Arabel Joie G.

Arevalo February 8, 2017

2014-04176
Bio 1 WFW2

Brain Power
[Reflection Paper]

The brain, its components and the function of each component is not a foreign
concept for a Psychology student such as myself. We study the brain extensively, its effects
on a psyche of a person and how it may reflect biologically. Neurons, the hippocampus and
the lobes are repeated all throughout our 4-year stay as it is where our program revolves.
That’s why it wasn’t hard relating to the film we watched because most of the concepts
mentioned were already taken up or at least mentioned in some of our major subjects before.
The brain is made up of cells called neurons which are responsible for transmitting
signals all throughout the body. A neuron is made up of three parts: the dendrite, the axon
and the cell body. The dendrites are responsible for receiving stimuli from other neurons
while the axons are the ones that send signals to neighboring neurons. The cell body is
essentially where the signal travels and it speed is regulated by a substance called the myelin,
which may either speed up or slow down travel of signal. There are spaces called synapse in
between neurons and they contain chemical substances that receive signals from the axon
which will travel to the target cells.
One of the functions of the brain mentioned in the movie is the storage of memory.
Our memories are important to us because it makes us remember events nostalgically and it is
also where important information about ourselves and general knowledge about the world are
stocked. We, humans, have this unique capacity to store unlimited information in our long
term memories which we can retrieve later on. The current theory for how memories are built
and stored is that neurons continuously fire up and strengthen the connection between a
memory and words related to that specific memory. For example, we don’t forget our names
because we constantly use it to introduce ourselves to people, thus strengthening the
connection.
The brain also plays an important role in evolution. Another significant function of
the brain is to interpret the stimuli we receive from the environment. The brain processes the
stimuli our sense organs receive and mold it into a form coherent to the organism. For living
organisms, our brain powers our vision and combines the images we see to form motion. Its
role in evolution is also noted in humans’ bipedal characteristic and how we evolved from
being four-footed to being two-legged which is evident in our near-relatives, the primates.
Without the brain, all this evolutionary mechanisms wouldn’t be possible as it processes what
is important and functional in an organism and what is not.
The key characteristic of humans that separate us from other organisms is our
capacity to use language. The faculty of language also has a specific location in the brain,
although linguists haven’t figured out where exactly yet. Language is a uniquely human
characteristic as it is a complex network of system embedded in our brain and is automatic
whenever we feel the need to use it. It’s amazing to see the role of evolution in our brain,
allowing us to communicate with each other not through signals and calls but through a
systematic form of communication that only our species is capable of.
When you think about it, the brain is really what makes an organism run. Without it,
we will be no different from robots made by man. With the proper methods, techniques and
advanced equipment, scientists can someday power it to make it work alone. Mentioned
above is only a few of the many functions of the brain and how it influences an organism.
The study on the human brain, albeit already extensive, is still ongoing because there are a lot
of questions we still need answers to. And only a human brain is capable of understanding its
own.