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A High Level Overview Of The Brain

Tags: brain human 

November.04.2009

In order to replicate the brain digitally, and enhance our experiences in the world, we must first understand what it is we are trying to replicate. There will be a time in the very near future, when we will have the technological capability to digitally replicate the human brain. Having the speeds and storage for this replication is not enough in and of itself. At that point we will need to do something with all of the data and information. In order to do this, we must be aware of how our own brains function. The same way you would need to gather all of the working specs for a project, we must be able to gather all of the possible information about the brain in order to replicate and enhance it.

With that, I want to talk about the brain at a high level. This means, briefly talking about the main parts of the brain as well as their functions and capabilities. We can then work our way a little deeper, and with a new understanding we can eventually discuss ways to enhance our current brains and or replicate some of these functions and capabilities via machines.

Key Definitions

Neuron: A nerve cell that sends and receives electrical signals over long distances within the body
Synapse: The point of connection usually between two nerve cells (neuron).
Neurotransmitter: A neurotransmitter is a messenger of neurologic information from one cell to another.

Quick Brain Stats and Facts

• Weight - Approx 3 pounds
• About 20 - 25% of the oxygen in your body goes to your brain
• 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your brain
• About 100 billion neurons in your brain
• 1,000 to 10,000 = the number of synapses for each neuron in your brain
• mental activity stimulates the creation of new neurons throughout your whole life
• The estimated storage, if we are speaking in digital terms is approximated to be between 1 and 1,000 terabytes

Main Parts Of The Brain

There are many parts of the brain, but for the most part (and especially for this article), they can be broken down into three major parts:

Cerebrum

The cerebrum is the top part of the brain. It is the most recent addition to our brains (relatively) and largest of the three main sections. Broken up into four lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital), its functions and responsibilities include: motor functions (movement), sensory processing (taste, touch, smell, vision, hearing), language, and learning/memory.

There are two sides to the Cerebrum (right and left). The left side of the cerebrum controls the right side of the body, while the right side of the cerebrum controls the left side of the body. These two sides are connected by the corpus callosum. This essentially bridges the creative side and the analytical side of the brain.

Cerebellum

At the base of the brain, underneath the cerebrum, we can find the cerebellum. The cerebellum's main function is the coordination and control of voluntary muscle movement. It is located underneath the cerebrum and behind the brain stem.

Brain Stem

The brain stem is the oldest part of the human brain. This area connects directly and continuously with the spine. Being the oldest evolutionary part of the brain, it makes sense that it is responsible for all basic life functions. These include, breathing, blood pressure, digestion, heart rate, and more.

The Flow Of Information

The brain uses two medium in order transmit and make sense of information. These two forms are electricity and chemical compounds. It is these compounds that allows us the ability to transfer thoughts, control information flow, and both send and receive signals to the rest of the body. Here is the basic flow of this process:

-> Neurons act as the "roadways" that carry electrical signals through the brain and body.
-> At the end of the neuron, chemicals are released into the synapses. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.
-> The chemicals then flow within the liquid in the brain and body until they reach another neuron.
-> Once there, that neuron can repeat the same process, activating another electrical pulse of its own

This is the "see more on this below" part

The simple process flow described above is how information is transmitted within the brain. Information is also passed to the brain via 5 other input methods. These methods are taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound, aka - your five senses. Think of these five senses as input devices for the brain much like a keyboard or a mouse is an input device for a computer. This information is sent to the brain via the spinal cord. Information can also be sent back that way as well.

For example: If you touch a hot stove burner, a heat signal is sent up to your brain and a message is sent back informing your muscles to pull your hand off of the burner. All of this processing happens in fractions of split seconds. Also, the rate of speed at which these signals are sent depends a lot on what is done. This is because different feelings of pain take different roads to the brain and some are faster than others. Heat will be a quick response, while slamming your hand in a car door may be a bit slower.

So there is the highly basic introduction to the main parts of the brain as well as a very high view of how information travels. Keep in mind, the brain is one of the most advanced systems in the entire universe, this is not even close to being the tip of the iceberg. But now that we have the very basic process flow of the brain, we can now venture to into a high level overview of how a computer works. Once we do that, it will then be possible to connect the dots between the two and formulate ways to bridge the digital gaps that need to be explored.

For more brain definitions check Here
Recommended reading: Your Brain The Missing Manual

More on this site: A High Level Overview Of The Brain Part 2 - Neurons, How Information Travels

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