Originally Posted by pranab

I dont think that a tree is concious. The conciousness has been a topic of great interest amongst the philosophers. Impairment of conciousness results Stupor, Drowsiness & lastly Coma or with alteration of conciousness meaning inability to think coherently. Conciousness is related to awereness, perception, appreciation, thinking, expression in language and action and all forms of intellectual that are dependent on continious intregration of mental process. the conciousness requires activity of cerebral hemisphere and a special thalamocortical alternating system termed as Reticular activating system(RAS) Proper functioning of cerebral cortex ascendind projection of RAS to cortex & corticothalamic connections are required to maintain alertness and coherence of thaught and intellegence. A loosly grouped aggregation of numerous nuerons located in the upper brainstem and medial thalamus, the RAS maintain the cerebral cortex in a wakefull state and concious of self and sorroundings. THe RAS are crucial for maintanance of wakefullness particulary the caudal mid brain to lower thalamus.
The synaptic junctions acts here through some chemicals like Serotonin molecules or Through acetylcholine molecules that sends electrical signals for conciousness. The conciousness starts in Uterolife as soon as brain develops
and persists till death unless a person suffe rs from Coma or confusional or in vegetative or Alzhemiare disease . where from the self conciousness comes to foetus? where the self conciousness vanishes in these diseased state? or after death?