How Does The Brain Work

One of the most complex components of the human body, the nervous system is divided into two parts - the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is the driving force behind the various actions we perform. The fact that an organ weighing approximately 3 lbs can control our entire body is quite fascinating in itself.

The Human Brain - How Does it Work?

On an average, the brain of an adult human weighs approximately 3 lbs, and has a hundred billion cells in it. This makes the brain the most sophisticated organ of the human anatomy. The brain works in coordination with various parts of the body and forms the basis of our five senses - sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell. The human brain is basically divided into three parts - the brainstem, cerebellum and cerebrum. Each of these parts is designated to perform certain tasks to ensure proper functioning of brain, which in turn controls the various functions of our body. Similarly, the brain is also divided into two hemispheres - the right brain, which is more vision oriented, and the left brain, which is more analytical.

Human Brain and the Nervous System
Initially understanding how the brain works may seem to be a bit complicated, however, you will get well acquainted with the working process if you grasp the basics. As we know the brain is made up of a hundred billion cells. A significant number of these cells are actually the neurons, which trigger nerve impulses in the body. These cells are not just restricted to the brain, but are present in the various parts of the body in the form of our nervous system network. These neurons emit a chemical which is sent to another neuron through the synapse, i.e. the gap between the neurons, in order to trigger an activity. The chemicals sent from one neuron to another to trigger it are known as neurotransmitters. Some of the most important neurotransmitters include epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Brain and the Other Systems
The Information from various parts of the body is sent to the brain through the spinal cord which is connected to the base of the brain. The information on reaching the middle of the brain, spreads out and goes to the various parts of the brain, where it is processed before it is sent out to the different parts of the body in order to perform the required functions. For instance, when we touch some hot object with the palm of our hand, the information is sent to the brain, through the spinal cord, which in turn orders the hand to move back. This information sent to the brain and back is transmitted at a tremendous speed. Almost all the information that is sent from the different parts of the body goes through the spinal cord to the brain, with the exception of vision and hearing, both of which are sent directly to the brain. This is the reason why a person who gets paralyzed due to some damage caused to the spinal cord can still see and hear.

Though thorough knowledge about the structure of the human brain is required to understand the intricate details about it, the information provided in this article does cover the basics of the brain and its functions in the simplest words possible.