The brain is so complex, yet so beautiful!
Memories in 5 Steps
The Neural Pathway for Storing Memory in the Cerebellum
- First, the spinal cord receives and processes the sensory information that is collected from the outside world (your surroundings) and passes it to the brain stem.
- It then reaches the thalamus, which is known to be the "relay station" because it controls all of the flowing information in the brain and sends it to the appropriate region for further processing.
- The thalamus sends information to various cortices in the brain depending on the type of sensory input. For example, if you memorized something that you saw with your eyes then the thalamus would send the information to the occipital lobe (visual cortex). If you are a professional dancer, you are likely to memorize many dance routines and movements. Thus, if you were memorizing motor movement then the thalamus would send the information to the cerebellum, where it functions in body coordination and precision.
- Once information is sent to the appropriate cortices then it goes to the prefrontal cortex, where it analyzes and makes sense of the information. This is also where consciousness, planning, and logic is found in the brain.
- Finally, the last stop is the hippocampus. This region of the brain functions in storing both short and long term memory. When you recall or store information, this is where it comes from. Amazing right?
The brain is a beautiful organ. Breakthroughs in neuroscience have revealed the precise pathway taken in the brain to create and store memories.
What is the Hippocampus and why is it so important?
The hippocampus is a region of the brian that functions in learning, spatial navigation, and most importantly, memory. It is part of the limbic system (where we get our emotions) which is why some memories are associated with many feelings. Ever wondered why you can recall memories all the way back to your childhood? Well, you are able to recall that memory because it was connected to a strong emotion at that specific time. In fact, your brain is much more efficient in recalling and processing memories that have emotions attached to it. So if you're trying to memorize something for an exam, try relating the content with an emotion and visualize the scene in your head.
The Hippocampus Deteriorates in Alzheimer's Patients
Make use of your 5 Senses!
Our 5 senses are sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. Have you ever wondered why we are capable of remembering so many different types of smell/odors? Ever stepped inside grandma's house and smelled those delicious cookies? Usually that smell is associated with a memory, your grandma's house for example. The main point here is that our brains store memories based upon our 5 senses. We don't just have visual memories stored in our brains, but also textures, odors, flavors, and sounds. People who are auditory learners are able to memorize things based on the sounds they have heard in the past, whereas visual learners memorize things from pictures, colors, etc..
Cool Brain Facts
- Today, all of the computer power combined is still not enough to simulate the human brain. There's nothing as sophisticated as our brains. Scientists are trying to "reverse engineer" mouse and fruit fly brains in order to create artificial brains in the future.
- There are NO pain receptors in the brain, therefore, the brain can't feel physical pain
- You can survive with just one hemisphere of your brain, however, you will lose many functions. Before there were advancements in drug therapy, kids who were suffering from epilepsy (uncontrollable seizures) were treated by removing the left side of their brain. This would actually stop their seizures but cause many abnormalities in speech and movement. Dr. Ben Carson of Johns Hopkins University, is a famous doctor known for many successful "half-brain" surgeries. Even though with half of their brain missing, kids are able to recover quickly because their brain hasn't fully developed yet so it still has time to develop and learn the functions of the missing brain.
- Mental illness is thought to be the result of "miswiring" connections between neurons. Recent discoveries in neuroscience has revealed that it is not because of deteriorating brain cells.
- With over 100 billion neurons, the brain is able to process 400 billions bits of information per second. This is amazing because our brain does this effortlessly while we're not even aware of it.
Sources: "The Future of The Mind" By Michio Kaku
