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| Sunday, 12 February 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The wonder of you... We always marvel at the world around us. The manner in which each and everything, both man-made and natural, functions is fascinating. Every new thing we discover in the natural world, or every new invention with its complexities, never fail to capture our attention and imagination. But, have you ever stopped to wonder at the most complex and unique creation ever found on this planet Earth? Well, you should, because, this wonderful, marvellous and fascinating creation is none other than YOU! The human being is indeed a living marvel; a live-machine. We may never be able to understand how we are able to carry out the numerous complex operations that we do, as we journey through life. Even the fact that you are reading this article at this moment, and comprehending it, is simply a marvel. But, unfortunately, we do not seem to appreciate the uniqueness of the human race. We are more fascinated by the manner in which the world around us functions, than as to how we function as living beings. So, today we start a series on 'Body Talk' ,where we'll examine how humans function as 'living machines', by getting to know the various parts of our body. Brain - the computer in our body You probably know quite a bit about what you look like on the outside, for instance, the colour of your hair and skin, the number of fingers and toes, the shape of your ears and mouth and the colour of your eyes. But, how much do you know about what you look like inside, and how each part of your body functions? It's amazing how little we really know about our bodies, considering that we live in them, all our lives! Let's check out some interesting facts today about the most important part of our body - the brain. You may have often been asked to 'use your brain', meaning 'think'. Why, because it is the brain which controls the entire life of our body, and we are using it every moment of our lives. The organic functions in our bodies and the movements of our limbs, are all controlled by the brain, which is often compared to the most significant human invention - the computer, If you are puzzled as to why the brain is compared to a computer it is because of the brain's ability to receive, sort out, store and send out millions of bits of information, all at once. The brain is made up of millions of cells, between which thousands of electrical impulses are constantly passing. As the brain is connected with every other part of the body by nerves, messages keep passing, to and fro, constantly. Now, did you move your hands or any other part of your body right at this moment? Well, that was because of a message sent to your brain by that particular part of the body, via nerves. All the nerves in the body are connected to the brain by the Central Nervous System. This is located at the base of the brain and runs down inside the spine. Many nerves act automatically to keep you alive. For example, you don't have to send a message to your heart commanding it to beat, or to your lungs, asking them to breathe. Neither do you have to instruct your digestive system to function. These, like many other functions, are automatically 'programmed' to send the appropriate messages to the various organs. However, some parts of your body need commands. You have to initiate the action. What does the brain look like? Well protected by a bony skull, the brain looks a little like a grey, pulpy cauliflower. Sometimes it may seem pinkish because of the numerous nerves running through it. The brain is divided into two parts: the cerebellum and the cerebrum. The cerebellum is the smaller part which is tucked under the cerebrum, and together with the passages of the inner ear, controls the body's general movement and balance. The cerebrum is the main part of the brain. Different areas of it are responsible for different bodily activities. It is said the front part of the brain is responsible for our memory, emotions and reasoning. The part of the brain that helps you to remember and think is known as the mind. The right side of the brain is said to be the creative half, and the left side the practical half that can figure out complicated problems such as mathematics and language. Keep discovering more amazing facts about your brain. Brain sizes * Human - 1,300-1,400g * Elephant - 6,000g * Cow - 425-458g * Gorilla - 465-540g * Chimp - 420g * Grizzley bear - 234g * Dog - 72g * Cat - 30g Brainy facts! * The average human brain weighs 1,300-1,400g, about three pounds. A newborn's is about 350-400g. It grows from birth till we are about 18 years old, and stops growing from then onwards. * Humans have the most complex brain which is divided into two halves! The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and the right side controls the left side of the body. * This 1.4kg of the most amazing material we call the brain, is about 140m wide, 167m long and 93m high. It is approximately 75 per cent water. * Even though the brain represents only two per cent of your total body mass, did you know it uses 20 per cent of the total oxygen pumped around your body? * About 750ml of blood pumps through your brain, every single minute. * Your skin weighs twice as much as your brain. * The human brain is full of nerve cells, but there are no pain receptors. Evolving human brain The human brain is still evolving, according to analysis of variations in two genes that regulate brain size. Dr. Bruce Lahn and colleagues at the University of Chicago report in Science that particular gene combinations occur more often than expected by chance, indicating that natural selection has driven them up. "Our findings provide evidence that the human brain, the most important
organ that distinguishes our species, is evolutionarily plastic....if our
species survives for another million years or so, I would imagine that the
brain by then would show significant structural differences." |
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