Strokes are all about the brain. Stoke survivors have to learn more about their brain than the typical person -- but some survivors enjoy it! For those armchair neurosciencist out there, this is for you.
The sides of the brain
Each side of the brain (called hemispheres) interacts with the other side of the body. The right side of the brain interacts with the left side of the body, and vice versa.
But these right/left divisions also work closely with the whole brain. You could survive only having one side of your brain.
The largest part of the human brain is called the cerebrum. In fact, 85% of the total weight of a brain is the cerebrum.
Part
|
Controls
|
brain stem
|
basic functions like breathing and sleep
|
cerebellum
|
coordination and balance.
|
cerebral cortex
|
memory, attention, perception, awareness, thought, language, and
consciousness
|
cerebrum
|
motor control
|
corpus callosum
|
thinking and voluntary movements
|
hippocampus
|
inhibition, memory, and our sense of space
|
hypothalamus
|
our hormonal system
|
thalamus
|
Has multiple functions. It may be thought of as a kind of hub of
information.
|
• The frontal lobes are responsible for problem solving and judgment and motor function.
• The parietal lobes manage sensation, handwriting, and body position.
• The temporal lobes are involved with memory and hearing.
• The occipital lobes contain the brain's visual processing system.
Fun Facts
- The brain of an adult human weighs around 3 pounds (1.5 kg). Although it makes up just 2% of the body's weight, it uses around 20% of its energy.
- The main energy source of the brain is glucose.
- Do you really only use 10% of your brain? No! You use your entire brain -- all the time.
- When awake, the human brain produces enough electricity to power a small light bulb (25 watts).
- At least 60% of your brain is fat, and it has the same consistency as tofu. Furthermore, 75% of the total brain mass is comprised of water.
- New brain connections are created every time you form a memory.
- Forgetting unnecessary information helps the nervous system retain its plasticity.
- Music can trigger activity in the same brain structure that releases the "pleasure chemical" dopamine.
- There are no pain receptors in the brain, so the brain can feel no pain. Its lack of pain receptors is why doctors can perform brain surgery on conscious patients.
- Yawning sends more oxygen to the brain, therefore working to cool it down and wake it up.
- Doing crosswords doesn't improve your brain's overall cognition or memory.
- Sleeping is good for your brain. It enhances the connection between nerve cells in the brain and supports memory and learning by consolidating all the learned memories from the whole day.