The brain

• Brain


  Made up of billions of interconnected nerve cells, holds all of our thoughts and memories, responsible for all of our complex behaviors
• Brain regions


  • Cerebral cortex/cerebrum
  • Cerebellum
  • Hypothalamus
  • Brain stem/medulla
• Cerebral cortex/cerebrum


  • Responsible for consciousness, intelligence, memory, language, vision, hearing
• Cerebellum


  • Responsible for controlling balance and muscle coordination
• Hypothalamus


  • Involved in regulating body temperature and sending signals to the pituitary gland
• Brain stem/medulla


  • Controls unconscious activities like breathing and heartbeat
• How scientists study the brain

  1. Study people with brain damage

  2. Electrically stimulate different parts of the brain

  3. Use brain scanning techniques (CT, PET, MRI)
• Brain scanning techniques can measure brain activity associated with different stimuli
• Challenges in treating the brain

  • Wide range of things that can go wrong
  • Brain is encased in skull and surrounding tissue is fragile
  • Brain is complex and not fully understood
• It is difficult to physically fix issues with the brain through surgery, and difficult to fix with drugs/chemicals due to lack of understanding