the brain

• • the brain controls complex behaviour
  • it is made of billions of interconnected neurones
• • the cerebal cortex is responsible for consciousness, memory, intelligence and language
  • the medulla controls unconscious behaviour like breathing
  • the cerebal cortex and medulla are at the front of the brain
  • the cerebellum is at the back of the brain and are reponsible for muscle coordination
• • studying patients with brain damge is used to study the brain
  • if a small part of the brain has been damaged, the effect this has on the patient can tell you what the damaged part of the brain does
• • the brain can be stimulated electrically by pushing a small electrode into the tissue
  • stimulating different parts of the brain can see the function of each part of the brain
• • an MRI scan can be used to study parts of the brain
  • MRI is a magnetic resonance imaging scanner
  • it can produce a detailed picture of the structure of the brain
  • it is used to find out what parts of the brain are active when the patient is performing a certain task
• • knowledge of the brain had led to the development of treatments for disorders of the nervous system
  • electrical stimulation of the brain can help to reduce muscle tremours caused by Parkinson's disease
• • the brain is very complex and delicate
  • this makes investigating and treating brain disorders very difficult
  • there are risks such as physical damage to the brain or increased problems with brain function