Your marvellous Brain is

truly, a gift! But many,

wonder-How Does It Work?
scientists say that they
have already learned lot
about the way the brain'
process information that
our five, senses supply.
for an example, Consider
the way the brain, deals
with sensations relating
to sight. Light reaches,
your eye and strikes the
retina, made up of three
layers of cells which is
at the back-side of your
eyeball. The light rays,
penetrates, to the third
layer of your wonderfull
eyeball. This layer thus
contains the cells known
as rods, which are very-
sensitive to brightness,
and the cones, which are
responsive to this light
of different wavelengths
corresponding to colors,
red, green and blue. The
Light bleache pigment in
these cells. Inturn this
sends, a signal to cells
in the second layer, and
next from there to other
cells, in the top layer.
The axons of these cells
are combined to form the
optic nerve. Millions of
optic nerve neurons thus
arrive at a junction, in
the brain known as optic
chiasma. Hence from here
neurons carrying signals
from the -left-hand part
of each eye's retina now
meet and follow parallel
tracks to the -left-hand
side of the brain. Like-
manner, signals from the
-right-hand side of each
retina 'join forces' and
travel to the right-hand
side. Thus, the impulses
arrive next at the relay
station in the thalamus,
and from there, the next
neurons pass the signals
to the area, at the back
side of the brain, known
as visual cortex. since,
the different aspects of
visual informations does
travel along in parallel
paths, researchers have,
now come to realise that
the primary or the chief
visual cortex along with
the adjacent region acts
like post office in that
of sorting, routing, and
integrating the variety,
of information which the
neurons bring. Now we go
to a third region which,
detects the shape, such-
as the edge of an object
and motion. Fourth area,
recognizes both form and
color, whereas the fifth
one constantly, updates-
the maps, related to the
visual data to track the
movement. Research done,
recently indicates, that
as many as, 30 different
brain areas process, the
visual informations that
an eye collects! But how
do they combine all this
informations, to present
you, with an image? Yes,
how does your mind, see?
Eye gathers, information
for the brain, but it is
the cortex, that clearly
process, the information
that the brain receives.
For example, if you take
a picture with a camera,
and the resulting, photo
reveals entire detail of
the whole scene. But now
note, when observing the
the same view, with your
eyes you are consciously
observing only that part
of the scene, -on which-
you focus your attention
How the brain does this,
still remains a mystery.
Some believe, that it is
the result of a stage-by
stage integration of the
visual information in so
called convergence zones
that help you to compare
what you see, with what,
you already know. Others
suggest the following in
that, if you fail to see
something in plain view,
it is simply because the
neurons controlling your
attentive vision are not
firing. Whatever, may be
the case, the difficulty
that, scientists have in
explaining, vision pale,
in -comparison, with the
problem faced by them in
determining exactly what
"consciousness", and the
"mind", really involves.
Scanning techniques such
as the magnetic echoing'
(resonance), imaging and
positron-emission -tomo-
graphy, has provided the
scientists, a new window
on the human brain. Thus
by observing the flow of
blood, to certain, areas
of brain during, thought
processes the scientists
have come to conclusion,
with sensible, certainty
that a different regions
of the cortex apparently
helps one to hear words,
see words, speak words..
However as a writer says
"the phenomenon of mind,
of consciousness is much
more complex . . . .than
-anyone suspected." Yes,
many more mystery, about
the brain, has yet to be
unraveled. To understand
our complex brain it may
be helpful, to make some
comparisons. Just at the
beginning of industrial,
revolution, thats in the
middle, of-18th century,
it became fashionable to
compare, this marvellous
brain to a machine. Then
later on, when telephone
switchboards, became the
mark of progress, people
compared the brain, to a
busy switchboard with an
tele-phone operator, who
made decisions. Now that
the computers started to
handle complicated tasks
some people, compare the
brain to a computer. But
do this comparison fully
explain how brain works?
Very significant, basic-
differences separate the
brain from the computer.
Light bleache pigment in
these cells. Inturn this
sends, a signal to cells
in the second layer, and
next from there to other
cells, in the top layer.
The axons of these cells
are combined to form the
optic nerve. Millions of
optic nerve neurons thus
arrive at a junction, in
the brain known as optic
chiasma. Hence from here
neurons carrying signals
from the -left-hand part
of each eye's retina now
meet and follow parallel
tracks to the -left-hand
side of the brain. Like-
manner, signals from the
-right-hand side of each
retina 'join forces' and
travel to the right-hand
side. Thus, the impulses
arrive next at the relay
station in the thalamus,
and from there, the next
neurons pass the signals
to the area, at the back
side of the brain, known
as visual cortex. since,
the different aspects of
visual informations does
travel along in parallel
paths, researchers have,
now come to realise that
the primary or the chief
visual cortex along with
the adjacent region acts
like post office in that
of sorting, routing, and
integrating the variety,
of information which the
neurons bring. Now we go
to a third region which,
detects the shape, such-
as the edge of an object
and motion. Fourth area,
recognizes both form and
color, whereas the fifth
one constantly, updates-
the maps, related to the
visual data to track the
movement. Research done,
recently indicates, that
as many as, 30 different
brain areas process, the
visual informations that
an eye collects! But how
do they combine all this
informations, to present
you, with an image? Yes,
how does your mind, see?
Eye gathers, information
for the brain, but it is
the cortex, that clearly
process, the information
that the brain receives.
Fundamentally, the brain
is a chemical system not
an electrical one. Thus,
many, chemical reactions
happen within each cell,
and this totally differs
from works of a computer
Then too as Doctor Susan
Greenfield observes, no
one programmes the brain
at all it is a proactive
organ, operating sponta-
neously." This is unlike
a computer, which has to
be programmed. The brain
neurons can communicate,
with one another this in
a complicated way. Many,
neurons, react to nearly
1000 or more of synaptic
inputs. To grasp what it
involves please consider
the research done by one
of the, neuro-biologist.
His research, on an area
of the brain's underside
exactly above and behind
the nose to discover how
we recognize odors. Thus
He notes that "Even this
apparently simple, task-
which seems, a push-over
that can be, compared to
establising an geometric
theorem or understanding
Beethoven string quartet
-involves approximately,
6 million, neurons, each
receiving perhaps 10,000
inputs, from its mates."
The brain is, more than,
a collection of neurons.
For every 'neuron' there
are several glial cells.
Rather than just holding
the brain together, they provide neurons with the
electrical insulation to
fight off infection, and
join together to, form a
protective 'blood-brain'
barrier. The researchers
however believe that the
glial cells perhaps have
other functions that are
yet to be discovered. As
such, this still, leaves
us with another mystery,
to discuss.