Brain - GCSE

• Brain


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


  • Made up of different regions
  • Each region performs different functions
• Central nervous system


  Brain and spinal cord
• Cerebral cortex/cerebrum


  Responsible for consciousness, intelligence, memory, language, vision, hearing
• Cerebral hemispheres


  Left hemisphere controls right side of body, right hemisphere controls left side of body
• Cerebellum


  Responsible for controlling balance and muscle coordination
• Hypothalamus


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


  Connects brain to spinal cord, contains medulla which 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 like CT, PET, MRI
• Brain scanning techniques like CT scans, PET scans, and MRI scans can measure brain activity and damage
• Difficulty 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