Emotion: Aspects Of Emotional Processing And Response

Emotion Student Name Institution Affiliation Emotion The part of the brain that is involved in emotion is the limbic system. The brain has an elaborate anatomy and is structural. It does not only comprise of individual systems located in the head to form a homogeneous element, but is made of structures that are interconnected. The brain consists of the gray and white matter that are involved in sending messages through various regions in the brain. The brain is connected to the spine that carries sensory information, including touch and smell. The spine makes projections to other parts of the body that either contract or expand in relation to the reaction. The limbic system is the emotional regulator. The limbic system is unique among animals. It is dominantly present among mammals in comparison to reptiles (Lecture: The limbic System). Additionally, the cortex is predominant among primates. The cortex is located above the limbic system. Its main function is social intelligence. Researchers allude that the presence of many individuals in the same animal group results in their cortex being bigger. Therefore, the cortex and the limbic system are all linked together. The limbic system is connected to the ear, eye and other sensory organs. Information is passed through the three layers of the cortex and the limbic system. The limbic system interprets emotions relating to the senses that are transmitted. It explains why an individual has an emotional reaction after smelling strong scents. For instance, upon smelling, an individual could invoke a past memory. A researcher in the 1950s elaborated that a lab rat cannot invoke emotions without smelling something (Lecture: The limbic System). The researcher concluded that the limbic system is the emotional center of all species. The limbic system is comprised of many components that send and receive information. The hypothalamus is a core component. The hypothalamus has a pivotal role in determining behavior in individuals. The hypothalamus is core since it manages all autonomic reactions within the body. An individual would experience goose flesh as a result of the hypothalamus sending information down the spine after their sense of smell is invoked over something that the person likes. The hypothalamus has an effect on most of the hormones. Therefore, for the limbic system to invoke emotion, it triggers the hypothalamus. The system has various lateral activities that occur to prevent other components of the brain from affecting the hypothalamus. To elaborate how the limbic system receives information for interpretation, it is essential to identify the number of synapses between the sensor system and the limbic system (Lecture: The limbic System). For instance, the number of structural synapses that are present between the nose and the limbic system determines the speed and rate that the inf...