Page 34 - Miracles in Our Bodies
P. 34

recognise the voice of your best friend and to perceive the

              smell of hot chocolate.

                    The picture on the next page shows some children

              who are talking, hearing, smelling, moving and sleeping
              in the brain. Of course this is an imaginary picture, in-

              tended to show the particular portions of the brain and

              their functions. In reality, what the brain consists of is

              nerve cells, which can be seen only under a microscope.

                                                     Do you think nerve cells
                dendrites
                                                     can see your favourite
                                         nucleolus
                                         nucleus     toy or taste the flavour
                                                     of chocolate ice cream?

                                                     Certainly not. That is

                                                     because nerve cells are

                                                     composed of fine pieces



                                                                 t


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                                                             t
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                                                                           a
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                                                    e ends, and nerve signals are car- -
                                                      d

                                                                              t
                                                    r ried across these gaps to other r
                                                     i
                                                                                e
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                                                                      a
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                                                    n nerve cells.
                                              3 3 3 32 2
                                               2
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