The Brain: Simplified

The Brain is the most complex organ in the human body system, using 20 percent of energy in the human body, with only 2 percent of human body mass. To this day, scientists are still trying to figure out the brain’s full potential. Although this organ looks quite intricate, the central system of how the brain works is somewhat simple and very intriguing. Even so, many things about the brain could give people headaches with their complexity, but by the end of this article, you’ll have more than enough information about the brain than you’ll ever need.

Before going to the specific parts of the brain, let’s talk about the type of cell the brain uses, the brain cell or the neuron. Neurons function with electrical signals powered by chemical reactions between neurons. The neuron is a web-shaped cell with three main parts: Dentride, Axon, and Soma. The Dendrite is the web-shaped part of the neuron. The function of a Dendrite is to receive information from other neurons, like the neuron’s mailbox. The next part of the neuron is the Axon; this is the part of the neuron that relays information to other neurons; think of them as the messenger of the neuron. The last part of the neuron is the Soma, where all the cell’s organelles, like the nucleus or the mitochondria, are found. The Soma is like the headquarters for the neuron; they’re responsible for producing energy, getting rid of waste, and storing genetic material.

The last thing we have to learn before going to the actual brain is the neuron’s close relative, nerves. Nerves are tube-like pathways that help the brain communicate with the rest of the body. Nerves are nothing too complex; they’re just a bundle of axons and blood vessels packaged in simple connective tissue.

Now that we’ve gone through the basics of how the brain functions on a cellular level let’s talk about the first portion of the brain, the Cerebellum. The Cerebellum sits below the Cerebrum and connects with the Brain stem. This part of the brain consists of two hemispheres in which the outer portion of the Cerebellum consists of Neuron Somas and the inner contains Axons connecting and communicating with the Cerebrum ( we will talk about the Cerebrum’s purpose/function later in the article!). The Cerebellum’s primary function is to coordinate voluntary/optional muscle movements and maintain posture, balance, and equilibrium in the body’s movements.

The next part of the brain is the Brainstem. The Brainstem is placed across the Cerebellum and acts as a bridge between the Cerebrum and Spinal Cord. The Brainstem consists of three layers, the Midbrain, Pons, and Medulla Oblongata:

• The Midbrain, for the most part, contributes to the sensory part of the brain. The Midbrain is the closest to the Inner Brain/Cerebrum and contains various neuron clusters and neural pathways. These specific neuron clusters and pathways help with various bodily functions like hearing, movement, calculating responses, and environmental change/stimuli.
• The Pons is part of the Brainstem that handles the most bodily sensation. Positioned right under the Midbrain and shaped like a belly, the pons is responsible for aiding in numerous facial actions, including tear production, chewing, blinking, focusing vision, balance, hearing, and general facial expressions.
• The last part of the Brainstem is the Medulla Oblongata. Appearing very similar to the calves muscles and positioned right below the Pons, the Medulla Oblongata contributes to reflexive bodily activities (sneezing, vomiting, coughing, swallowing) and regulation of many bodily activities like heart rhythm, breathing, blood flow, and oxygen/carbon dioxide levels.

As mentioned before, right above the Brainstem and Cerebellum is the largest part of the brain, the Cerebrum. Sometimes called the “New Brain,” the Cerebrum, evolutionarily speaking, is the newest and most advanced addition to the human brain, containing gray matter (which appears to be pink in many models of the brain) on the outer surface of the brain and white matter at its center. Like the Cerebellum, the outer part of the Cerebrum (gray matter) consists of solely Neuron Somas, while the inner part of the Cerebrum (white matter) consists of only Axons. However, unlike any other part of the brain, the Cerebrum consists of four lobes or regions in the brain that are responsible for different cognitive functions:

• Located in the front of the brain, the Frontal Lobe is the biggest lobe of the four; primarily, this lobe is involved with personality characteristics, decision-making/critical thinking, and some voluntary movement.
• Behind the Frontal Lobe is the Parietal Lobe in the middle of the Cerebrum. This lobe mainly helps with spatial relationships (or where one’s body is relative to the objects around them) and the identification of objects.
• Sitting under the Parietal Lobe is the Temporal Lobe. The Temporal Lobe mainly works with hearing, musical rhythm, speech, and short-term memory. To help with knowing the role of the Temporal Lobe, notice that the Temporal Lobe is positioned parallel to the ears, which explains why it’s so responsible for hearing, speech, and musical rhythm.
• The last of the four is the Occipital Lobe which coordinates various aspects of vision in the back of the Cerebrum.

Beneath the Cerebrum lies the Inner Brain. Connected to the brain stem, the main parts of the Inner Brain consist of the Pituitary Gland, Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Pineal Gland:

• The Pituitary Gland is a pea-sized structure behind the bridge of the nose. This small section of the brain governs the function of other glands in the body, regulating the flow of hormones in the thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, and testicles.
• Above the Pituitary Gland is the Hypothalamus, which controls the Pituitary Gland through chemical messages. On top of that, the Hypothalamus plays a significant role in the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis by regulating body temperature, synchronizing sleep patterns, and controlling hunger/thirst.
• Next is the Amygdala; this almond-shaped structure is positioned under each brain hemisphere. The Amygdala is in charge of the body’s instinctive emotion system, or the human’s “animalistic” emotions (the emotions displayed in humans and animals). These emotions include the “fight or flight” response and the brain’s reward system.
• Being a curved Seahorse-shape on the underside of each temporal lobe, the Hippocampus, in essence, supports long-term memory, learning, navigation, and perception of space.
• Known by many as the Sleepers Gland, the Pineal Gland (not shown on the diagram) is located deep inside the Inner Brain and is responsible for secreting Melatonin, which regulates sleep cycles and circadian rhythms.

So now you see! The foundations of how the brain works truly aren’t that complicated. In summary, this article went over the location and function of the Neurons, Nerves, Cerebellum, Brain stem, Cerebrum, and Inner Brain. I hope this article provided helpful information to you and gave you a greater awareness of how arguably the most significant organ in the body functions.