Brain: Master Controller of Living Activities - Essay Sample

Introduction

Living things have their activities controlled by a part of the body known as the brain. The brain is a center of the nervous system and is located at the head closer to the sensory organs, the eyes, nose, and ears. This paper discusses the limbic system, which is a part of the brain. It connects with parts found at the upper lobe, the brainstem known as the cerebrum.

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The Limbic System of the Brain

The limbic system of the brain is a complex structure that has segments controlling emotions, stimulation, and store memories (Hart, 2018). The functions of this part of the brain are interesting because it explains why people become happy, sad, and even mood less on several occasions. The emotions are a basis of understanding individuals and their roles in society. It arouses curiosity because of its ability to control arousal which is responsible for the response to stimuli by both the human beings and the animals

Several minor parts make up the limbic system too. The first segment of the limbic system is the thalamus. The thalamus is responsible for the detection of information that is useful to the senses. The thalamus then relays the information, for the senses to execute appropriate functions. The thalamus at the brainstem is essential as it is the pathway of information being sent to the cerebrum.

Another important segment of the limbic system is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is essential for the production of hormones, which are chemical messengers (Chen, Xia, Chen, Feng, Xu, Gu and, Yin, 2017). The hormones control the intake and the balancing of water, food, cycles of sleep, and even the temperatures. It is located just under the thalamus

Recent research has discovered that the message between the inner and the outer portions of the limbic system is facilitated by an organ called Cingulate gyrus. Another essential structure at the limbic system is the Amygdala, a structure shaped like an almond. They are two in the brain and perform the function of activating the body for a flight or fight reaction. The Amygdala also develops memories and emotions that relate to emergencies that a person once experience.

Several diseases affect the limbic system. They are divided into three categories. The first category involves the diseases whose effects are not directly on the Limbic system; examples are limbic herpes, encephalic, and cerebral confusion (Gonzalez-Madruga, Rogers, Toschi, Riccelli, Smaragdi, Puzzo and, Raschle, 2020). The second category is the diseases that affect the limbic system directly. An example is Alzheimer's disease and vascular diseases. The third category of the illnesses is the ones where the limbic system is involved, randomly. It consists of the general; brain disorders and the inflammation lesions and neoplasms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if anybody is to be told about the limbic system of the brain, the most surprising thing about it is that the Amygdala is also known as the fear factor, and the two little amygdalae determine that fear and anxiety that defines how a person reacts to many situations in life. Several parts of the limbic system make an essential part of the brain. The Amygdala is also a wonder organ because it controls addiction to substances. When this part is not functioning correctly, the person affected displays the symptoms of neuroses and may be insensitive to the changes in the environmental temperatures and even the need to take water and food.

References

Chen, Y. C., Xia, W., Chen, H., Feng, Y., Xu, J. J., Gu, J. P., ... & Yin, X. (2017). Tinnitus distress is linked to enhanced restingstate functional connectivity from the limbic system to the auditory cortex. Human brain mapping, 38(5), 2384-2397.

Gonzalez-Madruga, K., Rogers, J., Toschi, N., Riccelli, R., Smaragdi, A., Puzzo, I., ... & Raschle, N. (2020). White matter microstructure of the extended limbic system in male and female youth with conduct disorder. Psychological medicine, 50(1), 58-67.

Hart, S. (2018). Brain, attachment, personality: An introduction to neuroaffective development. Routledge.