The Brain

• The brain is made up of billions of interconnected nerve cells and holds all of our thoughts and memories, as well as being responsible for our complex behaviors.
• The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system, but apart from simple reflexes it's the brain that makes all the important decisions.
• The brain is divided into different regions which perform specific functions.
• The cerebral cortex, or cerebrum, is responsible for consciousness, intelligence, memory, language, vision, and hearing.
• The cerebral cortex is split into two halves which are referred to as hemispheres, with the left hemisphere controlling the muscles on the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controlling those muscles on the left side.
• The cerebellum is responsible for controlling our balance and muscle coordination, making sure that we can sit up straight and walk without falling over.
• The hypothalamus is involved in regulating body temperature and sending signals to the pituitary gland.
• The brain stem, which connects the brain to the spinal cord, contains the medulla which controls our unconscious activities like breathing and the beating of our hearts.
• Scientists study the brain to learn which parts do what by studying people with brain damage, electrically stimulating different parts of the brain, and scanning the brain.
• Treating the brain is difficult due to the wide range of things that can go wrong with it, including tumors, infections, and trauma, as well as mental health problems like depression.
• The brain is encased within our skull and the surrounding brain tissue is also fragile, making it extremely difficult to physically fix anything like with surgery.
• The brain is complex and we still don't fully understand it, making it difficult to fix things with drugs and chemicals because we don't understand the underlying processes.