The brain is such a vast and complex network and nerves that ultimately controls every movement that takes place in the human body. It amazes me how much we have learned about the brain in the past couple hundred years. Today we can see inside the bran as opposed to just looking at its exterior. In his TED talk, Carl Schoonover compares looking at the brain to looking at a computer. He says that yeah a computer screen looks cool and functions like it needs to but in order to actually see what makes things run you have to cut it open and look at the wiring on the inside.
Chemical stains gave us the first look at brain wiring. It used to be where taking a brain out of a skull and looking at it under a microscope you would see nothing but grey matter. But now with new technology, you can stain the brains nerves before the brain is removed to see the patterns going on inside the brain. This stain is called the golgi stain. Following the discovery of the stain, scientists were able to see that nerves do not work independently, rather in groups that form circuits to perform different functions.
It is so interesting to see how the brain works, not only within the structure but how it is the sole organ that makes every other organ do what is it supposed to do. The brain is such a complex organ that we will probably never be able to fully understand everything that goes on but with new technological advancements, we can get pretty darn close.
TED Talk by Carl Schoonover
https://www.ted.com/talks/carl_schoonover_how_to_look_inside_the_brain#t-121951
Kourt, I read your blog per usual... ;) I totally agree on the whole complexity of the brain and how it is so amazing how much we have learned and developed in such a short amount of time. I actually did not watch this TED talk, so it was a great explanation of how Carl Schoonover said that yes looking at it with technology is cool and all but cutting it open and seeing it for yourself is just a whole other story which I agree. Your blog was great! love ya girl :)
ReplyDeleteKourtney! I enjoyed reading your blog about the complexity of the brain and how it controls us. I completely agree how you incorporated Carl Schoonover’s ideas and how he is said to compare the brain by actually looking inside and how it works on the inside. Cause it’s the inside that counts right! ;) New technology is constantly evolving and the fact that we need to keep up with how fast it actually builds. The brain is so intricate in how it works and the complex structure it creates. Staining the brains nerves is very diverse and is a well-rounded procedure in order to see how magnificent the brain really is. Loved your blog! (:
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