How the Human Brain Works

The human brain is the command center for everything people do. The brain allows us to think, to plan, to imagine, to dream, to speak. It’s also the organ that controls our heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and the temperature of our bodies – which clearly shows the overall importance of the brain. Without a brain, people would not experience emotions, or have a way of handling all of the information that comes at you every second of every day you are alive – from sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. What makes all of this even more amazing is that the brain is about the size of a head of broccoli!

Human brains are made up of neurons, which contain about 100 billion nerve cells. Neurons gather and transmit electrochemical signals. The shape and size of neurons vary depending on their purpose:

Sensory neurons – carry signals from outside of your body to the central nervous system.

Motor neurons – carry signals from your central nervous system to the muscles, glands and skin of your body.

Receptors – sense things happening around you in the environment, such as changes to temperature, touch, light, and sound. It encodes the information is receives into electrochemical messages that are transmitted by the sensory neurons.

Interneurons – connect your brain and spinal cord.

Parts of the Brain

All brains, whether human or animal, are made up of the following parts that perform specific functions within the body:

Brain stem – contains the medulla, pons and midbrain. Brain stems control reflexes and your body’s automated processes, like blood pressure and heart rate, as well as the movement of your arms and legs and digestion and urination.

Cerebellum – uses information from the vestibular system and movement to coordinate the movement of your arms and legs.

Cerebrum or Cortex – integrates information from each of your sensory organs to control emotions, give you memory and thoughts.

Hypothalamus and Pituitary gland – control your visceral functions from your responses to feeding, sexual activities, pleasure, aggression to body temperature.

Brain Disorders

Because the brain is responsible for so much of our body’s function and processes, there are a number of disorders that can originate within the brain. Disorders of the brain can affect your emotional or physical condition. Common brain disorders include:

• Anxiety or panic disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Dementia
• Epilepsy
• Migraines
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Schizophrenia
• Sleep disorders
• Stroke