THE BRAIN AND THE MEMORY

THE BRAIN AND THE MEMORY

Weighing 1.5 kg with an astronomical number of neurons and billions of connections, the brain - the most crucial part of your central nervous system-controls everything, from a moving a little finger and solving mathematical equation to remembering happy days. But what is the connection between your brain and your memory? the brain is in fact where your memory is located , and most of your activities bring in to play. Memory forms part of your identity , your intelligence and your emotions. But where is exactly ?

That unknown entity, the brain

Test your knowledge of the brain's structure and function.

1)  the brain is made up of several thousand cells. true or false . why ?

        FALSE. The brain is composed of nearly 100 billion cells, called neurons and each neuron can rapidly from connections with 10,000 others.

2) You are born with a fixed number of neurons. true or false . why ?

        TRUE. The initial of neurons can't be replaced at the age of 80, how ever under the normal health conditions, you will have lost only 10% .The remaining 90% still available does not  degenerate and can establish new connections with other neurons.

3) The two hemispheres of the brain are divided in to many lobes.true or false . why ?

            FALSE. Each hemisphere of the brain is divided into four zones, the cerebral lobes, each of which controls specific activities. There are connections ensuring   contact between these various lobes.


4) You make use of your full complement of neurons in everyday life.true or false . why ?

          FALSE. We make use only 30 to 40 percent of our neurons because we usually repeat the same activities. If you don't make proper use of the brain, if you underutilized or fail to stimulate it, you may experience memory problems or difficulties in finding the right word. There fore, it is advisable to have as wide range of activities as possible-for example, reading, writing, gardening or sport- to make your brain work in a variety of ways.


5) Glucose is the main source of  brain energy.true or false . why?


        TRUE. the brain consume 5 g of glucose  (or sugar) an hour.To ensure an adequate supply of this fuel, you need a continuous supply of glucose in your bloodstream. So you should not exclude, rapid-release sugars from your diet.


6) The memory works less efficiently when you grow older. true or false . why ?

          FALSE. One out two people over 50 complains of memory problems . Although it might be true that we acquire information less rapidly and find it more difficult to retrieve our memories as we get older, the ability to store new information remains unimpaired.

7) Cerebral activity continues during sleep.true or false . why ?

           TRUE. we now know that cerebral activity is intense while we sleep. During the dream stage ( or REM- Rapid Eye Movement-sleep) the brain fixed and consolidates  information registered during the day.


8) Stress, anxiety and fatigue affect brain function.true or false . why ?

             True. At times of stress, fatigue you will find it much more difficult to concentrate and remain alert. As a result   information reaching your memory will be less efficiently registered and thus more easily forgotten.


9) Certain pathological conditions that affect the brain  are irreversible.true or false . why ?

              TRUE. The most wide spread brain disorder is ALZHEIMER'S disease. It is characterised by a orogressive , continuous and irreversible loss  of intellectual ability and is first manifested in specific memory problems. Medical treatment available at present can slow down its progress but cannot reverse it.


10) Memories are located in a specific part of the brain.true or false . why ?


                  FALSE.Memories are not localised in one specific place in the brain, although we know that one section the hippo campus plays a key role in retrieving memories. Memory function involves different zones of the brain.