The Prefrontal Cortex
By: Emily Hinchliffe
Introduction
Do you know what controls your emotions? The Prefrontal Cortex is a small piece of your brain that controls your emotions(WiseGeek pg.1). It has rapidly evolved throughout the human revolution. Most people don't know this but, the Prefrontal cortex is the most proned area of the brain to have brain damage (thebrain.mcgill.ca pg. 1)
Most Prone Area
The Prefrontal Cortex is the most prone area in your brain to get brain damage. Any damage to it can negatively impact a person's ability to respond to a situation or perform a task. Could make an impact on your decisions. For example. if you're hungry you couldn't control it and if needed you would take food off someone's plate. (WiseGeek page 2-3).
Effects of a Damage Prefrontal Cortex
Since the Prefrontal Cortex is what controls your emotions it can mess up your decisions and how you act. Sometimes it can even make you not control what you do. Scientist have found that damaged Prefrontal Cortex's can lead to drugs and crime. It can also mess up your socialization skills. Any damage is risky because it can affect your personality and change you, like Phineas Gage (TheBrain.McGill page 1)
What Most Don't Know
There is a lot about the Prefrontal Cortex that people don't know like depression hits it hard, and people who have depression don't do much and they also don't act like they use to. Another thing is is that the Prefrontal Cortex is the only known area to have connections with every part of the brain. the Prefrontal Cortex controls emotions and impulses, also it mostly refers to good judgment, like not doing drugs or not drinking.
Conclusion
The Prefrontal Cortex is one of the most important parts of the brain that's is why it is bad to injure it. Anything could happen, you could possibly die if it gets a big blow to it. This is why the Prefrontal Cortex is a very important part of the brain. (knowledge)
Citations
thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/a/a.../a_05_cr_her.html‎
www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-prefrontal-cortex.htm
brainmadesimple.com/frontal-lobe.html