actions of the body. A defect in any part of the human brain will affect the functioning of many parts of the human body.
No comments:
Post a Comment