A single sensory input, and the neurons in your brain spring into action. That means the brain's 170 billion worker-cells stay busy around the clock.
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00:00For the brain's 170 billion workers, it's a day much like any other.
00:07The heads of neurons touch the feet of other neurons, forming synapses.
00:11That's how they communicate.
00:12Meanwhile, glial cells supply them with nutrients and fluids.
00:19Nobody suspects yet, but the peace will be short-lived.
00:23Deep inside the brain is the thalamus, a kind of relay station for most sensory information.
00:29Unimportant details get swept under the table.
00:33But suddenly panic breaks out.
00:35The highly strung amygdala has spotted something that evokes unpleasant emotions.
00:41And the hippocampus starts calling up bad memories.
00:48Just in case, the hypothalamus prepares the body to make a run for it by instructing the
00:53pituitary gland to pump chemical messengers into the bloodstream.
00:59Gradually the news spreads throughout the entire neurological complex and is processed
01:04by a wide range of different departments.
01:10The visual information is examined in detail.
01:13Options for averting danger are analyzed.
01:16The motor cortex starts working on an escape plan.
01:24Language experts get busy trying to name the spider species.
01:30Other departments are trying to assess the situation.
01:34How are people around us reacting?
01:36Maybe the spider is actually kind of cute.
01:39What other options are there to deal with the situation?
01:42Meanwhile, in the prefrontal cortex, the boss is sitting in the executive suite.
01:49But it's hard to say exactly who is making the final call.
01:52As is often the case, a lot of units are involved and good decisions are usually down
01:57to teamwork.
01:59It takes less than a second to react.
02:02The motor cortex initiates movements.
02:05Signals are transmitted from the oldest department, the brain stem, through the spinal cord to
02:10the rest of the body.
02:12The lungs are instructed to take a deep breath.
02:16And then it's the cerebellum's turn to shine.
02:19That's where complex sequences of movements are trained and precisely coordinated.
02:24With the help of a pincer grip, the spider is grabbed by a leg and transported into the
02:30garden.
02:32Danger has been averted.
02:37But the next drama is already brewing.
02:41Just another long and strenuous workday in our brain.
02:45Though many processes are still a mystery.
02:49This is one company that doesn't give up its secrets easily.