What
All the world about us and including we our selves are composed of protons, neutrons and electrons which join to form atoms. Many different atoms compose the units of all the natural elements, now numbering 92, which form the periodic table. Atoms join via sharing of electrons into molecules and these molecules combine to become macro-molecules which are the building blocks of cells. In humans there are trillions of cells with different functions. Cells are the units making up tissues in living beings. Tissues form the organs. These organs define the operation of our bodies and our brains. And finally our brains generate our consciousness and self-awareness.
Within each cell are located macro-molecules, the famous DNA macro-molecule. This complicated DNA structure contains all the instructions to build proteins. Proteins are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. They are the workhorses of the human body.
The DNA macro-molecule is formed into a twisted ladder-like structure with each backbone of the ladder containing ordered molecules called bases, shown below as red, green yellow and blue. The rungs of the ladder being held together with these four different bases.
A series of the bases along the backbone are called genes. The information in the genes determine the heredity traits passed from an adult human to it’s off-springs.
Within each cell are located macro-molecules, the famous DNA macro-molecule. This complicated DNA structure contains all the instructions to build proteins. Proteins are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. They are the workhorses of the human body.
The DNA macro-molecule is formed into a twisted ladder-like structure with each backbone of the ladder containing ordered molecules called bases, shown below as red, green yellow and blue. The rungs of the ladder being held together with these four different bases.
A series of the bases along the backbone are called genes. The information in the genes determine the heredity traits passed from an adult human to it’s off-springs.
The DNA macro-molecules are themselves packages into pairs of 23 chromosomes, with each pair containing traits from each parent. Each cell contains a complete copy of the pairs of all the chromosomes.
The human body is administered to by the nervous system, which is composed of very specialized cells called neurons, or nerve cells. This elaborate network reaches to the brain and functions to connect that control center of the individual to the outside world, to react to that world, and to coordinate the movement of the body in response. The five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell are the inputs from the outside world. These inputs are relayed to the brain via the nervous system network.
The human body is administered to by the nervous system, which is composed of very specialized cells called neurons, or nerve cells. This elaborate network reaches to the brain and functions to connect that control center of the individual to the outside world, to react to that world, and to coordinate the movement of the body in response. The five senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell are the inputs from the outside world. These inputs are relayed to the brain via the nervous system network.
The brain itself is composed of quite specialized neurons. These neurons are able to communicate with other neurons in the brain, via an electrochemical process. Dendrites protrude from the neuron body to bring in electrical information signals from other neurons. Axons, also connected to the neuron body, take information away from the neuron to connect to other neurons. The sketch below shows two neurons communicating. An electrical signal from a transmitting neuron travels the length of the axon. There it connects to the receiving neuron at the synapse, which is a tiny gap where the electrical signal is converted into chemical signals.
The brain contains billions of neurons which are connected by trillions of connections, the synapses. The length of the axon cables in all the neuron circuits in the brain, added together, total several hundred thousand miles. The brain itself weighs about 3.3 pounds, about 2 percent of a human's body weight.
The brain is the seat of our self awareness and our consciousness. We are all aware of being alive and who we are which is certainly due to the activities in our brain. And we all know we are conscious and so does every body we know and see around us. But what actually is this consciousness? And where does it reside in the brain? These most perplexing questions have confounded the scientific community and I expect most human beings. The book discuss these these issues, not to present accepted answers, but to engender introspection by the reader.
The brain is the seat of our self awareness and our consciousness. We are all aware of being alive and who we are which is certainly due to the activities in our brain. And we all know we are conscious and so does every body we know and see around us. But what actually is this consciousness? And where does it reside in the brain? These most perplexing questions have confounded the scientific community and I expect most human beings. The book discuss these these issues, not to present accepted answers, but to engender introspection by the reader.
