By Seoyeon Lee
From recent studies, neuroscientists discovered lots of information about the brain. Our brain is generally known for ‘regulating our body’ when it actually commands to control us. The brain dominates you: behavior, thinking, talking just everything. Let’s talk about the function of the brain.
1. How many parts of the brain are separated and where the main command center is located.
The brain is divided into 5 major parts: nervous system, brainstem, cerebellum, cerebrum, hypothalamus, and neuroendocrine.
First thing first, the nervous system is commonly divided into the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain, its cranial nerves and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system is composed of the spinal nerves that branch from the spinal cord and the autonomous nervous system (divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system). While you are reading this, you may wonder what spins are. Let’s talk about what nerves are and what types of nerves exist in the next paragraph.
Definition of the nerve is a whitish fiber or bundle of fibers that transmits impulses of sensation to the brain or spinal cord, and impulses from these to the muscles and organs. There are 12 pairs of nerves that originate from the brain itself. These nerves are responsible for very specific activities and are named and numbered as follows:
Olfactory: Smell
Optic: Visual fields and ability to see
Oculomotor: Eye movements; eyelid opening
Trochlear: Eye movements
Trigeminal: Facial sensation
Abducens: Eye movements
Facial: Eyelid closing; facial expression; taste sensation
Auditory/vestibular: Hearing; sense of balance
Glossopharyngeal: Taste sensation; swallowing
Vagus: Swallowing; taste sensation
Accessory: Control of neck and shoulder muscles
Hypoglossal: Tongue movement
Thirdly, brainstem is the lower extension of the brain, located in front of the cerebellum and connected to the spinal cord. It consists of three structures: the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. It serves as a relay station, passing messages back and forth between various parts of the body and the cerebral cortex. Many simple or primitive functions that are essential for survival are located here. The cerebellum is located at the back of the brain beneath the occipital lobes. It is separated from the cerebrum by the tentorium (fold of dura). The cerebellum fine tunes motor activity or movement, e.g. the fine movements of fingers as they perform surgery or paint a picture. It helps one maintain posture, sense of balance or equilibrium, by controlling the tone of muscles and the position of limbs. The cerebellum is important in one's ability to perform rapid and repetitive actions such as playing a video game. In the cerebellum, right-sided abnormalities produce symptoms on the same side of the body.
The cerebrum, which forms the major portion of the brain, is divided into two major parts: the right and left cerebral hemispheres. The cerebrum is a term often used to describe the entire brain. A fissure or groove that separates the two hemispheres is called the great longitudinal fissure.
The hypothalamus is a small structure that contains nerve connections that send messages to the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus handles information that comes from the autonomic nervous system. It plays a role in controlling functions such as eating, sexual behavior and sleeping; and regulates body temperature, emotions, secretion of hormones and movement. The pituitary gland develops from an extension of the hypothalamus downwards and from a second component extending upward from the roof of the mouth.
Then how cell types that form neuroendocrine command centers to control virtually all aspects of bodily metabolism evolve during brain development? The study, which employed the most advanced tools to distinguish cells at the molecular level showed entirely unexpected origins and developmental programs for many nerve cells, and described how millions of neurons assemble into a precisely-knit network by birth. They have also found key molecular signatures, called transcription factor networks, whose impairment was directly linked to obesity, post-traumatic stress and sleep deficits (narcolepsy/insomnia). Understanding the developmental design of the brain area that hosts highest-order command cells for key hormonal systems will advance the understanding of virtually all neuroendocrine diseases with developmental origins.
2. Process of the brain command
To understand the process of the brain command, the neuron is the important part to know. Each neuron is connected with other neurons across tiny junctions called “synapses”. Impulses rush along tiny fibers, like electrical wires, from one neuron to the next. Every time you recognise a familiar face, hear a voice, learn something new or read a word like this, millions of neurons are communicating with each other through hundreds of millions of synapses. The brain is the body’s control center: it sends messages to your body through a network of nerves called “the nervous system”, which we just talked about in the previous paragraph. Nervous system controls your muscles, so that you can walk, run and move around. The nervous system extends through your body from your spinal cord, which runs from your brain down your backbone, like the branches of a tree. The brain is also in charge of the way you experience the world around you. Imagine you’re walking in a forest. The light bouncing off the trees enters your open eyes; the chirping sounds of the birds reach your ears; and the damp smell of the forest soil wafts up your nose. As well as sending electrical signals through the nervous system, the brain also uses chemical signals to control processes in the body. Have you ever wondered why you feel sleepy? When the sun goes down, a part of your brain called the pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin, which makes you feel tired. Melatonin is produced a few hours later in teenagers than it is in adults and children. This makes teenagers want to go to bed and wake up later than adults and children.
3. How to improve our brain function
Here are a few suggestions for you to improve your brain functions.
Try a new activity. It could be learning to play an instrument, figuring out a puzzle, learning a language or a new hobby. Something that actively stimulates your brain.
You can also feed your brain with healthy nutritious food that stimulates brain function. Some good ones include: fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, unsaturated oils (olive oil) and proteins from plant sources.
Keep moving. Physical activity is good for your body and mind as it can increase oxygen flow as well as the growth of new nerve cells and connections, or synapses, between brain cells. Exercise also lowers blood pressure and can improve cholesterol levels while reducing stress. So many benefits make it a no-brainer “must” for brain health.
Sleep well. During sleep, your brain works overtime to repair itself, so don’t skip the shut-eye. Too much sleep, though, can lead to negative consequences such as inactivity and obesity.
Get social. Creating and nurturing connections with others keeps life fun and interesting, and has been linked to lower blood pressure, lower risk of dementia and longer life expectancy.
Manage your blood pressure. Having high blood pressure can lead to cognitive decline as well as heart problems.
Manage your blood sugar. Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia, so eat right, exercise and maintain a healthy weight. If you have high blood sugar, follow your doctor’s recommendations to keep it under control.
Limit alcohol. Excessive alcohol use is a major risk factor for dementia.
Protect your head. Head injuries increase the risk of impaired brain function. Avoid falls, wear a helmet when biking or skiing, remove potential hazards from your path and use good lighting.
Manage stress. Excessive worry and stress has been shown to lower performance on cognitive tests. Try yoga, meditation, taking a walk or listening to music to relax and clear your head. Then you can focus on the cause and a plan to address it.
In conclusion, the brain is divided into several sections to command your brain properly. Moreover, these sections process with neurons (a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulse; a nerve cell) which communicates with nervous systems. I strongly suggest you to try methods that I wrote in the third paragraph if you want to strengthen your brain functions. It may help you to develop your daily life skills.