Nhkumzauseng's Blog

Brain Anatomy and Parts of the Brain

nhkumzauseng — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:02:57 +0000

Brain along with the spinal cord forms the central nervous system (CNS), which is responsible for regulating human behavior. Let’s see the anatomy of the brain and its important parts.

Brain is a part of the central nervous system, which functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information of the body. It regulates all the major activities of the body such as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, memory, and action. It is estimated that brain is made up of 50-100 billions of nerve cells. Brain is suspended in the cerebrospinal fluid, continuous with the spinal cord (structure made up of neurons and nerve fibers) and enclosed within the skull. It is separated from the bloodstream by a cellular structure known as the blood-brain barrier. This barrier also acts as a filter and restricts the passage of chemical substances and microscopic particles inside the brain. However, it allows access to only those substances responsible for metabolism, for example, oxygen. It is due to this fact that infection of the brain is rare, as compared to other organs of the body.

Many of the psychiatric and genetically inherited diseases, for example, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis respectively, are caused due to dysfunctions of the brain.

Brain Anatomy and Parts of the Brain

The brain is made up of three major segments – forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Each segment consists of different interdependent parts. Let’s see in detail about the parts of the brain.

Forebrain: The forebrain is the largest segment of the brain located in the uppermost part of the brain. It consists of the cerebrum, the thalamus and the hypothalamus.

Cerebrum - The cerebrum or the cortex is the largest part of the brain. Its functions include thinking, reasoning and remembering. The cerebrum is separated into two hemispheres (right and left) by a deep groove called as the longitudinal cerebral fissure. The right hemisphere controls the right side of the body and vice versa. Each hemisphere is again divided into four sections or lobes, namely, frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobe. Each of the four lobes is responsible for specific activities. Frontal lobe is responsible for personality characteristics, parietal lobe controls interpretation of pain, occipital lobe is involved with vision and temporal lobe is responsible for memory, smell and speech.

The outer layer of the cerebrum is composed mostly of nerve cells, which is called as gray matter and controls the activity of the brain; the inner portion is made up of axons (nerve fibers) called as white matter. The axons, which are covered by myelin sheath, are responsible for transferring information in between the nerve cells.

Thalamus and Hypothalamus - Thalamus is a part of brain consisting of two ovoid structures, which are composed of a large mass of gray matter. It is situated deep inside the forebrain, at the base of the cerebrum. The functions of thalamus include both sensory and motor behaviors.

Hypothalamus is referred to as “the brain of the brain”. The main function of hypothalamus is homeostasis and controls all the autonomic regulatory activities of the body such as temperature and cardiovascular regulation.

Midbrain: The midbrain or mesencephalon is the topmost section of the brainstem ((lower part of the brain adjoining the spinal cord). It is made up of the tectum and tegmentum and the cerebral peduncles (paired bundle of nerve fibers that carries melanin pigment).

Tectum - The tectum is a roof-like structure, which forms the dorsal part of the midbrain. It consists of the superior and inferior colliculi, which represent the anterior and posterior pair of nuclei of the tectum. The superior and inferior colliculi control vision and audition respectively.

Tegmentum - Tegmentum on the other hand is the ventral portion of the midbrain that lies within the brainstem. It controls the motor function and regulates other autonomic functions.

Hindbrain: The hindbrain is actually located at the upper portion of the spinal cord and is responsible for the vital functions of the body such as respiration and heartbeat. The hindbrain consists of the cerebellum, pons and medulla.

Cerebellum - Cerebellum is also referred to as “little brain” and contains more than 50% of the total neurons. It is situated at the lower side of the brain, in between the cerebrum and the brain stem. Cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres and overall, contains 10 lobules. The two hemispheres are connected by white fibers. Like cerebrum, cerebellum also contains gray matter. Cerebellum controls and regulates coordination of movements.

Pons and Medulla - Pons and medulla are parts of the brainstem that connects the brain and the spinal cord. Pons consists of the control centers for face and eye movements. It contains the origins of 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th cranial nerves. Medulla is located at the lowest part of the brainstem and contains control centers for heart and lungs. The cranial nerves 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th originate from medulla.

By Ningthoujam Sandhyarani

Diagram of the Brain and its Functions

nhkumzauseng — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:58:36 +0000

What is the brain? What does it look like? How does it function? If these are the questions swirling in your brain, then this article detailing the diagram of the brain and its functions will definitely whet your appetite regarding brain functions and parts.

The brain is the central part of the nervous system. Of all the human body systems, the nervous system is the most complicated system in the body. The brain is an intriguing organ, that has been studied right from the time of brain development in fetus. The human brain weighs about 1.5 kg in adults. The cerebrum, which forms the bulk of the brain, is divided into two hemispheres, the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere.

Each hemisphere of the brain interacts with one half of the body, but for unknown reasons, it is the right side of the brain that controls the left half of the body and the left half of the brain that controls the right half of the body. In most respects, the left and the right sides of the brain are symmetrical. However, there is one major difference, in most people, the left hemisphere is more involved in language and creativeness, while the right side of the brain is more involved in understanding and judgment. Although in brain functions, left and right hemispheres have the same essential role, the left is often solely attributed with personality and the right solely with intelligence. However, there is no concrete scientific proof to back this claim. Read more on facts on the human brain.

There are many ways of dividing the brain for studying its various aspects. However, it is conventionally divided into three parts: the fore brain, the mid brain and the hind brain. The brain also contains four interconnected cavities called ventricles, which contain cerebrospinal fluid. We will study the diagram of the brain and its functions in this article, along with a detailed study of the brain anatomy and parts of the brain.

Fore Brain
The forebrain is further divided into telencephalon and diencephalon.

Telencephalon: This consists of the two cerebral hemispheres of the cerebrum and their inter connections.

Cerebrum: The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. Any kind of trauma or lesion in the cerebrum can lead to various diseases and disorders and mental illnesses. The cerebrum is divided into two cerebral hemispheres by the medial longitudinal fissure. These two hemispheres are connected to each other by a fibrous band of nerves called the corpus callosum. The cortex of each hemisphere is divided into four lobes – the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe and the occipital lobe. The cerebral cortex is highly convoluted in its structure, which increases the area available for the neurons. The ridges present on the surface of the cortex are called gyri, whereas the grooves or fissures separating them are called sulci. Important sulci of the cerebrum include the central or Rolandic sulcus, the lateral or Sylvian sulcus, the parieto-occipital sulcus and the Calcarine sulcus. These sulci help to divide the cerebrum into its four lobes. Given below is a brain functions diagram, detailing the four lobes and their associated structures.

Frontal Lobe: This is the part of the cerebrum that lies directly below the frontal bone. It is the part that is present directly behind the forehead. It is separated from the parietal lobe by the central sulcus, and from the temporal lobe by the lateral sulcus. The frontal lobe is divided into a lateral, polar, orbital and medial part. The frontal lobe is seen in the above given diagram of the brain; and its functions are described below.

Functions of Frontal Lobe: The frontal lobe is involved with the main executive functions of the brain. These include:

Judgment, that is, the ability to recognize future consequences resulting from ongoing actions. This activity mostly occurs in the pre-frontal area.
Analytical and critical reasoning.
Cognition and memory is mostly concentrated in the frontal lobe. Thus, any damage to this region leads to memory loss and dementia. In some people during old age, there is severe memory loss due to malfunctioning of the frontal lobe, which leads to Alzheimer’s disease.
Emotional traits of a person are stored in the frontal lobe.
The motor cortex located in the frontal lobe is responsible for voluntary motor activity. Thus, this is one of the regions often implicated in Parkinson’s disease.
The premotor cortex is responsible for the storage of motor patterns and various voluntary activities.
The frontal lobe is also responsible for storing the language skills of a person.

Parietal Lobe: The parietal lobe is that lobe of the brain, that is present superior to the occipital lobe and posterior to the frontal lobe. It is enclosed by the parietal bone of the skull. The parietal lobe is separated from the frontal lobe by the central sulcus, while the lateral sulcus separates the parietal lobe from the temporal lobe.

Functions:

The parietal lobe is concerned with appreciation of basic sensations, such as touch, pain, pressure, temperature (heat and cold) and various joint movements.
It is also responsible for the discrimination of the intensity of various stimuli, like distinguishing warm from hot, ice cold from cold, etc.
It is responsible for storing data, which helps in later fine tuning tactile sensation i.e. it helps in recognizing common familiar objects placed in our hand without looking at them.
Parietal lobe helps in recognition of spatial relationships, that is, realization of the exact point of tactile sensation, the ability of discrimination between two points of tactile stimulation etc.

Temporal Lobe: The temporal lobe is a region of the cerebral cortex that is present beneath the Sylvian fissure. It is present on both sides of the brain. This lobe is home to the primary auditory complex. This lobe contains the hippocampus.

Functions:

The temporal lobe is involved in auditory (sound) sensation and is where the Wernicke’s Area (language recognition center) is located. The left temporal lobe is especially seen to be involved in speech.
The sensation of smell is also registered in the temporal lobe.
This lobe is also partly responsible for emotion, memory and speech.

Occipital lobe: The occipital lobe is the smallest lobe of the brain and is present at the back of the skull. This lobe is so called because it is present just overlying the occipital bone. The occipital lobes rest on the tentorium cerebelli, which is a process of the dura mater, that separates the cerebrum from the cerebellum. At the edges of the occipital lobe, there are several lateral occipital gyri, separated by the lateral occipital sulcus.

Function: The occipital lobe is primarily involved with interpreting visual impulses. This is done via the visual pathway.

Visual Pathway: Visual inputs follow a slightly complex rule – the optic nerves from the two eyes come together at a point called the optic chiasm, and here, half the fibers of each nerve split off to join the other. Thus, impulses received from the left half of the retina in both eyes go to the left side of the brain, while the impulses from the right half of the retina go to the right brain.

The retinal sensors that are present in the eye are stimulated when rays enter the eye and reach them. This stimuli then is conveyed to the cuneus (Brodmann’s area 17). From here it goes on to the optic tracts and the lateral geniculate bodies of the thalamus, where optic radiations then continue onto the visual cortex. Each visual cortex receives raw sensory information from the outside half of the eye present on the same side and from the inside half of the eye present on the other side of the head. Finally, the image is then projected in the cortex. Given below is a diagram of the brain and its functions, in relation to the visual cortex.

Thus, damage to the occipital lobe results in vision loss due to field cuts in each eye. If there is damage to the primary visual cortex, then this could lead to loss of vision of the opposite field, or in severe cases, seeing stars and flashes of light (visual hallucinations). It could also lead to color agnosia, that is, a problem with identifying colors (not to be confused with color blindness).

Diencephalon: The diencephalon sits beneath the middle of the cerebrum and on top of the brain stem. It contains two important structures called the thalamus and the hypothalamus, of which the hypothalamus connects with the pituitary complex.

Thalamus: The thalamus is a paired structure that is a part of the diencephalon. Each thalamus is a large, egg-shaped cluster of nuclei (gray matter). The two thalami lie close together, and are joined across the mid-line by a mass of gray matter called massa intermiedia. This is the center that acts as a relay station for incoming sensory nerve impulses, thus sending these impulses to the required appropriate regions of the brain for further processing. Most sensory signals, like auditory signals, visual signals and somatosensory signals go through this structure before being further processed in the brain. It also plays a major role in motor control, and is responsible for control of muscular movements through its various connections with the basal ganglia, cerebellum and the motor cortex. Basically, it is responsible for letting the brain get information on what is happening outside the body.

Hypothalamus: This is a small structure present in the diencephalon that plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis, that is, a state of equilibrium within the body. The thalamus keeps conditions in the body constant, preventing any sudden change from occurring. It regulates various sensations, such as hunger, thirst, temperature, libido among other things. It is also responsible for the circadian rhythm which is exerted in the body (the daily sleep and awake cycle). It also plays a vital role in emotions, autonomic functions and motor functions. It tries to maintain homeostasis by exerting control on the pituitary gland.

Pituitary Gland: The pituitary gland, or the hypophysis, is a small pea-sized gland, that is present in the skull, resting in a cavity of the skull called the sella turcica. It is an endocrine gland that is involved with secreting various hormones, and thus, establishing hormonal balance in the body. Read more on overview of endocrine system.

The various hormones secreted by the pituitary gland include the human growth hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, anti-diuretic hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, lutenizing hormone, oxytocin and thyroid stimulating hormone among other hormones. Thus, it is often called the master gland. Given below is a diagram outlining the main brain functions and parts.

Midbrain
The mid brain is divided into two parts by the Aqueduct of Sylvius, which is the duct that connects the III^rd ventricle in the mid brain with the IV^th ventricle in the pons and medulla oblongata. The ventral part of it is called the cerebral peduncle, which is chiefly made up of white matter and it unites the pons with the thalamic region of the cerebrum. The dorsal part is called the tectum, which consists of two elevations, the superior and inferior colliculi.

Functions: This section serves as a relay center for sensory information from the ears to the cerebrum. It also controls the reflex movements of the muscles of the head, neck and the eye. Thus, it provides a passage for different neurons going in and coming out of the cerebrum.

Hind Brain or Rhombencephalon
The mid brain, pons and medulla oblongata are often together called as the brain stem (sometimes only the pons and medulla oblongata are referred to as the brain stem). All cranial nerves are situated in the brain stem. The hind brain is made up of the brain stem and the cerebellum.

Pons: The word ‘pons’ literally means bridge. This is the structure that helps connect the two parts of the medulla oblongata and is often seen as a slight bulge present just above the medulla oblongata. The pons has a role in the level of arousal or consciousness and sleep. It also helps in relaying sensory impulses to, and from the brain. Furthermore, it is involved in controlling autonomic body functions.

Medulla Oblongata: The medulla oblongata forms the lower half of the brain stem. It is an extremely important part of the brain, as it deals with vital and basic activities of the human body, as it contains the cardiac, respiratory and vasomotor centers. Thus, it is responsible for functions such as breathing, maintaining a steady heart rate and blood pressure, inciting regurgitation (vomiting), swallowing, urination, defecation and in coordinating life saving reflexes. Thus, it is the medulla oblongata that executes the most important function of the brain, that is, regulating our life processes. Normally, when a person is hanged to death, it is the medulla oblongata that is compressed to an extent that the person’s breathing and heartbeat stops. Thus, any kind of damage to this structure, due to either a brain stem injury or a brain stem stroke, is potentially life threatening. Given below is a labeled diagram of the brain showing the brain stem and its related structures.

Cerebellum: The word ‘cerebellum’ literally means little brain. It is the second largest part of the brain, and is located at the back, below the occipital lobe, beneath the cerebrum and behind the brain stem. It contains an outer gray cortex and an inner white medulla, and has horizontal furrows, which makes it look different from the rest of the brain.

Functions:

Coordination of voluntary muscular movement. Thus, damage to the cerebellum results in cerebral palsy. Even uncontrolled movements, due to malfunctioning of the cerebellum can lead to seizures, which manifests as epilepsy. Thus, severe trauma to this region can even lead to paralysis.
Maintaining balance and equilibrium while walking, swimming, riding, etc.
Storing memory for reflex motor acts. It is basically involved with learning new movements, and coordinating and executing them properly.
It is also involved with coordinating simultaneous subconscious actions, like eating while talking or listening etc.

The extension of the central nervous system is through the medulla oblongata, which continues as the spinal cord, by exiting the skull through the foramen magnum and continuing in the spinal column. This is where the spinal cord gives out nerves which form the peripheral nervous system. So, I hope this comprehensive article on diagram of the brain and its functions has helped you become a mini neurologist in your own right!

By Dr. Sumaiya Khan

Brain – Left Or Right ?

nhkumzauseng — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:56:40 +0000

The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office. – Robert Frost

And of course, the brain is not responsible for any of the sensations at all. The correct view is that the seat and source of sensation is the region of the heart. – Aristotle

Well we have two different great views for our brain. Brain is senior part of our body that controls our other organs as well us.

David H. Hubel argued, “The brain is a tissue. It is a complicated, intricately woven tissue, like nothing else we know of in the universe, but it is composed of cells, as any tissue is. They are, to be sure, highly specialized cells, but they function according to the laws that govern any other cells. Their electrical and chemical signals can be detected, recorded and interpreted and their chemicals can be identified; the connections that constitute the brain’s woven feltwork can be mapped. In short, the brain can be studied, just as the kidney can.”

Brain is divided into two hemispheres. The research of Sperry and Onstein showed that we have two hemispheres in our brain, which have different characteristics or functions.

The left side of the brain generally deals with language (speech, writing, etc.)

The right side of the brain generally deals with more spatial activities (music, math, art, etc.)

People who are right-brained are thought to be more creative than left-brained people.

Left-brained People

Because we do not understand the brain very well we are constantly tempted to use the latest technology as a model for trying to understand it. In my childhood we were always assured that the brain was a telephone switchboard. (‘What else could it be?’) I was amused to see that Sherrington, the great British neuroscientist, thought that the brain worked like a telegraph system. Freud often compared the brain to hydraulic and electro-magnetic systems. Leibniz compared it to a mill, and I am told some of the ancient Greeks thought the brain functions like a catapult. At present, obviously, the metaphor is the digital computer. – John R. Searle

1. Left-brained people more focused on logic and structured activities.
2. People like this love to make lists, perform well in middle management, are highly logical and analytical and usually very reliable.
3. They tend to store information in names and words.
4. They think in order (first, next, etc.) They would rather be told how to do something than have it demonstrated.
5. They thrive in the classroom that involves a lot of listening.
6. They enjoy talking and writing things down.
7. They prefer discussing in-group projects. They like making and following structured rules.
8. They don’t like when their routine is interrupted.

Right-brained People

Emotions give a more activated and chemically stimulated brain, which helps us recall things better. – Cahil

1. The more intuitive and random in processing information and the more apt you are to store information primarily in pictures.
2. When asked to recall an event or a person, the right-brained person will flash instantly on an image.
3. A right-brained person is more likely to remember a face and a left-brained person would remember the name.
4. Although this person has a strong visual memory, he/she tends not to have the ability to perform logical, linguistic tasks.
5. Right-brained people tend to view and respond to the word with pictures and physically; unfortunately the world (especially schools) tends to view and respond with words.

Comparing Left and Right Brain

Left brain	Right brain
Logic	Rhythm, Creative, Abstract
Lists	Color
Linear	Imagination
Words	Day dreaming
Numbers	Intuition
Sequence	Spatial awareness
Analysis	Music
How	Why
Maths	Drawing
Structured	Unlimited
Reasonable	Not always
Practical	Wild and crazy
Believe in present	Believe in future
Incremental fixes	Quantum leaps
Continual improvement	Break through
From experience	Far reaching
Based on acquired skills	Based on desire

Tony Buzan who developed Mind Maps technique are showing that we need not be totally left brained or right brained but that by using both sides of our brain in our activities we become more ‘whole-brained’.

Whole-brained People

1. These souls, in some respects, have the best of both worlds.
2. They have the wonderful ability to shift tasks to the hemisphere of the brain that’s best equipped to tackle them.
3. When it comes to reading directions or doing a logical exercise, these people are efficient and able to sequence enough to complete the project.
4. They also enjoy creative abilities and can paint, create music, and use their intuition. They make good CEO’s because they can solve larger problems and pay attention to detail to apply to a situation.
5. The whole brained individual can see the forest and the trees. But, he/she may lack the organizational strengths of a left brained person and the creative brilliance of a right-brained person.

Whatever any man does he first must do in his mind, whose machinery is the brain. The mind can do only what the brain is equipped to do, and so man must find out what kind of brain he has before he can understand his own behavior. – Gay Gaer Luce and Julius Segal

There will be always differentiation among heart, mind and brain. Kall said, “The brain gives the heart its sight. The heart gives the brain its vision.” Again we had seen different functionalities between left-brain and right brain where one is practical and another is imaginary.

Leaving left and right hemisphere to understand brain, lets follow what Lyall Watson said, “If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn’t.”

Left Brain Functions

nhkumzauseng — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:55:33 +0000

Our brain is divided into two halves or hemispheres, each of which has certain functions allotted to it. The article stresses on various left brain functions and left brain characteristics.

Brain is no doubt one of the most remarkable organ of the human anatomy. Being the key component of the nervous system, brain commands the various functions of the body. The human brain is divided into two hemispheres – the right brain and the left brain. Each of these hemispheres are assigned particular functions. Normally, the left brain commands the functions of the right side of the body, while the right brain commands the functions of the left side of the body. Left brain functions include reading, understanding languages, analyzing information, etc., while right brain functions include imaging, doing gestures to express feelings, etc. Read more on right brain vs left brain.

Left Brain Characteristics

Individuals with left brain domination are considered to be relatively more intelligent than their right brain counterparts. Left brain characteristic traits include being analytical, sequential, logical, objective and rational. This helps the left brain people to get into the details of the subject, analyze it and come to a rational conclusion, as opposite to right brained people who just grasp the subject half heartedly as their attention always lingers on ‘how’ things are happening, instead of ‘what’ things are happening. This happens mainly because left brained people rely more on verbal aspect of the subject, while right brain rely more on the visual aspect. You can also read more on right brain characteristics.

Left Brain Functions

As we mentioned earlier, the right side of our body is wired to the left brain, while the left side of our body is wired to the right brain. It means our right hand is commanded by the left part of our brain, while our left hand is commanded by the right side of the brain. A look into right handedness and left handedness would make things much more clear for you. Our eyes are no exceptions either, as our right eye is guided by the left brain and left eye by the right brain.

When it comes to left brain functions, facts rule. Words and language is given utmost importance by this part of the brain. Left brain excels in analytical subjects such as math and science. It plays a vital role in the human body mechanism of learning new things, owing to its brilliant ability to comprehend various subjects. Being sequential, right brain facilitates order perception with immense ease as well. One of the most important functions of left brain is forming strategies using analytical and logical skills.

People with left brain domination tend to use logic, whenever they intend to solve any problem in life. Being detail oriented does help them to a great deal, as these people get to the root of the issue before coming to a conclusion or decision. They tend to relate their past with the present, in order to ensure that present as a smooth sail. These people believe that knowing new things is always useful, and hence they thrive for knowledge. The reality based nature of people with left brain helps them in being practical in life. These people are hardly seen taking risks. They play safe, plan things and then execute them. Read more on facts on the human brain.

Damage to the Left Brain

Damage to either side of brain can lead to some adverse effects on the individual’s body. Considering that the right part of the body is commanded by left brain, any damage caused to the left brain is known to show its adverse effects on the right side of the body. Nervous system and immune system are related to each other and hence any damage caused to either of them tends to reflect on the other components of human anatomy. Even studies stress on the basic fact that left hemisphere brain damage can lead to immunological disorder in right handed persons. Other than this, the person is also known to experience difficulty with various left side brain functions, including speaking, writing, memorizing and analyzing.

Owing to the various left brain functions and characteristic traits mentioned above, people with dominant left brain tend to excel in various fields requiring analytical skills. These fields may include law, accounting, engineering and many more.

Anti-Aging Skin Care Products

nhkumzauseng — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:53:14 +0000

Information on anti-aging cosmetic and nutritional products, anti-aging natural supplements and diet, anti-wrinkle creams and lotions. Learn more about anti aging skin care, the aging process, anti-aging solutions and treatments.

One of humankind’s most enduring quests has been for the fabled Fount of Youth. Ancient civilizations believed that there exists a means of stopping the aging process and even restoring the beauty and vigor of youth. This is a myth, of course. However, the constant search for anti-aging skin care products and natural supplements to counter aging is just a contemporary extension of this quest. We despise aging, because it reminds us of our mortality. Since there is no way to stop the aging process, we search for means of concealing the signs of advancing age. Thanks to modern medical science, anti-aging skin care products and natural supplements have attained something of a cult status. Results from some of these products are tangible and visible. However, not all of them are valid treatments. Certain manufacturers simply exploit the desperation prevailing among those who would do anything to look young again.

Anti-aging skin care products tend to approach the issue of aging from various angles. The skin is obviously the primary focus, since dull, wrinkled skin is a dead giveaway. However, certain variants claim to reverse the entire metabolic process of aging, thereby restoring youthful looks. One must view products that make such miraculous claims with extreme suspicion.

Anti-aging skin care products that focus on rejuvenating the skin often contain high intensity moisturizers. The reason is that skin loses its natural moisture with advancing age, causing it to wrinkle and develop blemishes. Such products may also contain anti-oxidants to counter the deterioration of skin cells. These anti-oxidants include vitamins A, C, E and D, which enjoy the status of anti-aging vitamins. Many anti-aging skin care products aim to boost the skin’s production of collagen, which promotes its elasticity and gives it structure.

Chemical-based anti-aging skin care products can have moderate to serious side effects in certain users. This is especially true for those who have pre-existing allergies. For this reason, there has been a trend of getting back to natural supplements. While these are not always free of side effects, they are certainly safer and tend to treat the problem of skin aging holistically rather than symptomatically. Natural supplements to chemical anti-aging skin care products contain organic botanical oils, herbal extracts and essential oils that the skin absorbs readily. Incidence of allergic reactions is quite rare.

While buying natural anti-aging supplements, the customer should look for the presence of ingredients that promote skin rejuvenation. Users report considerable benefits from various natural ingredients, including green or white tea, chamomile, calendula, South African Rooibos, soy oil, pomegranate herbal extract and seed Oil and other safe essential oils. Natural anti-aging skin care products do not contain harmful chemical preservatives, mineral oils, fragrances or other synthetic additives. This makes them far more skin-friendly.

Anti-aging skin care products come in the form of local applications (creams and lotions), face masks, massage oils and even orally ingestible pills. Whether the many anti-aging skin care products and natural supplements available nowadays are effective in countering skin aging is a matter of personal experience. In any case, a qualified dermatologist should monitor the use of such products to reduce the chances of infections and reactions.

Dry Skin on Face

nhkumzauseng — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:51:22 +0000

Are you fed up of dry skin on face? Then here are some remedies to help you out. Read on for more information.

Whenever we step out, we pay special attention towards grooming our face. Our facial skin is paid more attention to, than any other part. Of course, that’s the most prominent part of our body. While you can keep the other parts covered with clothes, the face can’t be kept covered all the time. So it goes without saying that the face has to be taken care of to have a perfect appearance. This is the reason that a tiny pimple may get you worried. Dry skin on face is is one of the common skin problems. It may last up to several days and remedies might work just temporarily. Dry skin on face is common during winters but some may experience this throughout the year. What do you do in such a case. Do you keep touching your face to ensure that the effect of moisturizer is still there? No need to do that, as here are some of the common causes of dry skin patches on face and the ways to cure them.

Causes of Dry Skin on Face

When the skin is unable to retain moisture and the sebum level decreases, it becomes dry and looks patchy. It feels stretched, tight, uncomfortable and sometimes even itchy. Only when you apply some moisturizer, does it become soft. Extremely dry skin looks chapped and cracked. Mostly the skin on cheeks and area around the lips have this problem.

Dehydration is the basic and most common cause of dry skin on face. If you are not drinking enough water throughout the day or consuming excess caffeine or sugary products, then this may definitely lead to dry skin on face. Unhealthy eating habits and low intake of healthy foods is another cause of dry skin on face. Vitamin A and vitamin B deficiencies also contribute to this problem.

Soap, skin creams, make-up products and skin care products might cause irritation to the skin and lead to dry, itchy skin on face. If you are prone to some allergies, these can also make your skin dry. Environmental factors like the sun, wind or cold also lead to this problem. Moreover, if you spend hours in an air-conditioned room, you can possibly get dry skin on face.

Apart from the aforementioned problems, you might have dry skin on face due to a genetic condition, hormonal imbalance or even due to diseases like diabetes.

Remedies to Cure Dry Skin on Face

Firstly, you must drink a lot of water to get rid of the dry skin on face. This will help the most in keeping your skin hydrated. Next, eat a balanced diet which should include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts. Intake of raw food will help a lot. Foods high in sulfur, like garlic, onions and eggs are must for having a soft skin. You can also have fresh juices of fruits and vegetables instead of aerated drinks. Try to completely eliminate the intake of fried foods, soft drinks, chocolate and other junk food items. Avoid alcohol and caffeine as they will make your skin look dry and dull. Chamomile or peppermint in tea, is good for treating a dry skin problem.

Extremely dry skin needs to be moisturized repeatedly during the day. Facial skin care is not just limited to applying the moisturizer once in the morning. You must wash your face thrice a day followed by application of a deep moisturizer. Also, after exposing your skin to sun or dust, you must clean it and apply a moisturizer. Exfoliate skin with a facial scrub, once in a week. The moisturizer will be more effective after this process. Also, clean your skin and apply a moisturizer before going to bed.

Avoid using soap or cleansing creams on face, instead use pure olive or almond oil to cleanse the skin. Pat the oil on your face and wash it off with lukewarm water. Pat dry with a soft cloth. Hot water may give you an extremely relaxed feeling but it makes your skin dry. So do not use very hot water while bathing. Remember, moisturizing is the key to get rid of dry skin on face.

Use Aloe vera, a natural cleanser and moisturizer, regularly. It also removes the dead skin leaving your skin smooth and soft. Add essential oils like lavender oil or almond oil to your bath water to have a soft skin. Massaging your face twice a week with olive oil, rose oil, sandalwood oil, almond oil, coconut oil or sesame oil will help cure dry itchy skin on face. These natural skin care options will not only give you a soft facial skin, but will also enhance your complexion.

You need to regularly follow the above mentioned methods to get rid of dry skin. Moisturizers and a lot of water and must be a part of your daily routine even if you have a soft skin. You must consult a doctor if you don’t notice any improvement in dry skin on face after implementing the aforementioned skin care.

By Mamta Mule

Skin Whitening Tips

nhkumzauseng — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:49:16 +0000

Skin whitening tips – well, I am sure you have heard this before. However, after months of attempts and research, here are the best tips for skin whitening in the market for your perusal!

Thanks to fairytale and novels, fair skinned beauties are the dream. Each one wants to have fair, flawless skin and get swooned by a prince. Why not? Seems like a good plan, very flattering and romantic, don’t you think? So, when my friend started obsessing over becoming fairer, the research started. We tried every method in the book, and gave every manual a read. The natural skin care methods that worked are mentioned in the article.

Skin Whitening Tips # 1
Sunscreen is a skin whitening secret. No kidding. The suns UV rays affect our skin causing sunburn, even when we are indoors. More so, there are several constituents in our surroundings that cause the melanin rate to increase. Sunscreen creams, help reduce the effect of the UV rays, and stop the increasing melanin rate. After regular use over a period of time, it starts reducing the melanin as well. Melanin are the skin darkening cells. As such it is clear, reduction on melanin leads to fairer skin. Read more on skin care.

Skin Whitening Tips # 2
Moisturizing is also a very important method for skin whitening. Drying of the skin often results in skin darkening. More so, dry skin tends to get tanned faster. As such, keeping your skin moisturized at all times is a sure fire way to making it fairer. Make sure that all your exposed skin is kept moisturized. This also helps in keeping your skin supple and smooth. I would call it, touchable!

Skin Whitening Tips # 3
Tomato has bleaching effects. It is a natural skin lightener. Rubbing tomato on the skin is one of the best way to bleach the skin without any harmful chemicals. It has best effects when the tomato is cold. Cut it in half and rub the internal part of the tomato on your skin. Rub it for around 10 minutes and then leave it on for around 20 to 25 minutes. Then wash it off with cold water. The skin might seem dry after this skin whitening treatment, so best is to put on moisturizer after that. It is one of the natural skin whitening tips.

Skin Whitening Tips # 4
Wheat flour is a great secret to fair soft skin. Mix wheat flour with water, making it a thin paste. Rub it on to the skin. Make sure that you have applied it evenly on the skin. Leave it on for around 15 to 20 minutes. While washing it off, rub it on the skin like a scrub. Dab dry your face to avoid too much friction on the skin. Regular wheat flour treatment, like once a week, is a great way to have soft, supple and fair skin. Basiclly, it is a sure fire answer to the question, how to look hot.

Skin Whitening Tips # 5
Papaya extract is great for the skin and hair. While eating it is great for the eyes, skin, hair and the digestive system. Applying it as a pack on the skin works well for skin whitening. Mash the papaya, cool it, and apply it on your skin. Leave it on for around 20 minutes. Lounge around while you wait. Wash it off after the stipulated time. Dry your face lightly. You will not only notice your skin tone to be fairer, but a soft glow as well.

Skin Whitening Tips – Bonus Note
There are many lifestyle changes that can help you make your skin a shade fairer, if not more. Reduce coffee intake. Coffee is responsible for increasing the body toxin level as well as the heat. This leads to increase melanin count, hence, making the skin darker. Reducing coffee intake will lead to a slow and steady whitening process of the skin. To increase the speed, ensure that you drink 4 to 5 liters of water on a daily basis. This will help flush out the toxins from the body faster. More so, the glow on the skin will be more prominent.

Check out these articles on skin whitening:

Many more skin whitening home remedies like splashing the skin with rose water on a daily basis, lemon scrubs, etc can be tried out. However, they are too difficult to implement, or are not very effective. You can also opt for the hordes of fairness creams that are available in the market. They work as well. Make sure you wash your face regularly, this will help avoid pore clotting. Hope this skin whitening tips and secrets are helpful. This is where I sign off! All the best!

By Rashida Khilawala

A Complete Guide To The Different Learning Theories

nhkumzauseng — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:14:33 +0000

Educational theorists, from philosophers like Socrates and Rousseau to researchers like Howard Gardner today, have addressed theories of learning. Many of their ideas continue to influence homeschoolers as well as traditional educators. A little familiarity with some of the ideas most popular among homeschoolers will help you make sense of the wealth of available materials when you begin to make choices for your family.

Jean Piaget and Cognitive Development

He proposed that children go through several distinct stages of cognitive growth. First comes the sensorimotor stage (birth to two years), during which the child learns primarily through sensation and movement. At the pre-operational stage (ages two to seven), children begin to master symbols such as language and start to be able to form hypotheses based on past experiences. At the concrete operational stage (ages seven to eleven), children learn to generalize from one situation to similar ones, although such reasoning is usually limited to their own concrete experience.

Finally, at the formal operational stage (eleven years older), children can deal with abstractions, form hypothesis and engage freely in mental speculation. Although the rate at which children progress through the stages varies considerably, the sequence of stages is consistent for all children.

Therefore, to be appropriate and effective, learning activities should be tailored to the cognitive level of the child.

Rudolf Steiner and the Waldorf Schools

Steiner divided children’s development into three stages: to age seven, children learn primarily by imitation; from seven to fourteen, feelings and emotions predominate; and after age fourteen, the development of independent reasoning skills becomes important. Waldorf education tends to emphasize arts and crafts, music, and movement, especially at younger ages, and textbooks are eschewed in favor of books the students make for themselves. Waldorf theories also maintain that the emphasis should be on developing the individual’s self-awareness and judgment, sheltered from political and economic aspects of society until well into adolescence.

Montessori and the Prepared Environment

Italian physician Maria Montessori’s work emphasized the idea of the prepared environment: Provide the proper surroundings and tools, so that children can develop their full potential. Montessori materials are carefully selected, designed to help children learn to function in their cultures and to become independent and competent. Emphasis is on beauty and quality, and that which confuses or clutters is avoided: Manipulative are made of wood rather than plastic tools are simple and functional, and television and computers are discouraged.

Charlotte Mason: Guiding Natural Curiosity

Charlotte Mason was a nineteenth-century educator advocated informal learning during the child’s early year contrast with the Prussian system of regimented learning then in vogue. She recommended nature study to develop both observational skill and an appreciation for the beauty of creation and extended that approach to teaching history geography through travel and study of the environment rather than as collections of data to master. She felt children learn best when instruction takes into account their individual abilities and temperaments, but she emphasized the importance of developing good habits to govern one’s temperament and laying a solid foundation of good moral values.

Holt and Unschooling

Educator John Holt wrote extensively about school reform in the 1960s. Although he originally proposed the word “unschooling” simply as a more satisfactory alternative to “homeschooling.” Unschooling now generally refers to a style of homeschooling, in which learning is not seperated from living, and children learn mainly by following their interests. Children learn best, he argued, not by being taught, but by being a part of the world, free to most interests them, by having their questions answered as they ask them, and by being treated with respect rather than condescension.

Gardner and Multiple Intelligences

Psychologist Howard Gardner argues that intelligence is not a single unitary property and proposes the existence of “multiple intelligences.” He identifies seven types of intelligence: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Because each person has a different mix of these intelligences, learning is best tailored to each individual’s strengths, rather than emphasizing the linguistic and logical-mathematical approaches traditionally used in schools. A bodily kinesthetic learner, for instance, might grasp geometric concepts presented with hands-on manipulative far more easily than she would if they were presented in a more traditionally logical, narrative fashion. A teaching approach that recognizes a variety of learning styles might encourage many individuals now lost by conventional methods.

Understanding Learning: How Recent Research Supports Natural Affinities

nhkumzauseng — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:13:43 +0000

Fielding questions from parents about the best way to “teach” young children, I often revert to research that supports integrated and emergent education models. However, parents influenced by marketing trends and imprudent education mandates are often skeptical by what they view as hackneyed analysis. How thrilling to come across leading edge research, such as David A. Sousa’s, “How the Brain Learns”, which presents evidence of brain development in the first five years of life and the potential this has in the area of early childhood education and beyond.

An exciting revelation of brain research is that educators get to rethink the long-standing “tabula rasa” theory. This refers to the thesis that individuals are born with no innate or built-in mental content, and that their entire resource of knowledge is built up gradually. Researchers now know that children are ready and motivated to learn, not by being fed knowledge, but by discovering the world around them. It’s up to the teachers, parents and caregivers in their lives to provide the inspiration and facilitation. And instead of a mandated curriculum, it’s creativity and individuation that will best ensure a student’s lifelong success.

Children’s curious nature and natural motivation to learn, instinctively facilitate them to walk, talk, master manipulative tasks and do numerous activities that others, from whom they learn, are doing. Educational experiences that allow students to continue learning in the ways that helped them master these important skills are far more beneficial and sustainable than standardized academic programs.

Parents can be erroneously concerned about children learning “the basics”. But what is meant by the “basics?” Sometime during the last century or so, a misguided theory of what is important for all students emerged. Perhaps this model was thought to be important during the industrial age when training people for the labor market was a priority. But we now know that the world is a fast-changing, increasingly open and global society where individuals need to be confident, flexible and independent thinkers and learners. The importance of nurturing these qualities cannot be understated. We’re finally beginning to understand that a child is not “behind” or “learning disabled” if certain concepts do not emerge in a specified timeline. It’s the teachers and parents that are “teaching disabled” when they believe this to be true.

One of the great detriments of current educational precepts is the idea that we compartmentalize information like ABC’s and language and reading in the early years, or as we mature, math and writing and geometry, etc.. This is contrary to recent findings, and challenges our notions of the way people truly learn. Academic subjects that are presented as interrelated can be synthesized in a more meaningful way, thus retained and applied appropriately and in context. According to David Whitebread, author of The Psychology of Teaching and Learning in School, “This natural and powerful way of learning is vastly inhibited when we are presented with new information or experience which does not relate to what we already know”.

Brain development research is confirming that allowing children to continue learning in ways that are organic and inspiring is what true education is all about. Imposing a curriculum with disregard for personal capacity and preferences is an outdated framework in education, parenting and training in general. It’s thrilling to see research support the benefit of fostering an individual’s innate capabilities through a holistic, rather than pigeonholed, approach.

Do You Know Your Child’s Learning Style?

nhkumzauseng — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:12:53 +0000

Each of your children has their own exclusive learning style. We process information coming at us in many different ways. You can help your child learn by figuring out their learning style and determining the most effective way to “encode” that information so that they can assimilate it easier and more fully. The three major learning styles are visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

Visual learners think in images and pictures. Their mind is like a mini video camera that is always set on ‘record’–in order to remember an event they ‘play’ back the image in their head. A visual learner will frequently do well in the classroom setting because the majority of information and testing in the school system is visual.

Visual students like to read, look at pictures and observe others around them. Make sure that you include pictures, videos and computers in order to keep the visual child’s attention. Children that learn visually also love to write, draw and organize things.

Auditory learners have superior listening skills and have the capability to notice slight nuances in words, tone inflection and overall meaning. Students who frequently talk and/or sing to themselves are usually auditory learners. Auditory children love to take part in discussions but are easily distracted by outside noises, other conversations going on at the same or music. Permit your student to talk through situation in order to reach solutions and open to their need for interaction or verbal repetition.

Kinesthetic learners want to learn through experiencing and touching things. These children have to ‘do’ in order to learn and their memory is directly linked to bodily interaction. Kinesthetic children sometimes have difficulty in the classroom because most material is geared toward the auditory and visual learners. Teachers, also, do not usually appreciate the student moving around the classroom and touching things. They do excel, however, in activities such as building, sports, drama and/or dance.

For kinesthetic learners, try to include activities that permit your child to touch, explore, play, perform and create. Since these types of learners don’t typically visualize or retain information just by listening, you need to design activities that allow them to interact with the senses.

No particular learning style is better than the other and they are all legitimate, intelligent and functional ways to process information. Whereas every child usually has one main learning style, they also have a ‘mix’ of the all the styles that permits them to access information and take a look at the world around them in their own distinctive way