Models of the Brain

 Science often uses models to explain theories or concepts which can not be seen or are difficult to see. We used the tree to help us explain the brain cell. There have been several accepted models for the brain down through history. Below is a short history of the brain science through models

     A               B

     C            D

A. Homunculus: 18th century… The model of a human was used (homunculus). Because at that time all we knew about the brain was that a stimulus to the brain in certain spots caused reactions in other parts of the body. The weird model with body parts depicted on the outside of the cortex is used to compare to the human anatomy.

B. As a Machine: 19th century to 50s… The brain was compared to gears, wheels and pulleys. This concept was developed during the industrial revolution. Everything back then related to a factory because the factory revolutionized society.

C. As a computer: 1950s to around early 2000s… the concept was so strong that there were multiple attempts at simulating the brain with the digital computer. The trouble with the model is that computers at that time only took one step at a time. Second, the computer would have to be extremely large and consume an enormous amount of electrical energy. With the invention of MRI we know the brain does not work like that.

D. As the internet: today: With the invention of the MRI we know more about how the brain works. (Because we can see them)  As it turns out, our brains consist of an unknown number of networks. Just as the internet forms new network connections everyday so does your mind.

Brain Fact:

The average brain generates tens of thousands of thoughts (Networks) per day.

So What: In the last 10 years we have been able to photograph the actual firing of the nerves that form networks. These photographs substantiate the internet model. They are also becoming an essential tool in the research, diagnosis and treatment of cognitive decline.