Ubuchopho Bakho—Buyinkimbinkimbi Eyisimangaliso

“Ubuchopho bomuntu buyimpicabadala: kungenzeka kanjani ukuba inxakanxaka yezicubu eneqanda eliluhlaza elishubile kube yiyona eyakha ‘ingqondo’ yakho, ebangela imicabango yakho, ubuntu bakho, izinkumbulo nemizwelo yakho, ngisho nekwenza unake izinto?”—UProfesa Susan A. Greenfield, kwethi The Human Mind Explained.

UBUCHOPHO bakho bulawula indlela umzimba wakho osebenza ngayo. Bukwenza ukwazi ukuqonda izinto ezintsha, ngisho nezilimi ezintsha, bugcina futhi bubuyise nezinkumbulo zokuphila kwakho. Nokho, isazi sokusebenza kwezinzwa uJames Bower siyavuma: “Asazi ngempela ukuthi ubuchopho buluhlobo luni lomshini.” Usosayensi wezinzwa uRichard F. Thompson uyavuma: “Kuningi kakhulu okusamelwe kufundwe kunalokho esikwaziyo manje.” Likhulu kakhulu ilukuluku lokwembula izimfihlakalo zobuchopho kangangokuthi iSishaya-mthetho Sase-United States sabiza iminyaka yawo-1990 ngokuthi Ishumi Leminyaka Lobuchopho.

Ukuhlola Ingaphakathi Lekhanda Lakho

Izicubu ezisongene ezinamaqhuqhuva ze-cerebral cortex, noma ingxenye engaphandle yobuchopho, ziyisici esiphawuleka kakhulu. (Bheka umfanekiso osekhasini 4 nebhokisi elisekhasini 8.) Le nyakanyaka yongqimba olubomvana ngokumpunga, oluwugqinsi olungamamilimitha ambalwa, igcina amaphesenti angu-75 amangqamuzana ezinzwa ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi kuya kweziyikhulu. Kodwa abanye ososayensi bathi ngisho naleli nani elikhulu kangaka akulona elenza ubuchopho bube yinkimbinkimbi.

Amangqamuzana ezinzwa amaningi anento ende enjengomsila ebizwa ngokuthi i-axon. Eminye imicu ephuma engqamuzaneni yezinzwa, ibizwa ngokuthi ama-dendrite amancanyana, afana namagatsha namahlamvu esihlahla esincane. Enza ukuba ingqamuzana yezinzwa ikwazi ukuxhumana nezinkulungwane zamanye amangqamuzana ezinzwa. Empeleni amangqamuzana ezinzwa awalokothi athintane. Ukusuka egebeni elingumxhumanisi eliphakathi, elibizwa ngokuthi i-synapse, kugeleza izinhlayiyana zamakhemikhali, zibangele ukuba le nto ibe yinkimbinkimbi nakakhulu.

Omunye uchwepheshe ulinganisela ukuthi, “inani lezinhlanganisela okungenzeka zixhumana kuleli gebe” elisebuchosheni bakho “lingaphezu kwenani eliphelele lezinhlayiya zama-athomu akha imbulunga yonke esiyaziyo.”

Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi i-cortex egcwele amangqamuzana ezinzwa yiyona ngxenye eyaziwa kakhulu yobuchopho, kuthiwani ngezindawo ezingezansi kwe-cortex? Ngokwesibonelo, i-corpus callosum yakho yenza kube khona ukuxhumana okudingekayo phakathi kwengxenye yobuchopho engakwesobunxele nengakwesokudla. Eduze kwayo kukhona i-thalamus (leli gama lisuselwa kwelesiGreki elisho ikamelo elingaphakathi), okudlula kuyo ukwaziswa okuningi okwamukelwa ubuchopho bakho; kukhona ne-hypothalamus (igama lesiGreki elisho ukuthi ngaphansi kwekamelo elingaphakathi), esiza ekuqondiseni umfutho wegazi nezinga lokushisa lomzimba; kanye nokuncane okuyisandiso okubizwa ngokuthi indlala ye-pituitary. Le ndlala ewumqondisi, iqondisa isimiso sakho se-endocrine ngokukhipha amakhemikhali abizwa ngokuthi ama-hormone, athonya konke okukhiqizwa yizo zonke ezinye izindlala zomzimba. Bese uba ne-pons, enakekela ukwaziswa ngokunyakaza okwenzayo, kanye ne-medulla, elawula ukuphefumula, ukujikeleza kwegazi, ukushaya kwenhliziyo nokugayeka kokudla. Lezi zinto zenza konke loku wena ube ungazi nokuthi zikhona!

Ubuchopho busebenza kanjani njengoba bunezingxenye ezihlukahlukene kanje? Futhi ungabusebenzisa kanjani ubuchopho bakho ngokunenzuzo? Izihloko ezimbili ezilandelayo zinikeza ezinye izimpendulo.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 4]

Okwenza Kungadingeki Sibe Nesizemazema Sekhanda

“Ukube i-cerebral cortex yobuchopho bo-muntu yayibushelelezi kunokuba ibe mafingcifingci, ubuchopho kwakuyodingeka bulingane ne-basketball, esikhundleni sokuba bulingane nezinqindi ezimbili ezifingqwe zahlanganiswa.”—UProfesa Susan A. Greenfield

[Umdwebo ekhasini 4, 5]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

EZINYE IZICI ZOBUCHOPHO

Umfanekiso wobungako babo bangempela

I-“cerebral cortex”

Ungwengwezi oluncane kakhulu olungaphandle kwengxenye ngayinye yobuchopho

I-“cerebrum”

Ingxenye yobuchopho enkulu eyindilinga. Ithatha ingxenye enkulu yendawo ethwele ubuchopho

I-“visual cortex”

I-“cerebellum”

Ngokwezwi nezwi lisho ukuthi “ubuchopho obuncane.” Ingxenye engemva kwabo bonke ubuchopho

I-“pons”

I-“medulla”

INGXENYE ENGAPHAKATHI

I-“corpus callosum”

Isixha semicu yezinzwa exhumanisa izingxenye ezimbili zobuchopho

I-“thalamus”

I-“hypothalamus”

Iqondisa izinto ezithile ezizenzakalelayo emzimbeni

Indlala i-“pituitary”

[Umthombo]

Uthathwe kwethi The Human Mind Explained kaProfesa Susan A. Greenfield, 1996