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The Organisation of the Human Body
The Brain (Matthu)18
It is the enlarged, anterior end of the spinal cord. "In man the enlargement is so great that much of the resemblance to the spinal cord is obscured, but in the lower animals the relationship of brain to cord is clear."19 The brain contains brain matter (matthulumga).20 The detailed anatomy of the brain which is exceedingly complex is not given in Jaina Biology. According to modern Biology, there are six main regions, medulla, pons, cerebellum, midbrain, thalamus and cerebrum."21
The Peripheral Nervous System
The paired cranial (siranharu)22 and spinal nerves, emerging from the brain and spinal cord and conducting with every receptor and deffector in the body make up the peripheral nervous system. (Iḍā, pingala, susumṇā )23
Cranial Nerves (Siranharu)24
Cranial nerves originate in different parts of the brain (matthu) and innervate primarily the sense-organs, muscles and glands of the head. It appears from the reference to the sense-perceptions caused by the nerve impulse through the activities of the five sense-organs (eye, ear, nose, tougue and skin)25 that some of the 900 nerves act as cranial nerves so that they innervate primarily the sense-organs of eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin muscles and glands of the head. As a result one impulse results in a sensation of sight, another in a sensation of sound, another in a sensation of smell, another in a sensation of taste, another in a sensation of touch, another in muscle contraction of the head38 and so on-all due entirely to the nature of the structures to which the impulses travel, as suggested by the different structures of the five sense-organs and their modes of function.26
18. Tandula Veyaliya, 11, p. 38.
19. Biology, p. 361.
20. Tandula Veyaliya, 17, p. 38.
201
21. Biology, p. 361.
22. Tandula Veyaliya, p, 41.
22a Samvegaramgasala 3123; Yogagastra 61, Hemac indra,
23. Biology, p. 366.
24. Tandula Veyaliya, p. 41.
25. Prajñāpana Sūtra, Indriyapada Puthadara, 15, 1. 194.5.
26. Ibid.
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