The Secret Life of the Brain, Movie Review Example

The video, “The Baby’s Brain” was both interesting and informative. One of the doctors in the video illustrated a size of about one inch of brain tissue as capable of generating 10,000 neurocells and each of those being able to make between one and 10,000 connections. Babies are born with an innumerable amount of nerve cells that have not as yet made connections. What the brain does is lay out circuits for them and experience refines them into patterns for vision, hearing, etcetera. This is known as the brain’s wiring or circuitry. At four weeks of pregnancy, neurons are rapidly developing. They, unlike one’s skin, will never reproduce themselves but function in their original form for the rest of an individual’s life.

Unlike cells that seem to follow their neighbouring cells as they migrate, young neurons have an idea as to where they are going and head directly for their destinations. Brain wiring develops a well-developed genetic blueprint. It is, however, not complete in prematurely born children who will have trouble with certain functions for the rest of their lives. It was said that 12 critical weeks of brain development are necessary, something that premature babies do not have. As a result, they must take place outside of the womb. The video illustrated very well with a three-month premature baby named Elizabeth in a special section of an intensive care unit what interventions can be done. While the specialists’ help was important, it was emphasized that the environment should resemble the gentle supportive surroundings of the womb.