Brain Awareness Week – Information from AboutKidsHealth
AboutKidsHealth is sharing information about the brain, including the parts of the brain, what they do and what the brain is made of, for Brain Awareness Week, which runs March 14–20.
Brain functions
Each part of the brain has a different job, and these parts send messages to each other and other parts of the body to control different functions. These are some of the functions the brain controls:
- Movement (e.g., walking, stretching)
- The five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing)
- Emotions, thoughts and memory
- Breathing and heartbeat
- Digesting food
- Talking and understanding what others say
The brain is also made of the cortex, grey matter and white matter
The three major parts of the brain are the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brainstem:
- The cerebrum uses information from our five senses to help us understand what is happening around us and tells our body how to respond. It also controls our emotions and our ability to think, read and learn.
- The cerebellum coordinates our balance and movement. It also contributes to the control of speech and participates in many of the functions controlled by the cerebrum.
- The brainstem passes messages back and forth between parts of the body and the brain. It controls functions such as breathing, blood pressure, body temperature, heart rhythms, hunger and thirst, and sleep patterns.
To learn more about the cerebrum, cerebellum and brainstem, and to learn about other important parts of the brain, please see, An overview of the brain.
What is the brain made of?
The brain is made up of two types of cells:
- Nerve cells, called neurons: Cells that send and receive messages.
- Supporting cells, called neuroglial cells or neuroglia: Cells that protect and support neurons.
The brain is also made of the cortex, grey matter and white matter. The cortex is the surface of the cerebrum and is made up of the cell bodies of neurons and neuroglial cells. This surface is called “grey matter” because of its colour. Underneath the cortex are neuroglial cells and axons of neurons (axons are like wires that carry messages between neurons). These make up the “white matter”.
The meninges are three thin layers of tissue that protect the brain and spinal cord from injury. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; a clear fluid produced by cells in the ventricles), flows in the space between the meninges.
Lastly, the cranium is a collection of bones that form the skull.
Please see AboutKidsHealth’s overview of the brain for more information about the parts of the brain and what they do, how the brain is organized, and what the brain is made of.
AboutKidsHealth is SickKids’ health-education website and features more than 3,500 articles on a range of health topics. For more information on the brain and other health topics, visit www.aboutkidshealth.ca.
