Anatomy, Physiology and Neuroscience

Hi there, I am an expert winker.. I wink all the time, I'm sure everyone else can too and take it for granted, but my girlfriend can't do it!! She asks me to teach her how and I am stumped as to how I would do that. I have looked all over the net for info but can't find anything. Anyone out there with some theories, instructions, plans?

Not sure if this is the right section for this,but didn't know anywhere else to put it. Does anyone know if there is a correlation between lung volumes and peak flow rates? any help appreciated

I would like to hear what anyone has to say about Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. I wear tinted glasses that seem to block out "visual noise" and allow me to read more efficiently and well as see distance more clearly. There seems to be a lot of controvercy over the topic. Tinted glasses work for me but it appears to me that the color needs to change often to have the same effect, like my brain adjusts to the color. The only company in the United States who claims they can tint lenses correctly for the syndrome charges an arm and a leg making it an ineffective solution for people with this problem.

What is the mind. I was told the brain controls the brain. That makes no sense. If the brain controlled itself, then all thought and or movement is random. I thought the mind is what controls the chemical processes(thoughts) in you brain. If something didn't control them, then wouldn't you be a vegetable? I am confused.

Can the mind actually generate anything genuinely new? In my opinion the mind does not so much generate original material, as it does reshuffle existing images and concepts in new ways. Perhaps this explains why it takes so long to 'grow up' and why genuinely innovative ideas are few and far between? Just a thought...

I'm not well-informed on Neuroscience and wouldn't know where to start, so for any individual(s) that can address this question properly, I'd much appreciate it. Basically, this is something I can recreate at any time, and anywhere. I intensely focus my attention on the top-back portion of my brain, and then I feel something build up there, which suddenly in a burst sends tingles throughout my body, originating from that portion of the brain. I can even get my hairs to stand up on my skin in some occasions, so this is not all in my imagination--I literally feel certain parts of me vibrate within, which is stimulation of the nervous system, I believe. I also can con…

Years ago, a med student told me about a patient that arrived in the ER with a severe head injury. The attending intern touched the patient’s brain in a way that killed the patient. According to the teller of the tale, it was a mistake that was completely unnecessary had the brain been handled properly. No one present reported the death as a mistake—the patient was listed as DOA. This story is now ancient, and I recall only the broad points above. I’d like to use the anecdote in a piece of fiction. Can anyone help me with the following questions? What part of the brain would likely cause instant death if touched? Is there any part of the brain in which…

I have heard about people holding their breath for 8 minutes, while I can only manage 2 (about), and only by hyperventilating. I'd like to know how to train myself to do that, and how the heck you can hold for 8 minutes. Oh, and one other question: For the people that live in low-oxygen environments, wouldn't their adaption to using less oxygen make it easier to hold their breath at sea level?

Hello, I’m sure nearly everyone has observed this before. I was watching a movie the other day and it had an old wagon in it. As the wagon went by the camera, the wagon wheel spokes appeared to be turning in reverse. The reason this occurs is because the shutter speed of the camera in relationship to the wheel spoke speed causes a time sequencing event. Explaining how this occurs in detail would require a fairly lengthy letter. I’m sure most understand how it happens. When I saw it happen this time, I started to wonder if anyone had tested the human brain’s visual image processing speed. Is anyone aware of tests that have been conducted regarding…

Something REALLY bizzar just happened at my appartment. I was hungry, and since today it's Pessach (jewish holiday), all the food in my house is reserved for the grand dinner - so I had nothing natural to eat. Being extremely hungry, and not wanting to eat my insides, I decided I'll warm some of those iced meals in my microwave. I did. And after 3 minutes, when I openned it and took the plate out, I discovered that appearantly - without noticing - a little ant found her way into my plate. Disgusting as it is (I still ate it, I was hungry! ) there's a few things I just couldn't avoid wondering: How the heck did that ant stay alive after being cooked for…

What causes me to twitch when I sleep in class? At home I sleep fine, but whenever I fall to sleep in class or in the car, I wake up because of violent twitches. It usually feels like something menacing is about to happen, like i'm about to fall or something. Then I wake up! I'm sure there is a neurological reason for this, but its annoying, especially when I get wierd looks from people sitting next to me in class. It only happens when I fall asleep in the car or in class.

I was trying to visualize these very detailed scenes in my mind. For example, there's an ocean with a pink, red, and yellow sky. Beneath the clear ocean is some coral and colorful fish. Some dolphins jump out of the sea. When I woke up this morning to visualize it again, I found it was a lot easier. Then as time went on, it got harder. So I'm guessing that it's easier to imagine something when you're just waking up than when you're already awake. Why is that?

I was just a little curious about why we sleep? I know it is somewhat about re-balancing hormones, but that can't be all. What causes us to feel tired, and what makes us dreams, and what makes seperates deep sleep from dream sleep (if there IS much of a difference)? Anything and everything? Thanks Much!

The thread subject might not EXACTLY be what I mean but it was the best way I see to summerize my question. I've noticed that whenever someone finishes a big meal, he emmediately (or within a few minutes usually) needs to "evacuate" himself to the bathroom. It's clear to all that the human body does not digest solid food at such a quick period of time. So I had an argument with some friends of mine about the cause. Is this happening so fast because of a psychological reaction (like the reaction people have to running water and the desire to pee) OR Is this purely physical - to "remove" the 'remains' of whatever has been digested from the last meal. If…

I have recently been studying for a very important professional exam that I will be taking later this summer. I have been reading and working problems in 3 or 4 hours sessions. On occasion, I get to a point that I can't concentrate, focus, or even keep my thoughts straight. I feel as if my brain is about to explode. However, I can simply turn on the TV, go on my computer or do some other activity and the fatigue instantly goes away. What chemical and physiological cahnges take place at the moment mental fatigue sets in and how does the brain know the difference between reading for the sake of work verses reading for the sake of pleasure? With physical fa…

Hello My question is about the Gaucher disease. Can anybody tell me which the enzyme action mechanism is (I mean glucocerebroxidase)?and please also the specific identity of substrates and products (with the corresponding names and formules). Thank you

Exactly as my topic says, when i'm reading a book.. and im going along a line.. my eye would suddenly skip, either backwards or forwards a few words, .. the thing is, i can actually.. feel my eyes skip.. and i dont do it on purpose...and for some reason, i have to go back =/ and re-read it.. it's very annoying.. btw, i have 20/20 vision wonder if this is right forum

I was working in the woods a while today behind my house and got cut up pretty good. There were lots of thorns bushes and stuff like that. Anyway, I came inside to wash my hands and all the cuts burned a little. Now, I understand that the central nervous system would relay the message of pain through the nerve cells and up to the brain were the brain tells me it hurts. So, the question: How does the brain distinguish where the pain began? If it is a relay of messages, how does the brain know where it all started?

I am a 21 year old female. The last time I had a cycle was back in September of 2003. Before then, my cycle was normal now it is like I'm 10 years old or something because my period is no where in sight. i have taken 2 pregnancy tests and they both came up negative. WHY haven't I had my period. what is wrong with my body. Any help???

Dear all, I am doing a biomechannical analysis on ribs. For this I need to know the mechanism of rib growth. Also how exactly the growth plate moves, at what age the costal cartilage begins to ossify, etc. I was able to find lot of information on long bone growth mechanism but not much about ribs. I would be really greatful if anyone can suggest a book or source of reference which would help me in understanding clearly this mechanism, especially the growth plate mechanism in ribs. Thanks in advance Mechmav

What are the effects of absorbing too much phenylalanine ?

Have you ever noticed that when an airplane propeller is accelerating, at some point the blades appear to begin spinning backwards from actual rotational direction. It then smooths out to a stop and then appears to be at full speed. The same effect can be seen on cars with fancy wheels. What exactly is going on here?

I have recently become aware of this condition. (Thanks Glider!) Synesthesia is a phenomenon in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another. For example, one might experience the visualization of color upon hearing a certain sound. I personally experience pleasant odors upon hearing certain music. The odors are so vivid as to almost suggest taste. I first noticed this condition during high school after being hit in the head with a baseball bat, which resulted in a severe concusion. Upon recovery I would experience moderate vertigo and funny letter stacking while reading. This is also when I first experienced the odor of "lemon" when a certain …

Everyone is telling me that the first man was black in africa. Then albinism came and was a sin to the original blacks, so the whites went to Europe because they was considered mutants. Any thoughts?

I've read all of the threads about knuckle cracking and found it both interesting and helpful, but I thought I should raise the issue of neck cracking. I've also read other internet articles about it and didn't find specific information regarding the nasty habit. Now, the reason I'm so concerned is that about 10 minutes ago I had cracked my neck, as usual, but felt a tingling shock that spread down all of my limbs. I think most of the shock was from fear. I sat still for a moment, scared to move, then checked to make sure I wasn't paralysed or received nerve damage. Everything checked out fine (I think), and there's no pain or sign of damage, I can even move my head i…