CHAPTER 1

What's that Between Your Ears?

"The chief function ofthe body is to carrythe brain around."

Thomas A. Edison

As I previously wrote, because my brain was badly damaged, I wantedto study and learn about my brain. I discovered a great deal. Scientistsare still making new discoveries all the time.

Most of us know more about the way our car worksthan our own brains, I wanted to learn more.

This field is so open. If you are a student, you should seriously considergoing into neurology, you will be helping mankind if you do. In fact, isit too late for me to go and get my doctorate in this field?

This is a good field to go into now because the last few decades have seenfantastic growth in our knowledge of our brains.

Imagine, in this space that is no larger than a grapefruit, about threepounds, there are between 10 billion and 100 billion neuron cells (noone knows exactly how many), communicating with each other.

These neurons (or nerve cells) communicate with each other throughelectrical and chemical connections.

For example, you have to reach to catch a ball while juggling. A signalsent from your brain manages to speed quickly through the nervoussystem to eventually find the exact area of the brain designed to handlethat signal, then return to move your hand—and do it in a split secondbefore you drop the ball.

Most brains work the same, no matter the size of your thinker.

Brain size varies between sexes and races, and of course, between allpeople. Brain size doesn't matter that much to your intelligence; one ofthe largest brains on record is that of an idiot's. (I won't write his name,or, is it her?)

It is how we learn to use the brain that we havethat matters. (Are you using yours well?)

Your brain comprises 90 percent of your central nervous system, byweight alone. That thing in your skull performs a substantial amountof responsibilities to keep you alive.

Your brain performs a considerable number of tasks, some of whichinclude—

• Your brain accepts a lot of information about the worldaround you from your various senses—namely: seeing, smelling,hearing, tasting and touching—continuously.

• Your brain handles your physical movements when talking,walking, juggling, sitting or standing.

• Your brain controls your body temperature, heart rate, bloodpressure and breathing.

• This incredible organ lets you think, reason, dream andexperience a number of emotions.

To perform these incredible tasks, there are three main parts to yourbrain. They are the forebrain, the midbrain and the hindbrain.

Along with these main parts of your brain is your brain-stem,extending out of the back and bottom of your brain inside your neckand backbone.

The brain stem connects to your spinal cord.The brain-stem is actually part of your brain.

Nerves go from your brain through your brain-stem and out from yourspinal cord to your muscles in your outer limbs, your skin, your sensoryorgans (ears, eyes, nose), and all other parts of your body. Quite a designon both sides, yes?

Many of us think of the brain as a single structure, but it is actuallydivided into two halves. These two parts, or hemispheres, are tightlypacked together inside the skull and are linked by several distinctbundles of nerve fibers which serve as channels of communicationbetween the hemispheres.

Just think, every minute over one and a halfpints of blood flows through your brain.

Part of that blood flow goes through the front area of the brain whichis our frontal lobes. These areas provide our ability to think and toexamine ourselves. This ability to self examine makes us human, givesus control.

Control of your body's basic movements and sensations is evenly dividedbetween the two cerebral hemispheres. Out of these two hemispheresyour brain takes care of everything.

Your brain is delicate and must be protected.

Your brain controls what you think, dream, and do, along with takingcare of your bodily functions. Of course, such an intense powerhouseis quite intricate.

Helping to isolate and protect the brain from the rest of the body is theblood brain barrier. This is a membranous sac that covers the braintissue and prevents bad blood and chemicals from entering the brain,yet allows the good.

Nutrients and other substances can enter the brain only by way ofselective passage across the blood brain barrier. This shield surroundsthe brain with a fluid that buffers the brain against shock, includingnodding and turning the head.

In looking beyond this blood brain barrier, a cut open brain seems aworthless mesh of neurons. Yet a signal hurtling through the nervoussystem manages to find the exact region of the brain designed to handleit, quite incredible if you ask me. This is a continuous action that goeson even when the brain is hurt.

Even when damaged the brain uses amazing pathways. This blood brainbarrier protects your brain, but an outside force may still cause damage,as happened to me. So little we know about our brains.

Although we know little about the brain, we do know that the lefthemisphere of our brain is mainly conducting the verbal process incommunicating; our right hemisphere is both sending and observingfacial expressions, body language, voice inflections and othersubconscious messages.

Your messages and processing is exclusive to you. Your brain is unique,you are quite astonishing. In just that small space between your ears somuch is taken care of.

In most of us, the left side of the brain mainly deals with the...