As we all know, the brain is an important organ in our bodies. It performs a variety of functions, from decision-making to regulating body temperature. It’s truly amazing considering it’s about the size of two clenched fists and weighs only about 3 pounds (Fun Facts, n.d.). While scientists have learned much about the brain, there is still an incredible amount of information about it yet to be discovered. In this article, let us look at three concepts about this wonderful unit of the human body:
The "Triune Brain"
This is a theory suggested by neuroscientist Paul Donald MacLean in the 1960s that the human brain consisted of three brains stacked on top of each other (Burghardt, 2020). The layers (from bottom to top) were:
- The reptilian brain with the brainstem and midbrain (Basic functions)
- The mammalian brain with the limbic system (Emotions)
- The rational brain with the cortex and frontal lobes (Reasoning)
MacLean proposed this model to show the brain's evolution across time as mankind progressed from primitive hunter-gatherers to members of civilized societies. However, it was debunked for a few reasons. One being that all organisms with a central nervous system have the structures of these three layers (in different distributions), and parts in each layer having functions beyond their labels (Steffen et al., 2022).
Proprioception
This is the brain's ability to sense the body's position and movement in space. Nerve cells embedded in the muscles, joints, and tendons called proprioceptors send signals to the thalamus in the brain (Uemura et al., 2020), which then transmits them to other parts of the brain. These parts then work to adjust your vision, nervous system, and vestibular system to balance your movement during an activity. Some actions that require proprioception would be walking straight or climbing up a set of stairs. A lack of this sense would cause you to fall (What Is Proprioception?, 2024).
Pattern Recognition
This is an amazing function of the human brain that allows us to recognize anything familiar. We connect what is in front of us with information we have already learned. The layer of the brain associated with this ability is actually the neocortex (outermost part of the brain). It holds about 300 million grouped pattern recognizer neurons in multiple folds that adapt to the new knowledge we gain (Barkman, 2021). The specific region most strongly linked with long-term pattern recognition (also known as statistical learning) is the frontal gyrus (The Brain Processes Behind Pattern Recognition, 2022).
If you are more interested to learn about the brain and biology in general, Schoolhouse.world offers many opportunities through its tutoring sessions and certifications. Continue pursuing knowledge, it keeps your brain happy and sharp!
Thank you for editing this article, Sharon V!
Sources:
1. Barkman, R. C., PhD. (2021, May 19). Pattern recognition is a skill most people don’t know that they need or have. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/singular-perspective/202105/why-the-human-brain-is-so-good-detecting-patterns
2. Burghardt, G. M. (2020). Insights found in century-old writings on animal behaviour and some cautions for today. Animal Behaviour, 164, 241–249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.02.010
3. Fun facts. (n.d.). https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ffacts.html
4. Steffen, P. R., Hedges, D., & Matheson, R. (2022). The brain is adaptive not triune: how the brain responds to threat, challenge, and change. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.802606
5. The brain processes behind pattern recognition. (2022, August 17). Asia Research News. https://www.asiaresearchnews.com/content/brain-processes-behind-pattern-recognition
6. Uemura, Y., Haque, T., Sato, F., Tsutsumi, Y., Ohara, H., Oka, A., Furuta, T., Bae, Y. C., Yamashiro, T., Tachibana, Y., & Yoshida, A. (2020). Proprioceptive thalamus receiving forelimb and neck muscle spindle inputs via the external cuneate nucleus in the rat. Brain Structure & Function, 225(7), 2177–2192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-020-02118-2
7. What is proprioception? (2024, March 7). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/brain/what-is-proprioception#1-1