Understanding How the Brain and Mind Influence Human Behavior
Before we proceed with the difference between mind and brain, let us discuss these two first.
What is Brain?
The brain is a critical component in our central nervous system located within the skull. It is the nodal point for receiving, organising and distributing information all across the body. It controls the function of most of the organs in our body.
How are the Brain and Mind Different?
The brain is the physical organ of the body that is present in the skull inside the head of all animals including insects. This part of the body governs all the activities performed by an organism like a central processing unit in your computers. It consists of tissues and nerve cells that are very complex with different sections dedicated to carrying out different specific functions. And it is connected to all parts of the body through nerve cells and neurons that transfer the external stimuli felt by the body through electrical signals. These electrical signals are in turn transferred by the chemicals present at the end of each nerve cell and their reactions with each other. To conclude, the brain is a tangible organ that commands the muscle tissues in our body to contract and expand for movement.
The brain is also responsible for experiencing different feelings and depositing these feelings as memories in their designated sections and forming fine fibres as studied in Neurology. But against all this, there is another intricate activity carried out by the brain for the processing of feelings and memories that we gain as we live. This is termed as an experience in general terms. All these experiences collectively develop into a definite identity of a person and are termed the mind. It is not tangible like the brain but creates the thought process and perception ability of a person.
The brain can be divided into three main parts – cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem.
Cerebrum: Cerebrum comprises the right and left hemisphere, and it is the largest part of the brain. It performs functions like interpretation of hearing, vision and touches as well as controlling learning and emotion, among others.
Cerebellum: Cerebellum is situated right under the cerebrum and coordinates muscle movement, maintenance of balance and posture, among others.
Brainstem: Brainstem connects cerebrum and cerebellum with the spinal cord and performs functions such as controlling body temperature, heart rate, breathing, sleep cycles, digestion etc.
Do you Know?
Human brain, weighing about 3 pounds, is made up of 60% fat and generates close to 23 watts of power while the person is awake. It requires a steady blood supply, and an individual may lose consciousness even in a gap of 8-10 seconds. There are 100 billion neurons present in the brain, and the blood vessels stretch 100,000 miles in length.
What is Mind?
Mind pertains to a complex of faculties that are involved in remembering, perceiving, evaluating, considering and deciding among others. Even though mind and brain are used interchangeably in common phrasing, these two mean two distinct things.
Our mind is categorised into three distinct levels – conscious, subconscious, and unconscious.
Conscious
It is the first level of our consciousness and refers to immediate experiences. It deals with the input from our senses, analysis of information, and undertaking decisions based on collated information.
Subconscious
Subconsciousness is the next state that holds information which is beneath our immediate awareness. Such information may be archived as memories which do not readily come to the fore.
Unconscious
Unconsciousness is much deeper than our conscious awareness and is made up of primitive and instinctual desires. It influences our behaviour to a large extent, even though we may not be categorically aware of it.
Brain vs Mind
Brain is the physical organ inside the skull of the animals while the mind is a sense of consciousness that takes place inside the mind. All the memories of an organism are stored by the brain in the form of neuron fibres. Neuron fibres are the physical part of the brain while the function they perform is associated with the general intelligence of an organism.
Test Your Knowledge
i. Which of the following amounts to a quick response to the stimuli passing through the brain?
(a) Receptors.
(b) Knee-jerk.
(c) Voluntary action.
(d) Reflex action.
ii. What is the outer covering of the brain covered by?
(a) Nerve cells.
(b) Axons.
(c) Dendrites.
(d) Pons.
Solutions:
i. (d) Reflex action.
ii. (a) Nerve cells.
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FAQs on Brain vs Mind: What Sets Them Apart in Biology?
1. What is the fundamental difference between the brain and the mind?
The fundamental difference is that the brain is a tangible, physical organ made of nerve cells and tissues, located within the skull. In contrast, the mind is an intangible entity, representing the collection of consciousness, thoughts, emotions, memories, and imagination that arises from the brain's activities.
2. How are the brain and mind related if one is physical and the other is not?
The mind is considered an emergent property of the brain's functioning. This means the mind does not exist without the brain. The complex interactions of billions of neurons firing in specific patterns and circuits within the brain give rise to the abstract experiences we call the mind, such as feelings, consciousness, and decision-making. Damage to the brain can directly impact the functions of the mind.
3. Can you provide an example that illustrates the difference between brain and mind in action?
Certainly. Imagine you feel nervous before an exam. The feeling of anxiety and the thoughts of worry are aspects of your mind. This mental state triggers a physical response in your brain, which then sends signals through the nervous system to increase your heart rate and release stress hormones like cortisol. The brain is the hardware processing the command, while the mind is the abstract experience of nervousness itself.
4. Is the mind simply 'what the brain does'?
This is a key concept in neuroscience and philosophy. From a functionalist perspective, the answer is yes. This view suggests that the mind is the set of functions and processes—like thinking, remembering, and feeling—that the brain performs. While the brain is the physical structure (hardware), the mind represents its operational processes (software). So, while they are distinct, one is the direct product of the other's activity.
5. What are the key components of the brain versus the mind?
The components are described on different levels:
Brain Components (Anatomical): The brain is physically divided into major parts such as the cerebrum (responsible for higher thought), cerebellum (coordinates movement and balance), and the brainstem (controls basic life functions).
Mind Components (Functional/Psychological): The mind is often described in terms of its levels of consciousness, including the conscious mind (our current awareness), the subconscious mind (memories and feelings not in immediate awareness), and the unconscious mind (deep-seated instincts and automatic processes).
6. Is memory a function of the brain or the mind?
Memory involves both. The brain provides the physical storage mechanism. Information is encoded and stored through the strengthening of neural connections in areas like the hippocampus and cortex. The mind is what experiences the act of remembering—recalling a past event, a fact, or a feeling. Therefore, memory is a mental process that is entirely dependent on the brain's physical ability to process and store information.
7. Why is understanding the brain-mind distinction important in Biology?
This distinction is crucial because it connects physical anatomy to function and behaviour. In Biology, particularly in topics like 'Neural Control and Coordination' as per the CBSE syllabus, studying the brain's structure helps explain how mental processes occur. It is foundational for understanding neurological disorders, where physical damage to the brain results in measurable deficits in cognitive or emotional functions of the mind.
