What is the purpose of studying the structure, functions and mechanisms of the brain?
Most scientists and students who study the processes and structure of the human brain do so in order to understand why and how people behave as they do (4). Considering that the human brain may be the most complex living structure in the universe, the study of the brain gives great promise of understanding the myriad activities that humans do--moving, sensing, eating, drinking, breathing, talking, and sleeping (6). Experts do not necessarily agree on the extent of the relationship between the mind and the brain, but the writers of the text contend that the brain also handles the functions of thinking, dreaming, musing, hoping, and aspiring.
All of these attributes and capabilities of humanness are of great interest to anyone curious about the nature of life and what it is to be human. The more one can understand about the mental and physical activities that take place within the brain and mind, the more one understands oneself and fellow humans. This greater knowledge can only improve the quality of life for the person who strives to understand more in this area. Much of what happens in the brain can be mystifying to a person who is in awe of so much capability, but the awe can be replaced with respect when aspects of the human brain are learned.
Behavior takes on new meaning when it is understood in the context of the complexities of the human brain (5). In the past, it was assumed that nothing could be understood about the workings of the human brain when a person was asleep or otherwise unable to talk about sensations and reactions, but since the 1960's behaviorism has been replaced with more multidisciplinary approaches to brain study which help researchers understand the nature of brain cell activity, even during the decicion processes before an outward action takes place. This type of research which unifies findings regarding the...