Decision Making

The brain is the most complex part of the human body and is more powerful than a supercomputer. It controls thoughts, emotions, memory, breathing, speech, reasoning, movement, temperature, and all the body’s functions.

Connecting the brain with the rest of the body is the nervous system. It includes the brain, spinal cord, and a complex network of nerve cells called neurons. Via this communication superhighway, the brain sends and receives messages to and from every organ and body part. And controls everything we think and do.

By understanding how your brain works, you can grow it and make it stronger. Taking care of your brain is key to helping you make better choices in life.

And improving the quality of your decisions will change your destiny.

What is the Brain made of?

The average brain weighs 3 pounds and is made up of 60% fat and mostly water. Even though the brain can grow and become stronger, it is not a muscle. It is the fattiest organ in the body consisting of gray matter and white matter.

Gray matter surrounding your cerebrum is known as the cortex of the brain. This is the outermost layer of your brain where most of the actual information processing takes place. Your gray matter uses 86 billion neurons to transmit information to other nerve cells, muscles, or tissues throughout the body.

About 85 billion non-neuronal cells called glial cells are also in the gray matter of your brain. They provide structural support and protect the neurons. Without the vital roles fulfilled by glial cells, neurons would not be able to their jobs. ¹

Your white matter represents the connections between the processing centers in the gray area. It is found in the deeper tissues of your brain. White matter uses nerve fibers called axons to transfer messages from your brain to other parts of your body and between different areas of your brain.

White matter gets its color from myelin, an insulating layer or sheath that forms around axons. Myelin protects axons and allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently. If it is damaged, impulses will slow down or even stop.

Neuron Anatomy and Function

Neurons are information messengers and are unlike any other cells in the body.

While some neurons are smaller than the width of a hair, some are longer than an arm. They rely on electrical impulses and chemical signals to transmit information from the brain to the rest of the body.

Neurons are shaped like a tree with a crown known as the soma or cell body. As the metabolic center, the cell body contains a nucleus that produces all the energy it needs.

This is important because the brain needs a lot of power to function. It consumes up to 10 times more energy than any organ in the body and 20% of our total fuel intake. Tiny structures in neurons called mitochondria produce energy by breaking down complex carbohydrates from our food into simple sugars. ²

Neurons need a vast amount of energy to transmit messages. They are the building blocks of our brain and control everything we do.

Neurons transmit messages using an axon. Its a long trunk that communicates with other cells by releasing chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. These messages travel along the axon terminal away from the cell body. Once it reaches the end of the terminal, information is received by another neuron using rootlike extensions known as dendrites.

How Neurons Form Connections

The point of contact where one neuron passes a message to the next is the synapse. When synaptic connections are stimulated neurotransmitters are released at elevated rates that strengthen neural pathways and form new synapses. As connections become stronger, messages between neurons are transmitted increasingly faster.

The brain creates new connections through repetition which allow us to process information quickly and without much effort. We can then focus on doing new tasks since routine tasks become easier to do. This is how we master the world around us.

And why we can learn anything the more we practice it.

We are born with all the neurons we will ever need and there is no backup. In fact research shows that babies have twice as many neurons as adults but very few connections. ³

As we age the brain prunes away connections not used. Synaptic pruning gets rid of extra synapses in the brain that are no longer needed. It allows us to form strong connections that support the skills that we have learned to master.

The nervous system uses your extensive network of neurons to take in sensory information, process it, and send out motor signals. Your brain is the command center that controls your nervous system and all of your body’s functions.

How Does the Brain Work?

The nervous system has two main parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS is made up of the brain and spinal cord. It is named “central” because it coordinates activity across the entire body.

For example to open a door, neurons in your brain send signals to neurons in your arm and hand. Messages travel quickly along the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This communication network of nerves branches out from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body using motor and sensory neurons.

Sensory neurons receive input from the environment and send that information to the CNS for processing. It receives information from our five senses which help us understand the world around us.

Your sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch help you to perceive your environment and react to it. For example, when you smell the aroma of a delicious meal sensory neurons transmit the odor to the brain which identifies the smell. Once you taste the meal your taste sensors determine if the food should be ingested.

On the other hand, motor neurons control muscle movement by transmitting impulses from the spinal cord to the body. For example, when you touch a hot surface sensory neurons will be the ones firing signals to the brain. Your brain will respond to the signals by telling your motor neurons to move your hand so you do not get burned.

Each neuron tells your body what to do depending on their specialized job. Your brain is then responsible for processing that information and making decisions.

The Main Parts of the Brain

The brain has three main parts: the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem.

The largest part of the brain is the cerebrum. It is composed of right and left hemispheres that make up most of the brain.

Your cerebrum is in charge of receiving and giving meaning to the information it receives from your five senses. It performs higher functions like problem solving thinking, learning, reasoning, and processing emotions. Other areas of the cerebrum also store memories, control movement, and regulate temperature.

The cerebellum is the “little brain” that sits at the back of your head under your cerebrum. It controls coordination, balance, posture, and the fine tuning of all motor movements.

Every time you move, your cerebellum is determining the exact position of your limbs. This is why a person born without a cerebellum can still survive but their movement will be awkward. According to neurologist Dr. Jeremy Schmahmann, “the cerebellum takes clumsy actions and makes them more refined.” ⁴

The brain stem is the lower part of your brain that connects your brain to the rest of your nervous system. It is one of the most important parts of the entire CNS because it coordinates vital functions such as breathing and heartbeat.

If the brain stem stops working it is impossible for a person to be conscious or breathe without a ventilator. When this happens, a person is confirmed dead. ⁵

Your brain stem is the most important brain part since you need it to survive.

The Four Lobes of the Brain

Your cerebrum is divided into four sections called lobes: the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe. 

The frontal lobe is the largest lobe and it is located in the front of your head. It manages higher cognitive functions such as memory, reasoning, thinking, emotions, problem solving, decision making, and some motor skills. Your frontal lobe also contains Broca’s area responsible for speech production.

Damage to the frontal lobe can cause depression, personality changes, memory loss, confusion, behavioral problems, and difficulty in speaking.

Your parietal lobe processes sensory information from the five senses. It also manages spatial relationships (where you are located compared to other objects). And contains Wernicke’s area responsible for language comprehension.

Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area are connected by nerve fibers called the arcuate fasciculus. People with a damaged arcuate fasciculus can understand language but their speech will not make sense and they cannot repeat words or phrases.

The occipital lobe is the back part of your brain responsible for visual processing and mapping. It interprets the shape, color, and location of an object and sends that information to the temporal lobe where it is further processed.

The temporal lobe determines what you see and sits behind the temples. It plays an important role in processing language, emotions, face recognition, and auditory information.

Deep Structures in the Brain

The limbic system includes a collection of structures buried deep within our brain that work together to process emotions and memories. Its key components include the hypothalamus, the amygdala, the thalamus, and the hippocampus.

Hypothalamus: The hypothalamus is a small gland that keeps your body’s internal functions in a stable state called homeostasis. By controlling many hormones that work with the pituitary gland, it manages body temperature, stress, mood, sex drive, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and hunger and thirst.

Amygdala: The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for the “fight or flight” response. It processes emotions and memories associated with fear. And determines the best response to a dangerous situation or threat.

Thalamus: The thalamus is your body’s sensory relay center. All information from your senses except smell is relayed from your thalamus to your brain for interpretation. Motor information also pass through your thalamus before it is sent to your brain for processing.

Hippocampus: The hippocampus is primarily in charge of storing our long-term memories. It also plays a critical role in helping us learn and memorize new facts and data. Damage to the hippocampus may cause amnesia and prevent a person from forming new memories and recalling past experiences.

The Impact of Neuroplasticity

The brain is a versatile organ that was designed to adapt.

In fact your brain is always changing. Thanks to neuroplasticity your brain grows or shrinks as a result of experience. You can grow new neural connections and make existing ones stronger or weaker by what you do.

For example, exercise is one of the best ways to increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain. This boost in oxygen helps form new neural connections that can improve memory and learning. On the other hand, lack of exercise decreases blood flow to the brain and can cause it to shrink or lose cognitive function.

What you eat also has a direct impact on your brain.

An unhealthy diet that is high in sugar causes inflammation of neurons and over time will damage blood vessels in the brain. High blood glucose levels can lead to memory loss, cognitive impairment, and might even cause dementia.

By understanding how your brain works, you can learn how to grow it and make it stronger. Taking care of your brain is key to making better choices in life.

And improving the quality of your decisions will change your destiny.

Bad Habits Damage Your Brain

Our bad habits affect our ability to make good decisions.

Every year food companies spend billions marketing foods that are unhealthy, tasty, and addictive. Tech companies deliberately design apps that glue us to our smartphones. And streaming companies create new content to keep us hooked.

By eating fast food instead of a salad we neglect the brain of nutrients. By using social media instead of learning a skill we stop challenging the brain. By watching television instead of going for a walk we give the brain less oxygen.

Our habits, mind, and brain are interconnected. And while good habits will grow your brain and make it stronger. Your bad habits will damage your brain and hurt your cognitive function, learning, and memory.

The fact is bad habits will affect the decisions that you make. And making better decisions is essential to living your best life.

4 Worst Habits for Your Brain

Many habits contribute to poor brain health, but the four deadly S’s will cause the most damage to your brain.

Sitting:

Sugar:

Screens:

Stress:

4 Best Habits for Your Brain

The brain is our most precious organ. Because it works around the clock and requires a lot of energy, we need to keep it healthy and sharp.

Research shows that the brain can be developed like any muscle. By giving your brain the oxygen, nutrients, rest, and proper hydration it needs you can grow it and make it stronger. Here are the 4 most important habits you can develop:

Exercise:

Nutrition:

Sleep:

Water:

By monitoring your thoughts and changing your beliefs, you can rewire your brain. You can break free from the wall that holds you back by reprogramming your mind for growth.

How to Measure Brain Health

By monitoring your thoughts and changing your beliefs, you can rewire your brain. You can break free from the wall that holds you back by reprogramming your mind for growth.

How to Make Better Decisions

Your brain is always changing in response to experience and its environment. It is designed to become stronger and more powerful. Whatever skill you want to build, you are born with the ability to master it.

The key to reaching your potential is to make a commitment to acquire new skills and knowledge on an ongoing basis. By making learning a lifelong habit, you can strengthen neural connections in your brain and grow new ones.

The opposite is also true.

Your brain cells lose their function if you don’t use them. If you don’t sufficiently challenge your brain by learning new skills it will eventually deteriorate and shrink with age. If your brain doesn’t get proper nutrition, exercise, rest, and hydration it can’t function properly.

Healthy habits like exercising and eating more vegetables help your brain to grow and keep your mind sharp. While unhealthy habits like eating junk food and watching too much television harm your brain and hurt decision making.

The truth is you can’t live a good life without hard work and sweat. To live a life that is meaningful is to focus on what matters to you and will give you purpose.

The only way to master your habits is to keep your mind sharp. A mindset focused on growth is key to making better decisions and living your best life.

All Articles on Brain Anatomy

The only way to master your habits is to keep your mind sharp. A mindset focused on growth is key to making better decisions and living your best life.