the brain and the nervous system - TICKLING
THE BRAIN:
The brain is like a computer that controls the body's functions, and the nervous system is like a network that relays messages to parts of the body.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
If you think of the brain as a central computer that controls all bodily functions, then the nervous system is like a network that relays messages back and forth from the brain to different parts of the body. It does this via the spinal cord, which runs from the brain down through the back and contains threadlike nerves that branch out to every organ and body part.
When a message comes into the brain from anywhere in the body, the brain tells the body how to react. For example, if you accidentally touch a hot stove, the nerves in your skin shoot a message of pain to your brain. The brain then sends a message back telling the muscles in your hand to pull away. Luckily, this neurological relay race takes a lot less time than it just took to read about it.
Considering everything it does, the human brain is incredibly compact, weighing just 3 pounds. Its many folds and grooves, though, provide it with the additional surface area necessary for storing all of the body's important information.
THE SPINAL CORD
The spinal cord, on the other hand, is a long bundle of nerve tissue about 18 inches long and ¾ inch thick. It extends from the lower part of the brain down through spine. Along the way, various nerves branch out to the entire body. These make up the peripheral nervous system.
THE BRAIN AND THE SPINAL CORD
Both the brain and the spinal cord are protected by bone: the brain by the bones of the skull, and the spinal cord by a set of ring-shaped bones called vertebrae. They're both cushioned by layers of membranes called meninges as well as a special fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid helps protect the nerve tissue, keep it healthy, and remove waste products.
The brain is like a computer that controls the body's functions, and the nervous system is like a network that relays messages to parts of the body.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
If you think of the brain as a central computer that controls all bodily functions, then the nervous system is like a network that relays messages back and forth from the brain to different parts of the body. It does this via the spinal cord, which runs from the brain down through the back and contains threadlike nerves that branch out to every organ and body part.
When a message comes into the brain from anywhere in the body, the brain tells the body how to react. For example, if you accidentally touch a hot stove, the nerves in your skin shoot a message of pain to your brain. The brain then sends a message back telling the muscles in your hand to pull away. Luckily, this neurological relay race takes a lot less time than it just took to read about it.
Considering everything it does, the human brain is incredibly compact, weighing just 3 pounds. Its many folds and grooves, though, provide it with the additional surface area necessary for storing all of the body's important information.
THE SPINAL CORD
The spinal cord, on the other hand, is a long bundle of nerve tissue about 18 inches long and ¾ inch thick. It extends from the lower part of the brain down through spine. Along the way, various nerves branch out to the entire body. These make up the peripheral nervous system.
THE BRAIN AND THE SPINAL CORD
Both the brain and the spinal cord are protected by bone: the brain by the bones of the skull, and the spinal cord by a set of ring-shaped bones called vertebrae. They're both cushioned by layers of membranes called meninges as well as a special fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid helps protect the nerve tissue, keep it healthy, and remove waste products.
Beneath your skin lay millions of tiny nerve endings that alert the brain to all manner of touch and exposure to things like heat and cold.
When these nerve endings are lightly stimulated -- for example, by another person's fingers or by a feather -- they send a message through your nervous system to your brain, which analyzes the message. The effect of a light touch that results in a tickling sensation is the result of the analysis of two regions of the brain. The somatosensory cortex is responsible for analyzing touch; for example, the pressure associated with it. The signal sent from the skin's sensory receptors also passes through the anterior cingulated cortex, which governs pleasant feelings. Together, these two create the tickle sensation. |
Tickling and laughter:
The part of the brain that responds to different stimuli, such as touch, heat, light, and so on is called the “Somatosensory Cortex”. Therefore, when someone tickles you, this part becomes activated and your body performs a reflex action, such as jerking your body away from the source of the touch, as well as laughing uncontrollably. Some people may even have violent reactions, spasming in uncontrolled movements to avoid the unwanted touch.
La partie du cerveau qui répond à différents stimuli, tels que le toucher, la chaleur, la lumière, et ainsi de suite s'appelle le "Cortex somatosensoriel". Par conséquent, quand quelqu'un vous chatouille, cette partie devient active et votre corps effectue une action réflexe, telle que le fait de secouer votre corps loin de la source du toucher, ainsi que de rire de façon incontrôlable. Certaines personnes peuvent même avoir des réactions violentes, spasmes dans des mouvements incontrôlés pour éviter le contact indésirable. |
But why can’t you tickle yourself, if someone else can (and make you laugh)?
The inability to tickle yourself is due to a tiny little part of your brain called the cerebellum. This is the part of your brain that controls the motor functions of your body. Therefore, it is the cerebellum that commands the different parts of your body to make every kind of motion.
Now, when you move your hand to tickle yourself, the cerebellum in your brain knows that there is a voluntary motion going on in the body (your fingers moving). What it does, in turn, is overshadow the signals of the Somatosensory Cortex, so you don’t feel anything that resembles the unexpected stimuli of someone else tickling you. Essentially, you are trying to trick your brain, which is never a good idea.
Pourquoi ne peut-on pas se chatouiller soi-même ?
L'incapacité de se chatouiller est due à une petite partie de votre cerveau appelée le cervelet. C'est la partie de votre cerveau qui contrôle les fonctions motrices de votre corps. Par conséquent, c'est le cervelet qui commande aux différentes parties de votre corps de faire toutes sortes de mouvements.
Maintenant, quand vous bougez votre main pour vous chatouiller,le cervelet dans votre cerveau sait qu'il y a un mouvement volontaire qui se passe dans le corps (vos doigts bougent). Le cervelet est capable de faire la différence entre les sensations que nous nous auto-infligeons, et les sensations inattendues. En bref, si vous commencez à vous chatouiller les côtes, votre cerveau prédit la sensation que cela induira, et n’y réagit pas. Votre corps est programmé pour l’ignorer. Il est trop occupé à surveiller les stimuli externes et inattendus, pour mieux y réagir.
https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/why-dont-we-laugh-when-we-tickle-ourselves-but-laugh-our-brains-out-when-tickled-by-someone-else.html
http://www.maxisciences.com/chatouille/pourquoi-ne-peut-on-pas-se-chatouiller-soi-meme_art33265.html
The inability to tickle yourself is due to a tiny little part of your brain called the cerebellum. This is the part of your brain that controls the motor functions of your body. Therefore, it is the cerebellum that commands the different parts of your body to make every kind of motion.
Now, when you move your hand to tickle yourself, the cerebellum in your brain knows that there is a voluntary motion going on in the body (your fingers moving). What it does, in turn, is overshadow the signals of the Somatosensory Cortex, so you don’t feel anything that resembles the unexpected stimuli of someone else tickling you. Essentially, you are trying to trick your brain, which is never a good idea.
Pourquoi ne peut-on pas se chatouiller soi-même ?
L'incapacité de se chatouiller est due à une petite partie de votre cerveau appelée le cervelet. C'est la partie de votre cerveau qui contrôle les fonctions motrices de votre corps. Par conséquent, c'est le cervelet qui commande aux différentes parties de votre corps de faire toutes sortes de mouvements.
Maintenant, quand vous bougez votre main pour vous chatouiller,le cervelet dans votre cerveau sait qu'il y a un mouvement volontaire qui se passe dans le corps (vos doigts bougent). Le cervelet est capable de faire la différence entre les sensations que nous nous auto-infligeons, et les sensations inattendues. En bref, si vous commencez à vous chatouiller les côtes, votre cerveau prédit la sensation que cela induira, et n’y réagit pas. Votre corps est programmé pour l’ignorer. Il est trop occupé à surveiller les stimuli externes et inattendus, pour mieux y réagir.
https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/why-dont-we-laugh-when-we-tickle-ourselves-but-laugh-our-brains-out-when-tickled-by-someone-else.html
http://www.maxisciences.com/chatouille/pourquoi-ne-peut-on-pas-se-chatouiller-soi-meme_art33265.html
|
|
|
Facts: Gorillas laugh like us when they're tickled. Rats laugh when they're tickled too, but they giggle at 50kHz, which is out of our audio range.
Faits: Les gorilles rient comment nous quand ils sont chatouillés. Les rats rient quand ils sont chatouillés aussi, mais ils rigolent a 50kHz, ce qui est hors de notre gamme audio.
Fact: 'Tickling' your ear could be good for your heart
Stimulating nerves in your ear could improve the health of your heart, researchers have discovered.
A team at the University of Leeds used a standard TENS machine like those designed to relieve labour pains to apply electrical pulses to the tragus, the small raised flap at the front of the ear immediately in front of the ear canal. The stimulation changed the influence of the nervous system on the heart by reducing the nervous signals that can drive failing hearts too hard. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-08-ear-good-heart.html |
ARTICLE FROM DAILYMAIL.COM:
Why being tickled is NOT funny: Sensation activates part of the brain that copes with pain
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331500/Researchers-discover-laugh-tickled--answer-funny.html#ixzz56RhZiQKh
Researchers in Germany have uncovered the reason why we laugh hysterically when we are tickled - and the answer is not because it is funny.According to scientists at the University of Tuebingen, tickling activates the part of our brain that anticipates pain - which is why you may accidentally lash out at someone who is trying to tickle you. Furthermore, the laughter from being tickled is part of a defense mechanism to signal submissiveness and the researchers believe that our responses to tickling date back to man's earliest evolution and developing self-awareness.
Our most ticklish parts are coincidentally our weakest spots, such as our neck or our stomach, and so the team at Tuebingen theorize that parents would have tickled their offspring to train them to react to danger and that the laughter of tickling is an acknowledgement of defeat.
Using 30 volunteers and hooking them up to MRI scanners, the researchers original questions was to work out why tickling elicits laughter and is that the same as laughing at a joke or a funny situation. The participants were asked to laugh at something they found funny and then were stimulated on their feet - while their brains were monitored.
Both tickling and laughing activated the part of the brain called the Rolandic Operculum that control facial movements and vocal and emotional reactions. However, tickling laughter and plain funny laughter separated when scientists realized that tickling also stimulates the the hypothalmus which controls body temperature, hunger, tiredness and sexual behavior. This part of the brain controls instinctive reactions to situations - such as fight or flight. Indeed, the scientists discoveries cast new light on why some people even start to laugh just with the threat of being tickled. 'When you tickle someone, you actually stimulate the unmyelinated nerve fibers that cause pain,' said Dr. Alan Hirsch, founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. This also explains why you can not tickle yourself - your brain is aware that there is no need to produce a response to the action.
Other websites:
10 Things You May Not Know About Laughter
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/11/13/10-fascinating-facts-laughter.aspx
10 Things You May Not Know About Laughter
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/11/13/10-fascinating-facts-laughter.aspx