BrainThe brain a large mass of nerve tissues contained in the skull, connected to the spinal cord, and surrounded by three layers of tough membranes called the meninges. The brain cells, with the spinal cord, are interwoven into a complex relay system which collects, stores and sends out sensations and information. The brain is a compact computer mechanism; it has been estimated that an electron tube computer would have to be the size of a New York skyscraper to contain the equipment stored in three pounds or so of human brain. Each area of the brain is responsible for the control of a particular part of he body, or a particular group of sensations or impulses. specialized receptor cells collect data about our environment and feed the information to the central nervous system where it is quickly sorted out, filed or acted upon. The body has millions of pain, pressure and hearing receptors and each eye contains over 100 million light receptors. Add to these the taste, smell, sound, and other radar like receptors feeding information along the nerve paths to the brain, which alone contains over 12 million nerve cells. Just within the cranial cavity and continuous with the spinal cord is the lower brain stem which controls the muscles and the sensory organs of the head. Above the lower brain stem is the part known as the midbrain where eye movements and a number of involuntary muscular reflexes are controlled. The cerebellum which is the second largest single section of the brain, grows out behind the midbrain. Its function is to coordinate and integrate the action patterns throughout the nervous system, and thus is responsible for smoothness of action. A disturbance in the cerebellum results in spastic, disjointed movements and a lack of muscular coordination. The hypothalamus is located directly above and in front of the midbrain. This group of cells regulates, sexual functions, body temperature , sleeping, and aggression. The hypothalamus is intimately connected with the pituitary gland and other endocrine glands. The thalamus, which is involved with the emotions and with the integrations of basic pattern, and the paleocortex grow out of the brain stem above the midbrain and continuous with the largest and most complex of the brain's parts, the neocortex or cerebrum. The neocortex, which is divided into two hemispheres is made up of a thin layer of cells and subsurface mass of interlacing fibers. It represents altogether about 70 per cent of the total nervous system. The surface is intricately folded to provide a maximum of surface space and the approximately 7 billion nerve cells that make up the entire mass of neocortex are interconnected in an almost unbelievable manner. Each of the cells has about 5000 connections, or synopses, with other cells, and it is believed that every cell is connected at least indirectly to every other cell in the whole cerebrum. The cerebrum is divided into five lobes, each possessing special functions, which are only partially under stood. The occipital lobes are responsible for the ability to differentiate color, size, shape, motion and distance, and thus to identify an object. An injury to these lobes can cause blindness. The temporal lobes are concerned with hearing , smell, speech, and balance, and parietal lobes with sensations of taste, weight, shape, and texture. The frontal lobes are the site of some of the most complex intellectual abilities, such as reason, emotion, and judgment Furthermore in the back of the frontal lobes are a group of cells, the motor cortex, which is involved with complicated voluntary muscular movements, including speech. If these cells are destroyed , a total loss of these voluntary movements results. The frontal lobes have numerous connections with other lobes and the thalamus. Here feelings and emotions combine with other associations, and this combination of feeling and knowledge determines most voluntary actions. Thinking, imagination, reasoning, and judgment all involve as the sensory and emotional associations grow more complex. The manner in which these higher capacities are used constitutes personality and a disease in the frontal lobes produces distinct personality changes, errors in judgment and weak emotional control. The brain is not entirely electrical but in part chemical. The memory for example, depends in part on RNA. A cerebral accident or stroke can temporarily impair or totally destroy entire functions of the nervous system. Cerebrovascular insufficiency leading to stroke compress the most common brain disease. Cerebral thrombosis or embolism of the parenchyma in the area supplied by the occluded vessel. If the embolus is septic and infection spreads beyond the vessel wall, encephalitis, brain abscess, or meningitis may result. Apart from the proper RNA & DNA factors to keep brain tissue in repair, proper circulation is imperative. Niacin, which activates catecholamines, and raw brain concentrates have been known to be helpful in such cases. Lecithin or preferable the nuero-muscular fractions of wheat germ oil supply vital nutritional factors for nerve and brain cell response and integrity. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food And Drug Administration. References: Medical and Health Encyclopedia volume 2 pages 293-295, Endocrines, Organs And Their Impact pages 7-14, American Pharmacy Vol. NS 19, No. 9 480 page, The Prostaglandins, Textbook of Endocrinology Saunders Co. Philadelphia, Textbook of Physiology 10 edition, Merck Manual 11 edition, Tissues and Organs: A Text-Atlas of Scanning Electron Microscopy-R. Kessel, R. Kardon, W.H. Freeman and Company/San Francisco 1979, Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia 5 ed., D.M. Considine Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1976, Comparative Vertebrate Endocrinology P.J. Bentley, Cambridge Univ. Press 1976, Blakiston's Pocket Medical Dictionary 4 ed. Mc Graw-Hill Book Co. 1979, General Endocrinology 5 ed. D. Turner & J. Bagnara 1971 W.B. Saunders Co., Endocrines, Organs and the Development of Oral Tissue Concentrates by Edward F. Schwartz Ph. D paper 1980. |
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