The human brain fascinates me for lots of reasons. I have taken several courses in it from The Great Courses and recommend them for anyone curious about this amazing organ that lives inside our heads. I have written a number of posts on various aspects of the brain which I recommend your chasing down. Just type in b r a i n into the SEARCH BOX at the right. Also, you can check out my Page – Important facts about your brain (and exercise benefits).Last, but not least, of course, there is the specter of dementia in general and Alzheimer’s Disease, in particular. I have lost three family members to these afflictions and, at the age of 79, I am very focused on my mental functions. Which brings us to this wonderful article in Medical News Today on the two hemispheres of the brain – the left and the right.
The two hemispheres or sides of the brain have slightly different jobs. But can one side be dominant and does this affect personality?
Some people believe that a person is either left-brained or right-brained and that this determines the way they think and behave.
In this article, we explore the truth and fallacy behind this claim. Read on to learn more about the functions and characteristics of the left and right brain. Continue reading →
The brain is an amazing organ that literally runs the machine of our body. Diet, exercise and health comprise this blog’s focus and the more you know about the brain, the better chance you will have to maintain your weight, exercise your body and live a longer and healthier life.
The human brain weighs about 3 pounds and makes up only about two to three percent of our body’s entire weight. Yet, it accounts for up to 25 percent of the calories we burn in a 24 hour day. Because the brain is so crucial to the body’s survival, it receives a disproportionate amount of blood, too. The brain receives 15 to 20 percent of the body’s entire blood supply, and 25 percent of its oxygen supply. The body will deprive other parts of the body of blood to ensure that the brain has what it needs.
At only three pounds it burns as much as 25% of our calories in a day.
How is that? Well, the brain is always working in running the body. The average 160 lb man needs around 2100 calories a day to function. Clearly, much of this brain work occurs on an unconscious level. The brain functions on two levels. Its lower, unconscious functions include breathing, walking and sleeping. The higher, conscious, functions include loving, learning and making decisions.
According to Wikipedia “The brain monitors and regulates the body’s actions and reactions. It continuously receives sensory information, and rapidly analyzes these data and then responds, controlling bodily actions and functions. The brain stem controls breathing, heart rate, and other autonomic processes that are independent of conscious brain functions. The neocortex is the center of higher-order thinking, learning, and memory. The cerebellum is responsible for the body’s balance, posture, and the coordination of movement.”
Most people have some feeling for the conscious functions of the brain. Each hemisphere controls different functions. Left brain functions include logic, verbal, detail, science, etc. Right brain functions with pictures, stories, observation, music, patterns, etc.
The left and right side of the brain and their functions.
Usually one side dominates in a personality. Do you know which dominates for you? The You Tube link works for a cool test.
There is also an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch app for that you can read about here with a spinning lady in which you decide if she is spinning right or left.
The brain is one amazing organ. Don’t you think?
You can take a 16 segment visual interactive tour of the brain here offered by the Alzheimer’s Association.
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