Human Brain: Complexity Behind The Simplicity

Abstract

The human brain is the interpreter of our senses, controller of movement and in fact responsible for all we embrace as civilisation. It consists of about 100 billion nerve cells which are interconnected through a million billion connections measuring up to 3.2 million kilometre of wiring. This eiring is essential for performing simplest to the most complex tasks. In the last two decades we have witnessed an explosion of knowledge in neuroscience. The stage is set for a more thorough understanding of the brain and for translating this knoeledge into strategies to protect the brain from the vagaries of nature, both genetic and environmental. In order to achieve this goal, meuroscience research has accommodated multidisciplinary methods integrating the many levels of functional organistion of the brain, from molecules to neurons to networks to systems and vehaviour. Apart from the interest in understanding how the brain performs cognitive functions and finding links between behaviour, brain and mind, there are serious health related issues. Brain – related disorders affect large sections of population and contribute up to one-third of the total disease burden in both developing and developed nations. From birth to old age, a host of neurological and mental illnesses afflict mankind. Most of these are poorly understood and treatments are palliative rather then curative. Through the understanding of brain we can enrich adult life, and help us age gracefully.