Do you know what is the most important and complex organs in the human body? It is our ‘Brain‘.
Human brains are much more advanced and efficient and have more raw computing powers than the most impressive supercomputers ever built.
What is Pituitary Gland?
The pituitary gland, also known as the ‘Master Gland’, is a small pea-sized gland which plays a major role in regulating our vital body functions and general wellbeing. It controls the activity of most other hormone-secreting glands which means that it tells other organs to release hormones. Without this gland, the body wouldn’t reproduce, wouldn’t grow properly and many other bodily functions just wouldn’t occur effectively.
What is the brain?
The brain is an amazing 3 pounds organ which is our seat of intelligence, controls all our body functions, intellectual abilities, behavior and reactions. It receives messages via the neurons, interprets them and instructs our body how to react.
What helps in transmitting messages to the brain?
Our five sense organs, i. e. our eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin send various information to the brain and neurons help in transmitting these messages.
Where is the brain present?
The brain is present inside the bony covering called cranium which protects the brain from injuries. This cranium and the bones that protect our brain, are together known as the skull.
What are the main parts of the brain?
There are 3 mains parts of the brain.
Cerebrum- The cerebrum takes up most of the space in the skull. It helps in remembering things, solving problems, thinking and feeling. It also controls our movement.
Cerebellum- It is present at the back of our head under the cerebrum. It controls our coordination and balance.
Brain stem- It is located beneath the cerebrum and in from of the cerebellum. It connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls automatic functions such as breathing, digestion, heart rate and blood pressure.
P. C. GOOGLE
How much does the brain weigh?
The adult human brain has an average weight of about 1.2β1.4 kg (2.6β3.1 lb) which is about 2% of the total body weight, with a volume of around 1260 cm cube in men and 1130 cm cube in women.
What is IQ?
IQ is a type of standard score that indicates how far above or how far below his/her peer group an individual stands in mental ability. The peer group score is an IQ of 100;l and this is obtained by applying the same test to huge numbers of people from all socio- economic strata of society and calculating its average.
Here’s a list of 10 most intelligent people on Earth: (this list is not exhaustive)
1. Isaac Newton
2. Aryabhatta
3. Galileo Galilei
4. Thomas Alva Edison
5. Leonardo Da Vinci
6. Stephen Hawking
7. Terence Tao
8. Christopher Langan
9. Kim Ung- Yong
10. Judit Polgar
Injuries on the left side of the brain can cause:
β’ Difficulties in understanding language
β’ Difficulties in speaking or verbal output
β’ Catastrophic reactions ( like depression, anxiety)
β’ Verbal memory deficits
β’ Impaired logic
β’ Sequencing difficulties
β’ Decreased control over right-sided body movements
Injuries on the right side of the brain can cause:
β’ Visual-spatial impairment
β’ Visual memory deficits
β’ Left neglect (inattention to the left side of the body)
β’ Decreased awareness of deficits
β’ Altered creativity and music perception
β’ Loss of βthe big pictureβ type of thinking
β’ Decreased control over left-sided body movements
What is brain death?
Brain death, which is also known as brain stem death, occurs when the brain of a person, who isΒ on an artificial life support, can no longer perform any functions. No one can recover from brain death and a person who is brain dead is legally confirmed as dead.
What is gray matter in the brain?
Most of the neuronal cell bodies of the brain are present in the gray matter. The gray matter includes regions of the brain which are involved in muscle control and activities such as seeing, hearing, memory, speech, emotion, decision making and self- control. The gray matter, which is present throughout the central nervous system, enables individuals to control movement, memory and emotions.
Alongside humans, some other animals which are quite intelligent include:
1. Ravens and crows
2. Chimpanzees
3. Elephants
4. Gorillas
5. Dolphins
6. Pigs
7. Octopuses
8. Parrots
9. Dogs
10. Raccoons
What is ‘Awake Brain Surgery’?
Awake brain surgery is also known as ‘Awake Craniotomy’. As the name suggests, it is a type of surgery performed on the brain while the patient is awake and alert. If a surgery is to be performed in that region of the brain which is close to the part controlling vision, movement and speech, then awake brain surgery is opted for. During the surgery, the surgeon may ask questions and monitor the activities of the patient, so as to ensure that the correct region of the brain is receiving the surgery. It also lowers the risk of any damage occuring to the functional areas of the brain which control movement, vision and speech.
The patient is sedated while a part of the skull is being removed in the beginning of the surgery and also when doctors reattach the skull at the end of the surgery. During the surgery, the anesthesiologist will stop administering the sedative medications and allow the patient to wake up.
Like most other brain surgeries, awake brain surgery has the potential for risks and complications. These include bleeding, brain swelling, infection, brain damage or death. However, awake brain surgeries may help to safely reduce the size of growing brain tumors, which may prolong life and improve the quality of life.
Fun facts about the brain:
β’ About 75% of the brain is made up of water.
β’ The human brain consists of approximately 100 billion neurons.
β’ The brain can interpret pain signals sent to it but it can’t feel pain.
β’ When we reach our middle age, the brain starts getting smaller as the years pass.
β’ During the mummification process, Egyptians used to remove the brains through the nose.
β’ The brain uses 20% oxygen and blood of our body.
β’ 60% of the human brain made up of fat.
β’ Our brain is not fully developed until we are 25 years old.
β’ Information travels to and from the brain at a speed of 258 miles per hour.
β’ The human brain can generate 23 watts of power which is enough to power a light bulb.
Sumedha Bose
Β©BioSaga 2021
BioSaga 