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BIG PAIN [ MESSENGERS ( THE NERVOUS SYSTEM ) ]

BIG PAIN [ MESSENGERS ( THE NERVOUS SYSTEM ) ] It turns out, the brain has automatic defenses cued up for a quick response to more serious pain. The perception of pain warns the brain of actual or potential tissue damage. The brain’s recognition of pain sets in motion actions to reduce or remove it,…

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FIRST GLIMPSE / A BETTER LOOK / COMPUTERIZED VISIONS [ THE AMAGING BRAIN ]

FIRST GLIMPSE / A BETTER LOOK / COMPUTERIZED VISIONS [ THE AMAGING BRAIN ] FIRST GLIMPSE The first technology to peer into the brain was the x-ray, invented by Wilhelm Rontgen (1845-1923) in 1895. The German scientist discovered a form of radiation that could penetrate the body; the rays were absorbed by dense bones, which…

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OUTSIDE LOOKING IN [ THE AMAGING BRAIN ]

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN [ THE AMAGING BRAIN ] Scientists have long Dreamed of Exammmg how the brain works within a living body. The problem, though, was figuring out how to get inside the head without causing injury or even death. Doctors treating wounds from wars and accidents have been able to get glimpses of living…

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ANATOMY [ DIFFERENT PARTS DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES ( THE AMAZING BRAIN ) ]

ANATOMY [ DIFFERENT PARTS DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES ( THE AMAZING BRAIN ) ] THE FRONTAL LOBE A portion of the frontal lobe of each hemisphere called the precentral gyrus controls the body’s movements. Oddly, each hemisphere moves the opposite side of the body, as if the brain’s wiring some-how became crossed. Hence, the movements of the…

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ANATOMY [ DIFFERENT PARTS, DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES ( THE AMAZING BRAIN ) ]

ANATOMY [ DIFFERENT PARTS, DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES ( THE AMAZING BRAIN ) ] THE FIRST STEP to a better understanding of the brain is getting acquainted with its parts. From the protective structures on the outside to the hardworking parts on the inside – knowing where each structure is and how it interacts with the world…

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NERVE CELLS – LIFE SPAN [ THE AMAZING BRAIN ]

NERVE CELLS – LIFE SPAN [ THE AMAZING BRAIN ] Amazingly, the cells that perform the complicated ballet of electrochemical transmission can live more than a hundred years, but they do not get replaced like most other body cells. Except for the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb, where new neurons have been shown to grow…

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NEURON COMMUNICATIONS/NEURON TRANSMITTERS [ NERVE CELLS ( THE AMAZING BRAIN ) ]

NEURON COMMUNICATIONS/NEURON TRANSMITTERS [ NERVE CELLS ( THE AMAZING BRAIN ) ] NEURON COMMUNICATIONS Tim Berners-Lee, a creator of the World Wide Web, likens the brain’s complexity to the nearly infinite capacity for Web sites to connect to each other. “A piece of information is really defined only by what it’s related to,” he said….

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NEURONS AT WORK [ CONNECTIONS / ACTION / GROWTH & SUPPORT / PLASTICITY ]

NEURONS AT WORK [ CONNECTIONS / ACTION / GROWTH & SUPPORT / PLASTICITY ] Neurons serve different functions. Motor neurons carry impulses to activate glands and muscles. Sensory neurons send impulses from the skin and other body parts to the central nervous system. Interneurons, residing in the brain and spinal cord, integrate the signals and…