Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Importance Of Neuroscience

Neuroscience entails the study of the nervous system. This field of study was originally associated with biology but it has been found to also tie in with chemistry, engineering, linguistics, engineering and others. We’ll discuss a little more about the history and details of this field of science.


Neuroscience dates back to the days of ancient Egypt. As surgeries related to the brain were performed even back to the Neolithic times. This included drilling of holes in the skull to relieve pressure on the brain caused by injury and disease. There are ancient texts written by the Egyptians as far back as 1700 BC which indicates that they had some knowledge of the symptoms of brain damage.


The ancient Greeks, especially the father of medicine Hippocrates believed that the brain controlled emotions, intelligence and the essence of our being. This was further supported by scientists later on. It was originally believed that the heart controlled mental functions and was central to our consciousness.

Neuroscience really developed following the invention of the microscope. At that time techniques were developed to uncover the structure of neurons. It leads to the development of the neuron doctrine which states that the functional unit of the brain is the neuron. This doctrine was supported by experiments related to the electrical excitability of muscles and neurons.


It was found that certain regions of the brain were responsible for certain functions. Mathematical models were developed in the 1950’s to show how transmission of electrical signals in neurons could occur.


Neuroscience progressed significantly during the second half of the twentieth century. This was largely due to advances in research techniques. It became possible to understand is great detail the processes which occurs within a single neuron.


At the same the study of how networks of neurons interact to produce complex behaviors requires more study and investigation. It is poorly understood at this time.


However there is a great deal of emphasis and investigation related to better understanding how the neurons work together to manage cognitive activities, emotions and thinking in general. There has been a great deal of effort placed on understanding how the brain functions and then developing treatments for various diseases and injuries which may be impacting peoples lives.


Neuroscience plays a vital role in studying the function of the brain and then developing techniques and treatments for different problems. It will continue to advance our understanding of these functions and help develop effective treatments.

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