Question

Someone wants to take a trip to your brain. Write a travel guide for your brain explaining what someone can see and do when they visit your brain. Include information from the following questions:

1. What will they find there?
2. What does each part do?
3. What can people do at each "location?"

Answer 1

A trip to the brain:

Brain is one of those interesting part or organs of the body that is just 3 pounds but yet perform tremendous tasks. It is kept safe under skull that protects the brain from any injury. Cerebral spinal fluid inside the skull to help float the brain and give it a cushioning effect that safeguard the brain from sudden shocks and damage. The brain is meant for controlling other parts and functions. Brain possesses the special system for communication with other parts of the body via cranial nerves that are 12 pairs in number. The brain has special layers that cover and protects it. These are :

• the dura mater – Thick and strong. Located inside of the skull,
• arachnoid mater- thin and web-like, located at the entire brain regions, and
• pia mater- has folds and grooves. Possess several blood vessels that dwell deep into the brain.

The brain is itself made up of numerous cells. These are neurons and glial cells. Neurons are main cells or rather functional units of the brain that help in transmitting information that occurs via synapses (gap region) whereas, glial cells are meant for providing nourishment, protection, and support to the neurons. It majorly controls our emotions, basic functions like breathing, digestion, circulations of fluids, etc.

We will see firstly, the three structures with which the brain is composed of. They are mainly cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem.

1. Cerebrum: is one of the structures inside the brain that covers most part almost 80% and is located upfront and in the centre. This, when viewed, can be seen divided into two regions called hemispheres (right and left). Majorly, the right hemisphere regulates motor functions mainly for the left portion of the body and vice versa. These two hemispheres are connected with each other via a corpus callosum that works as a messenger between the two.

The main functions of the cerebrum include the controller of emotions, interpretation of stimulus and sensations, critical thinking, learning, memory, and understanding.

The functions of these two includes:

For the right hemisphere: it generally deals with controlling creativity and artistic activities like music, painting, etc.

While left hemisphere deals with controlling the intellectual activities like arithmetic, writing, critical thinking, etc.

There are certain lobes in the cerebrum that performs basic primary function:

1. The frontal lobes (located at the front) -biggest of all.All high order thinking skills are performed by this that includes planning, adaptation of behavior best suited to surrounding, organization of tasks, etc.

2. The parietal lobes-(located at the back of the frontal lobe)- this delivers its duty for responding and interpreting the information that related to the external world.It performs functions like smell, touch, temperature, understanding spatial relations, etc.

3. The temporal lobes (just above ears) – process sounds and helps for learning and memory.

4. The occipital lobes (back of the brain) – helps to interpret the vision.

5. The limbic lobe (deeper inside the cerebrum) – consists of many interconnected structures like

• Thalamus: Receives and responds to stimulus. It also performs cognitive activities.
• Hypothalamus: located below the thalamus, controls activities like sleep, hunger, signaling to hormones, etc.
• Hippocampus: critical worker i.e. deals with memory (short or long term ).
• Amygdala: The manager of emotions deals with fear, sexual desires, certain responses, etc.

Cerebellum: kept deeper or within cerebrum mainly at the back of the brain. This covers almost 11 % region and performs all voluntary actions like maintaining postures, creating balance, learning the activities holding equilibrium muscular movements, dealing with senses and emotions, etc. This is typically loaded with neurons (brain units) that connects with various nerve signals.

The cerebellum (back of the brain) is located at the back of the head. Its function is to coordinate voluntary muscle movements and to maintain posture, balance, and equilibrium.

Brainstem.: Located at the middle portion of the brain or under cerebrum to the spinal cord region, this includes other structures like midbrain, the pons, and the medulla. Controller of the automatic functions for example movements relating with eyes and mouth, cardiac functions, digestion, keeping brain alert, control over blood pressure, temperature, involuntary actions like sneezing, coughing, swallowing, etc.