Ep. 128: The Human Brain – 6 Parts
Intro
Hello and Welcome to this episode of the podcast, "The Mnemonic Tree", where we add a single mnemonic leaf to our Tree of Knowledge.
I’m Jans your Mnemonic Man and today's episode is on the approximate three pounds of grey matter in your head, the brain.
For me, the brain has been an ongoing fascination. For example, why are everyone’s brains so different and unique, what are the activities to build and maintain a healthy brain, which foods to eat and how much water to drink to nourish your brain, are you born with intelligence, can you build on this, and if so, techniques that can help you optimize what you were born with. And also, how there also seems to be a certain law of balance. For instance; you may have a person who is a savant at mathematics but on the other hand socially inept. Or a person who is great at school but not street-smart with no ability to adapt and adjust to a range of situations.
Much has been learned about the brain and what the various parts of the brain are responsible for, with brain surgeons being able to turn parts on and off as required.
In the end along with the aforementioned, I generally think that it comes down to the very basic principle of “use it, or lose it” so I will continue to indulge in and enjoy chess puzzles, 5-minute chess games, and of course doing this podcast and challenging my brain to remember the key components.
So, with that being said, today’s mnemonic will be on 6 parts of the human brain.
So, with no further ado, we will begin with a summary from Wikipedia.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brain_Anatomy_(Sagittal).png
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Wikipedia Summary
The brain is the central organ of the human nervous system, and with the spinal cord makes up the central nervous system. The brain consists of the cerebrum, the brainstem and the cerebellum. It controls most of the activities of the body, processing, integrating, and coordinating the information it receives from the sense organs, and making decisions as to the instructions sent to the rest of the body. The brain is contained in, and protected by, the skull bones of the head.
The cerebrum, the largest part of the human brain, consists of two cerebral hemispheres. Each hemisphere has an inner core composed of white matter, and an outer surface – the cerebral cortex – composed of grey matter. The cortex has an outer layer, the neocortex, and an inner allocortex. The neocortex is made up of six neuronal layers, while the allocortex has three or four. Each hemisphere is conventionally divided into four lobes – the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. The frontal lobe is associated with executive functions including self-control, planning, reasoning, and abstract thought, while the occipital lobe is dedicated to vision. Within each lobe, cortical areas are associated with specific functions, such as the sensory, motor and association regions. Although the left and right hemispheres are broadly similar in shape and function, some functions are associated with one side, such as language in the left and visual-spatial ability in the right. The hemispheres are connected by commissural nerve tracts, the largest being the corpus callosum.
The cerebrum is connected by the brainstem to the spinal cord. The brainstem consists of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. The cerebellum is connected to the brainstem by three pairs of nerve tracts called cerebellar peduncles. Within the cerebrum is the ventricular system, consisting of four interconnected ventricles in which cerebrospinal fluid is produced and circulated. Underneath the cerebral cortex are several important structures, including the thalamus, the epithalamus, the pineal gland, the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the subthalamus; the limbic structures, including the amygdalae and the hippocampi, the claustrum, the various nuclei of the basal ganglia, the basal forebrain structures, and the three circumventricular organs. Brain structures that are not on the midplane exist in pairs, so there are for example two hippocampi and two amygdalae. The cells of the brain include neurons and supportive glial cells. There are more than 86 billion neurons in the brain, and a more or less equal number of other cells. Brain activity is made possible by the interconnections of neurons and their release of neurotransmitters in response to nerve impulses. Neurons connect to form neural pathways, neural circuits, and elaborate network systems. The whole circuitry is driven by the process of neurotransmission.
The brain is protected by the skull, suspended in cerebrospinal fluid, and isolated from the bloodstream by the blood–brain barrier. However, the brain is still susceptible to damage, disease, and infection. Damage can be caused by trauma, or a loss of blood supply known as a stroke. The brain is susceptible to degenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, dementias including Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia and clinical depression, are thought to be associated with brain dysfunctions. The brain can also be the site of tumours, both benign and malignant; these mostly originate from other sites in the body.
The study of the anatomy of the brain is neuroanatomy, while the study of its function is neuroscience. Numerous techniques are used to study the brain. Specimens from other animals, which may be examined microscopically, have traditionally provided much information. Medical imaging technologies such as functional neuroimaging, and electroencephalography (EEG) recordings are important in studying the brain. The medical history of people with brain injury has provided insight into the function of each part of the brain. Neuroscience research has expanded considerably, and research is ongoing.
In culture, the philosophy of mind has for centuries attempted to address the question of the nature of consciousness and the mind–body problem. The pseudoscience of phrenology attempted to localise personality attributes to regions of the cortex in the 19th century. In science fiction, brain transplants are imagined in tales such as the 1942 Donovan's Brain.
Extracted from: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_brain]
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brain_Anatomy_Striatum.png
Mnemonic
The Brain – 6 Parts Mnemonic – TOP Brain For Cognition
(Picture your brain like a powerful engine tuned for cognition)
1. Temporal Lobe
2. Occipital Lobe
3. Parietal Lobe
4. Brain Stem
5. Frontal Lobe
6. Cerebellum
Five Fun Facts
1. The temporal lobes as the name suggests are on the sides of the brain. They are responsible for short-term memory, speech, musical rhythm, and some degree of smell recognition.
2. The occipital lobe is in the back part of the brain and is involved in visual processing. Some functions include distance and depth perception, colour determination, object and facial recognition, and memory formation.
3. The parietal lobe is in the middle part of the brain. It helps a person identify objects and understand spatial relationships. It is also involved in interpreting pain and touch in the body and also contains Wernicke’s area which helps the brain understand spoken language.
4. The brainstem which is in the middle of the brain connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. It is comprised of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla. The spinal cord extends from the bottom of the medulla down through to the lower back. It is supported by the vertebrae and carries messages to and from the brain and the rest of the body.
5. The frontal lobe is the largest lobe in the brain and is located in the front of the head. It plays a part in personality characteristics, decision-making, movement, and smell recognition. It also contains Broca’s area, which is related to speech ability.
6. The cerebellum which means little brain is a portion of the brain located at the back of the head, below the temporal and occipital lobes and above the brainstem. It has two hemispheres and its function is to coordinate voluntary muscle movements and to maintain posture, balance and equilibrium.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gyri_of_lateral_cortex.png
Three Question Quiz
Q.1. 60% of your brain is made up of what? Options are carbohydrates, protein, or fat
Q.2. The human brain consists of approximately how many neurons? Options are 86 million, 186 million, or 86 billion
Q.3. How much does the average brain weigh in pounds?
Bonus Q. Your brain uses approximately 35 percent of the oxygen and blood in your body. Is that True or False
Bonus Q. What do you call a human skull without 86 billion neurons?
Mnemonic Recap
The Brain – 6 Parts Mnemonic – TOP Brain For Cognition
(Picture your brain like a powerful engine tuned for cognition)
1. Temporal Lobe
2. Occipital Lobe
3. Parietal Lobe
4. Brain Stem
5. Frontal Lobe
6. Cerebellum
Three Question Quiz Answers
Q.1. 60% of your brain is made up of what? Options are carbohydrates, protein, or fat
A. Fat. Making it the fattiest organ in the human body
Q.2. The human brain consists of approximately how many neurons? Options are 86 million, 186 million, or 86 billion
A. Approximately 86 billion neurons
Q.3. How much does the average brain weigh in pounds?
A. Approximately 3 pounds
Bonus Q. Your brain uses approximately 35 percent of the oxygen and blood in your body. Is that True or False
A. False. The brain uses approximately 20 percent of the oxygen and blood in your body
Bonus Q. What do you call a human skull without 86 billion neurons?
A. “A no-brainer”
Which would be a shame as they say the brain is the sexiest organ in the body. Well, it certainly gets my mind racing!
Word of the Week
esculent
[ es-kyuh-luhnt ]
adjective
suitable for use as food; edible.
Example
According to Hannibal Lecter, the brain is an esculent delicacy; most likely accompanied with some fava beans and a nice Chianti!
Extracted from: [https://www.dictionary.com/]
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References
https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/11-fun-facts-about-your-brain