The brain

Parts of the Brain and its functions

The brain is an unique organ that handles all bodily functions, including thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, and hunger. The central nervous system, or CNS, is made up of the brain and the spinal cord that extends from it.

The brain is roughly 60% fat and weighs about 3 pounds in an average adult. Water, protein, carbs, and salts make up the remaining 40%. The brain is not a muscle. It has nerves, including neurons and glial cells, as well as blood vessels

The brain’s function + how it works?

Sending, receiving, and processing messages from your central nervous system is the function of your brain. Information from your five senses

Sight
Smell
Sound
Touch
Taste

is transmitted through these signals. Additionally, your brain recognizes signals from within your body, such as pain, temperature, or heart rate. It translates or interprets this data so you can understand and make sense of what is happening around you.

Chemical and electrical signals are sent and received throughout the body through the brain. Your brain interprets all of the signals that control different processes. For instance, some cause fatigue, while others cause discomfort.

Main parts of the Brain

Cerebrum: The cerebrum processes information from the five senses and controls conscious, thought-based activities such as speech, memory, behavior, personality, movement, reasoning, and decision-making. It is the largest region of the brain and is divided into two halves, known as the left and right hemispheres. These hemispheres are connected by bundles of nerve fibers made of white matter called the corpus callosum.

Cerebellum: The cerebellum, often called the “little brain,” is a fist-sized structure located at the back of the brain. Like the cerebral cortex, it is divided into two hemispheres. Its outer layer contains neurons, while the inner region connects and communicates with the cerebral cortex. The cerebellum’s main role is to coordinate voluntary muscle movements and help maintain posture, balance and equilibrium.

Brainstem: The brainstem controls many automatic functions in the body that happen without conscious effort, such as heart rate, breathing, sleep–wake cycles, and swallowing. It is located in the lower part of the brain and works as the connection between the rest of the brain and the spinal cord

Your brain is protected in a bony structure called the skull. Your skull includes your cranium. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the liquid in which your brain floats. Your brain stays protected from harm by the CSF and all of your skull's bones. The meninges are three layers of tissue that lie between your skull and brain:

The outermost layer, the dura mater, is thick and durable. It has two layers: the periosteal layer, which lines the inner surface of the skull (cranium), and the meningeal layer, which lies beneath it. Spaces between these layers allow veins and arteries to pass through, supplying blood to the brain.
The innermost layer, the pia mater, is a delicate membrane that closely follows the contours of the brain. It is rich in veins and arteries, providing essential blood flow to the brain’s surface.

The frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes are the four parts that make up each brain hemisphere (a section of the cerebrum). Certain functions are controlled by each lobe.

Frontal lobes: Located at the front of your brain, just behind your forehead, this is the largest lobe. It controls voluntary movement, thinking, learning, social understanding and other higher-level functions.

Occipital lobes: Located at the back of your brain, these lobes help you process and understand visual information from your eyes.

Parietal lobes: Found near the upper back part of your brain, these lobes receive and interpret signals from other parts of the brain so you can understand your surroundings and what is happening inside your body.

Temporal lobes:Located on the sides of your brain near your ears, these lobes help with memory, understanding language, and processing emotion (Cleveland Clinic)

Deeper structures within the Brain

Amygdala: Part of the limbic system and located in the temporal lobes, the amygdala helps regulate emotions.
Basal ganglia: Located deep within the cerebrum, these structures help control and coordinate movement.
Hippocampus: A small structure in the temporal lobes that plays an important role in memory and learning.
Thalamus: Located above the brainstem, the thalamus acts like a switchboard. It sends sensory information from the body to the cerebral cortex.
Hypothalamus: Found just below the thalamus, the hypothalamus controls hormones and automatic body functions such as hunger and thirst.

Pituitary gland: Located below the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland helps regulate hormone activity throughout the body.
Pineal gland: Located at the back of the corpus callosum, this gland controls sleep and wake cycles

Bibliography

Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2025, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain.

Cleveland Clinic. “Brain: Anatomy, Development and Function.” Cleveland Clinic, 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22638-brain.

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