The brain

• It has billions of interconnected neurons
• The cerebral cortex is the consciousness, intelligence, memory and language part of the brain
• The cerebellum is the coordinator of muscle activity
• The medulla is the subconscious activity - breathing and heart rate
• It is hard to study because it is delicate and complex
• Surgery is difficult because we do not fully understand the function of each area
• Drugs do not pass through the membranes surrounding the brain
• We can map areas of the brain to their function by studying people with brain damage, electrically stimulating parts of the brain or using MRI scans