Brain process and concept

Brain Process

It’s how the brain works and is biological/active

Concepts

This is what the brain knows and is cognitive/static

Cerebrum

Largest part of the brain, divided into two hemispheres.

It handles high-level functions like touch, vision, hearing, speech, reasoning and fine motor control.

It is further divided into four lobes.

Left hemisphere

Language and logic

Speech, reading, writing

Math, sequencing, analysis

Right hemisphere

Spatial skills and creativity.

Maps, faces, 3d shapes, music, art, emotion.

Corpus Callosum

Bridge between left and right hemisphere of cerebrum.

Thick bundle of ~200m of nerve fibers.

Frontal

Reasoning, planning and movement

Parietal

Processing sensory and information like pressure and pain

Temporal

Auditory processing and memory

Occipital

Visual processing

Cerebellum

Located under the cerebrum.

Its main job is to coordinate muscle movements, maintain posture and manage balance.

Brainstem

Acting as the relay center.

It connects the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord.

It controls automatic “survival” functions pike breathing, heart rate and sleep cycle.

Sensory processing flow

Sequential path that information takes from the outside world to the conscious mind.

Reception

Specialized sensory receptors (in your eyes, ears, skin, ect.) detect specific stimuli.

Example: photoreceptors in the retina capture light waves.

Transduction

Receptors covert physical energy into neural impulses (action potentials)

Transmission and relay

These impulses travel along peripheral nerves to the Thalamus (relay station of the brain).

The thalamus filters data and redirects it to the specific lobe in Cerebrum for final processing.

Prefrontal Cortex

Responsible for managing the cognitive process of attention and focus.

Atkinson-Shiffrin Model

A memory model that explains how information moves through three stages.

Sensory Memory

Briefly holds information from your senses for a few seconds.

Short-term memory

Temporarily stores and processes for 15-30 seconds of information you’re actively thinking about.

7-2 items

Long-term memory

Stores information for a long time, with large capacity.

Long-Term Memory Categories

1. Explicit (Declarative) – memories you can consciously recall

   • Episodic – personal experiences (e.g., your birthday)

   • Semantic – facts and knowledge (e.g., “Paris is the capital of France”)

2. Implicit (Non-declarative) – memories you don’t consciously think about

   • Procedural – skills and actions (e.g., riding a bike)

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to change, adapt, and form new connections in response to learning, experience, or injury.

Hebbian Theory

A theory that says brain connections get stronger when they are used together repeatedly (“cells that fire together, wire together”).

Brain Cells

Neuron

Synapses

Tiny gaps between neurons

Synaptic plasticity

The brain’s ability to strengthen or weaken connections between neurons based on how often they are used. This helps with learning and forming memories.

Structural Plasticity

The brain’s ability to physically change its structure by forming new connections (synapses) or removing unused ones, especially during learning or experience.

LTP (Long term potentiation)

When brain connections get stronger because they are used again and again, making it easier to remember or learn something.

Increased efficiency in neutral firing causing for a faster recall and “muscle memory”.

Pruning

The process where the brain removes weak or unused connections between neurons to make the brain more efficient.

Elimination of unused connections for a more efficient, streamlined brain.

Neurogenesis

The process of the brain making new neurons (brain cells), especially in certain areas, to support learning and memory.

The birth of new neurons (mainly in Hippocampus) for enhanced capacity for new memories.

Dendrites

Branch-like parts of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons and send them to the cell body.

Cognition

High-level mental action of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

Two major functions of Cognition

Thinking and Reasoning

Thinking

The mental process of using ideas, memories, and information to understand things, solve problems, or make decisions.

Reasoning

Logical side of cognition used to solve problems and make decisions.

Two paths of reasoning

Deductive reasoning and Inductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning

A way of thinking where you start with a general rule and apply it to a specific situation to reach a certain conclusion.

Example: All humans are mortal; I am human; therefore, i am mortal

Inductive reasoning

A way of thinking where you use specific observations or examples to form a general rule or conclusion.

Example: The sun has risen everyday i’ve been alive. So, it will probably rise tomorrow.

Algorithm

A step-by-step set of instructions used to solve a problem or complete a task.

Example: Following a recipe exactly.

Heuristics

Simple mental shortcuts or “rules of thumb” the brain uses to make quick decisions or solve problems faster, but they are not always accurate.

Example: Checking the most popular brand first.

Insight

A sudden realization or “aha!” moment where you quickly understand the solution to a problem.

Example: Solving a riddle unexpectedly.