Neuroscience 101 #Basic

Brain….known yet vastly misunderstood. This organ of your body is less of realty and more of an imagination. You definitely have physical evidence of its existence and functioning but neuroscience of the brain is largely based on theories and postulations. Obviously, findings from Anatomical dissection, Histology, Radiological scans, Biochemical techniques will provide you means to understand it however, and no scientist is 100% sure about what they are talking. I might get banned for saying this, but medical science itself is an experimental science. Something is proven until it is opposed with a proof. For instance, for past many decades, science had a fact that “Brain has fixed wiring, it hardly evolves nevertheless, once neural connections are made it’s difficult to adapt otherwise…like as you grow older your brain becomes more rigid!” Well, lots of great minds have worked their ass off to burst this bubble. Brain in fact is plastic and constantly evolving! You can literally train it like your pet. Except imagine every single system as a separate pet…the job is difficult but not impossible.

To turn your brain into your genie, you first have to understand it. Not just its physiology but also psychology. You have to treat it as a real living being, it’s no more mass of flesh controlled by somebody. Your Liver, Kidney, Stomach and other involuntary organs are controlled by bodily systems which take orders from whom? You guessed it right, from your brain! Is brain controlled by anyone? Is it the manager or the CEO of the organization called body? Does it hold all the reins or it does what it is told? Is it the one who’s giving orders or the one executing them?

Let’s embark on this reading journey to explore more about brain. To discuss known facts, myths and pose questions about it. This is a weekly blog from Nupur Mahadeokar, a budding neuroscientist.