The brain is a bit of a mystery. While we’ve managed to put together where
certain processes take place within the brain… it’s hard to say whether or not we will
EVER fully understand it. In fact… some experts argue we won’t ever
be able to fully describe how the brain works. At the same time… science has allowed us
to understand this essential organ to some extent.
We know WHERE certain information is processed. We know, generally, how things are connected
within the brain and nervous system. We know what the brain is made of…
Surprisingly, your brain is about 75% water! And we know, broadly, how the brain processes
sensory information. For instance… Did you know that multitasking
is actually impossible? Or that the brain is able to filter for relevant
sensory information and integrate it if it’s necessary for the task at hand?
It’s pretty incredible! In this video… we’re going to examine
7 incredible brain mechanisms for processing sensory information.
How does the brain recognize what the eyes see?
How does a seasoned tennis player process information better and faster than a newbie?
We’re going to answer all of this… But first…
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want to miss it! Now… let’s dive in!
7. SIGHT How can your brain tell what you’re looking
at and actually attach meaning to it? For example… when you’re reading a book,
what’s going on inside those intricate neural networks within the brain?
When it comes down to it… Visual perception starts with your eyes.
When light hits the retina of the eye… photoreceptors, a special type of cell, convert these light
signals into electric signals. The optic nerve carries these signals to your
brain… The visual cortex located in the occipital
lobe in the back of the brain…. then creates a visual image of what you’re looking at.
And this all happens very quickly! In fact, the eyes and human brain process
images in as little as 13 milliseconds. That’s fast!
When reading… your brain actually mixes these visual processes with language comprehension
and speech production. And we aren’t born readers. We have to LEARN
it. And to learn to read… we have to use parts of the brain that evolved for other
purposes. The temporoparietal cortex in the brain allows
us to understand speech sound and word meaning. In this area of the brain, we “sound out”
words, specifically when that word is unfamiliar. The inferior frontal cortex further helps
us pronounce these sounds and words. Then, the occipital-temporal cortex helps
us learn to recognize words by sight…. Which is how, as adults, we can easily read through
a whole book in a matter of hours. And these processes are the same - no matter
what language you’re reading! But wait… what about speed reading? Are
speed readers actually better than average readers? Is the information processed differently?
Interestingly… a study by researchers at the University of California, the University
of Victoria, and Washington University… discovered speed readers trade accuracy for
time. In fact… slow reading… even where you
go back and re-read a previous sentence or paragraph… is associated with deeper and
better learning. Fast reading just doesn’t give the brain
enough to process and retain the information entirely.
But there are ways around this. For instance, visual reading associates the
meaning of words with images. This can actually help a person read faster and possibly retain
it. Yet, it’s clear from a quick Google search that MORE research needs to be done
in this area. So… let’s move on to physical touch.
6. TOUCH How does the brain process physical touch?
How does it detect when you’re lifting something heavy?
The skin is home to countless touch receptors. In fact… one fingertip has about 3000 touch
receptors. And these touch receptors can further be broken
down into different mechanoreceptor types including:
* The Meissner’s corpuscles, which detects pressure and lower frequency vibrations
* The Pacinian corpuscles which respond to transient pressure and higher frequency vibrations
* Merkel’s disks which respond to light pressure
* And the Ruffini corpuscles, which detect stretch
On top of these touch receptors, there are: * Thermoreceptors that react to hot or cold
temperatures * Chemoreceptors which respond to chemicals
applied to the skin * And Nociceptors, which fire when there are
tissue-damaging stimuli All of these receptors work together to signal
to your brain what you are touching at any particular moment and whether or not it’s
safe. For example…
Say you touch something warm… not too hot that it causes pain but maybe a pan that had
been in the oven 30-45 minutes ago. Your touch receptors, particularly your thermoreceptors,
fire off. These signals travel up the sensory nerves to your spinal cord.
From there, they are received by the thalamus portion of the brain… which then relays
this information to the cerebral cortex. This information is then processed within
the sensory cortex. And this is where you recognize that the object you are touching
is warm. In terms of lifting something heavy…
Your mechanoreceptors, particularly those responsible for pressure, detect the heaviness
via how much pressure is placed on your hands or arms.
These signals… again... travel to the brain where you decide whether or not it’s actually
safe to lift the object or not. Fascinating, isn’t it?
And there’s more! Next up is how your brain processes movement...
5. MOVEMENT How does a seasoned athlete perform and process
information better than a new player? What’s going on in your nervous system and
brain when you move your body? The more you practice something, the stronger
your neural pathways become. Your body and brain definitely use the “if
you don’t use it, you lose it” strategy. Which can explain why after many years of
not playing soccer or football… you might be a bit rusty.
In fact… a lot of stroke research and rehab revolves around the idea of finding NEW neural
pathways to perform movements that were once done through pathways that are now destroyed.
This is why stroke and other brain injury rehab and recovery can be SO intense… There
has to be a ton of practice to make it work. Basically… the brain controls movement within
the frontal lobe. The premotor areas plan and coordinate a variety
of complex movements, and they do this pretty quickly… especially when those pathways
are strengthened through practice. In the brain… The process ends with the
primary motor cortex… which sends the information down the spinal cord and to the muscles…
and this is where your muscles contract and your body moves.
And again… the only way to improve and strengthen these neural connections is PRACTICE.
The brain and nervous system LOVE repetition. And this truly is the secret to becoming GREAT
at something. Now… our next sensory mechanism is SMELL.
But before we get there… Let’s get you your free gift!
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Now back to our list! 4. SMELL
When walking into the kitchen, you can IMMEDIATELY tell whether or not cookies are baking in
the oven. You can also immediately sense when a bad
smell is afoot. So, how does this process work in the brain?
How does your brain know the difference between a “bad” versus “good” smell… OR
a “strong” versus “mild” odor? As you inhale air through your nose… the
odor molecules bind to receptors. These receptors then relay this information to your brain.
And surprisingly… one “smell” can have a variety of different odor molecules involved…
some research suggests the smell of chocolate, for instance, has hundreds of odor molecules.
From the receptors in your nose… the information travels to the olfactory cortex in the brain.
Scientists have even created spatial maps of this area of the brain indicating where
it detects “good”, “bad”, “strong”, and “mild” odors.
On top of this… experts theorize that this part of the brain might have direct access
to areas of the brain involved in memory and emotion.
This is why certain memories can be triggered by certain smells.
So, next time you take a whiff of that delicious smelling candle… thank your olfactory cortex.
It’s got a lot going on! Now, let’s dive into...
3. TASTE Sampling foods, wine, and more are one of
the most simple pleasures of life! Who doesn’t LOVE a good food or wine tour?
And this whole sensory experience begins with your tastebuds!
But that’s not the only reason certain foods and beverages TASTE a certain way.
Smell sensory processes also come into play here.
Basically… your nose and mouth connect through the same airway.
This means when you bite into a moist and delicious piece of chocolate cake, you’re
also SMELLING it. So… while your tastebuds detect whether
something is sweet, salty, bitter, sour, or savory…
Smell and taste combined give way to individual flavors.
This taste information is all processed within the primary gustatory cortex.
Smell from the olfactory cortex and taste combine in the brain… which give way to
the flavors you experience in the food you eat.
So, next time you’re entrenched in a culinary experience… you’ll know a little bit more
about what’s going on beneath the surface. And maybe… you’ll appreciate it even more!
Let’s now examine and explore the processes involved in SOUND.
2. HEARING How does your brain allow you to enjoy musical
compositions? What happens for you to understand and communicate with others?
As you can probably guess… this process starts with auditory stimuli entering the
ear canal. This causes the eardrum to move, which is
why eardrum damage can be so detrimental to a person’s ability to hear.
Now… the eardrum actually vibrates differently depending on different sounds.
From there, these vibrations travel through the ossicles to the cochlea, where it then
moves the fluid located in this area…. This then causes the hair cells located in this
area to move. The auditory nerve, then, takes these signals
and relays them to the brain. The auditory cortex in the temporal lobe processes
this information, providing you with sound or helping you understand what another person
is saying to you. If you can hear something but can’t understand
it, this indicates problems with the auditory processing system in the brain.
Interestingly… when you hear a particularly “pleasing” sound… your brain immediately
releases dopamine… which is why music can give you those feel-good feelings!
And now… last but not least…. Let’s talk about...
1. BALANCE Balance involves proprioception… which is
your body’s ability to be aware of where your body is in space.
Every muscle movement you have involves proprioception. Surprisingly, this all starts within the vestibular
system, also known as the inner ear system. This system works with the visual systems
in your brain to ensure you maintain balance and perform movements correctly and accurately.
The structures and fluid of the inner ear sense and respond to movement and gravitational
changes. These signals are sent to the brain where
they are processed with visual information in the cerebellum.
That way, you stay upright… you’re able to coordinate movements… and you don’t
experience vertigo, which is something that can happen when your inner ear structures
become damaged. So there you have it! The 7 Incredible Brain
Mechanisms involved in processing sensory information!
What do you think? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below.
And before you leave… Don’t forget to LIKE this video. RING that
bell, and subscribe to our channel. Make sure you also grab that free book by
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Thanks for watching! We hope you have a healthy and happy day!