Serie_Neuroscience_1
Hi there, curious minds!
Guess what? I’ve decided to dive headfirst into writing short pop-sci articles about the fascinating world of neuroscience, cognition, psychology, and who knows, maybe even sprinkle in some philosophy and mysticism for the thrill of it! 🧠✨
Let’s quickly start with the first ‘concept’ : THE Homunculus!
Have you ever heard of this word??
Does it sounds like some magical spellword from a wizard’s book?
Well actually…close enough! Its story is actually related to alchemy,so you’re not that far off!
The name of the guy who made it famous (I mean, the alchimist from the middle age, hain) was Peracelsus:)
His concept of homonculus was ‘ somehow’ a living being and the recipe to make one was simple : sperm of a dying man, put in the womb of a horse and nurtured with nothing but human blood!
Ewww…And WHAT? right?..
Well,I guess its not called the dark age for nothing :x
Now , let me reassure you that its has a way more fun meaning in my field!
A Homonculus in cognitive neuroscience and psychology isn’t a creature but rather a visual representation of how your brain perceives and controls your body. It’s like a miniature, distorted version of yourself, mapped onto your brain’s surface.
This peculiar “little man” is divided into two main types: the sensory homunculus and the motor homunculus.
Feeling the World : The Sensory Homunculus
Imagine a shrunken, disproportionate human figure residing within your brain, with oversized hands, lips, and a giant, touch-sensitive tongue. This is the sensory homunculus, and it illustrates how your brain processes information from different parts of your body. The larger body parts in the homunculus represent areas with more sensory receptors, like your fingertips and lips, highlighting their heightened sensitivity.
Pulling the Strings : The Motor Homunculus
On the other side , you’ll find the motor homunculus, the master puppeteer of your body’s movements. In this quirky representation, body parts aren’t distorted by sensitivity but by the number of motor neurons dedicated to controlling them. Your fingers, hands, and facial muscles take up a considerable amount of space, reflecting the precision and dexterity required for these tasks.
