The Super Organ: Human Brain Anatomy, Function

The crown on your body is the wrinkly mass that controls every single activity you do. You are able to read this article, perceive it, understand it because of this fantastic organ — the brain. It is rightly the most complex organ yet discovered. Well, the credit for the complexity of human beings — the reason why we are so very difficult to understand — goes to this super organ.

The human brain is well protected in a bony case called the “cranium”.There are three membranes that assist the cranium in protecting our brain. These membranes are known as “meninges”. The meninx just inside the cranium is the “dura mater”, Latin for “hard mother”; the one in the middle is “arachnoid mater”, Latin for “spider mother”, so called because of the network — a web — of blood vessels in it; and the innermost one which contacts the brain tissue, is the “pia mater”, Latin for “soft mother”. The cranium is the brain case; it is one part of the skull which also includes facial bones.

Our brain weighs about 1,400-1,500 grams, or about 1.5 kg. Isn't it surprising that our body doesn’t feel this weight at all? Well, that’s not by magic. Our brain is suspended in “cerebrospinal fluid” (CSF) which provides buoyancy. Our brain essentially floats in the cranium and this causes the net weight to be just 25-30 grams.

Brain Anatomy; Brain Function

About 75% of our brain is made up of water. This means dehydration can badly affect brain function. So, thumb rule: drink lots of water. Our brain controls each and every activity of our body and for that, it has a lot of surface area. The depressions are called “sulci” and the elevations, “gyri”. They give the brain its wrinkled appearance.

The human brain is divided into two halves: the right and the left. There is no right or wrong or better or worse part. It is just that anything happening with your right side is controlled by the left part of your brain. In general, the right side controls creativity and musical skills, and the left part controls speech, arithmetic and writing. So, if you were wondering why everyone is not equally good at maths, now you know.

Also Read,

• Build Your Brain: Ways To Improve Long-Term Memory
• Why Having A Value System Is Indispensible
• Exam Time: How To Best Support Your Child
• Physics: Projectile Motion That Won India An Olympic Gold

Your brain is now trying to grasp this piece on its own. But how does it actually work? The brain sends and receives chemical and electrical signals to and from throughout the body. Different signals control different processes, and your brain interprets each. The brain cells, called “neurons” are responsible for transmitting these signals. Our body has around 86 billion neurons.

The brain is wildly fascinating. Consider the facts below and you’ll see why.

• Your brain can generate enough electricity to power a light bulb. The neurons are responsible for this

• Brain information travels at the speed of 270 miles per hour. This is faster than Formula One race cars

• Men’s brains are 10% larger than women’s but the memory area, the “hippocampus”, and the problem-solving areas are larger in women. This is why women tend to have sharper memories

• We are neither left-brained nor right-brained; we are all “whole-brained”

• The brain can perceive the world and generate thoughts. But memory is just as amazing. It is estimated your brain can store 2,500,000 gigabytes of information.

• Crosswords, Sudoku, Rubik’s Cubes are proven to have increased memory and intellectual skills. So, grab one

• You can't tickle yourself as the brain understands the difference between unexpected touch and self-touch.

• The human brain is 60% fat, making it the fattiest organ. Surprisingly, it is the fastest too

• You either snore or you dream

Neuroplasticity: Human Brain And Learning

When you are learning, important changes take place in your brain. These changes include creation of new connections between your neurons. This phenomenon is known as “neuroplasticity”. The more you practice, the stronger these connections become. So, thumb rule: practice makes you perfect. When you stop practicing something, the connections between your neurons weaken.So our brain is very dynamic and this is the real super power of this organ.

The human attention span is between 12 and 20 minutes and this article would have claimed all of it.