The Mysteries of the Brain
A human brain has approximately 2, 000 million cells – neurons, which comprise its fundamental core. These neurons are connected with one another by links which are as yet an enigma, but which provide for the exceptional reliability of the brain’s functioning. When one or several neurons are damaged, other take over so that the brain as a whole goes on functioning normally. The brain structure is extraordinarily complex – even a cursory description would run into volumes. Scientists have made hundreds of charts of the vision, motor centres, touch, hearing, speech… But there are still large areas whose functions are unknown, as damage there does not appear to have very perceptible consequences. For a long time these areas were ignored. A century ago it all seemed reasonably simple. It was thought that every analyzer – motor, visual, auditory and so on, has its own control centre in the cerebral cortex, and a great deal of effort went into locating the different centres concerned with all complex forms of human psychic activity. Centres of writing, reading, counting and orientation in space appeared on brain charts. Some fifteen years ago, when scientists succeeded in grafting superfine electrodes into the brain to study the signals from different neurons, it was found that every single neuron was highly specialized, and that like the dots on a television screen they carry concrete information, they all work together to produce an image. Neuropsychology is a new science. It is the study of the mechanisms of the higher functions of the brain – thinking, memory, attention, speech, writing, etc. Prof. Luriya and his co-workers divided imaginary the brain into three main functional units. The first unit is the energy block, the tonus complex. It keeps the cortex alert, and is situated in the central areas of the brain that evolutionally were formed first. The second unit in charge of reception, processing and storage of information is at the back of the cerebral hemispheres. The frontal lobes are the third unit that is responsible for the programming and control of all the activities of the brain. Formerly it used to be thought that the large frontal lobes were unnecessary luxury that nature had allowed itself. Neuropsychological research has shown that these are vital areas of the brain that integrate and combine the impulses transmitted by different analyzers, and help man programme his actions and carry them out. c) Post-reading Stage. - Read the text closely and divide it into three logical parts. Entitle each of the parts using the key sentences. - Find in the text English equivalents of the following word-combinations and translate the sentences containing them: виняткова надійність, нормальне функціонування, структура мозку, відчутні наслідки, слухові аналізатори, кора головного мозку, психічна активність, орієнтація в просторі, надтонкі електроди, зберігання інформації, півкуля головного мозку. - Find in the text the corresponding item. Compare it with your own translation. Професор Лурія та його колеги умовно поділили мозок на три основні функціональні одиниці. Перша – це енергетичний блок, тонусний комплекс. Він підтримує мозок у стані неспання і міститься в центральному відділі мозку, який еволюційно виник першим. Друга одиниця, відповідальна за сприйняття, обробку і зберігання інформації, розташована в задньому відділі півкуль. Лобні долі є третьою одиницею, яка відповідає за програмування і контроль всієї діяльності мозку.
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