In the movie the Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow desperately wanted a brain. He opened his lips, blinked his eyes, shook his head and said, “I haven’t got a brain, I’ve only got straw.” The reason for the emphasizing of his actions is because without a brain, those functions are not possible. The brain is the center of the entire body. It controls what we do and how we do it.
The brain is the center of the central nervous system along with the spleen. It consists of 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) which are located all over your body. When you touch something hot, a neurotransmitter sends the signal to your brain to tell you to move your hand. The most common neurotransmitters in the body are endorphins, epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine. There are between 200-300 neurotransmitters in the human body. A lack or excess amount of these can cause problems both physically and mentally.
The cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum and brain stem are the 4 major parts of the brain. The cerebrum is responsible for all thought, judgement, memory, and controlling and integrating the motor and sensory functions. The dienchephalon is located between the cerebrum and midbrain. This part of the brain consists of the thalamus and the brain of the brain, also known as, the hypothalamus. Next, there’s the cerebellum which is the second largest part of the brain. It receives incoming messages regarding movement within a joint, muscle tone, and position of the body. Basically it controls all functions that have to do with the skeleton. Lastly, there is the brainstem.
The brainstem is made up of three parts; the midbrain, pons, and medulla. The midbrain and pons provide conduction pathways to and from the center in the brain. They also control reflexes for eyes and head in response to visual and auditory stimuli. The medulla oblongata, which is located between the pons and spinal cord, controls basic