The Human Brain, By Rita Levi Montalcini - 1118 Words

According Italian Scientist, Rita Levi-Montalcini, â€Å"It is imperfection - not perfection - that is the end result of the program written into that formidably complex engine that is the human brain, and of the influences exerted upon us by the environment and whoever takes care of us during the long years of our physical, psychological and intellectual development† (Montalcini). The human brain is an enigmatic marvel that is constantly being researched and explored to new depths. I have chosen Chapter Seven: Cognition, Language, and Intelligence because I was quite intrigued about the different mental processes and cognitive functions such as perception, attention, memory, and reasoning. Our everyday lives revolves around cognition, mental actions or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses (259). Jill Bolte Taylor, an accomplished neuroanatomist, experienced a traumatic stroke which caused certain function errors in her b rain such as the ability to process sensory information, tap into memories, and use language. The most tragic part was that she was unable to recognize who or what â€Å"G.G†, her mother was. She temporarily did not understand the major significance or what the concept of what a mother was. Dr. Taylor had to be retaught the different formal, natural concepts and mental, auditory imagery all over again. If I was to lose my ability to recognize my mother, I would be completely devastated because I heavily rely on