The brain is an amazing three-pound organ that controls all functions of the body, interprets information from the outside world, and embodies the essence ...AnatomyoftheBrainOverviewThebrainisanamazingthree-poundorganthatcontrolsallfunctionsofthebody,interpretsinformationfromtheoutsideworld,andembodiestheessenceofthemindandsoul.Intelligence,creativity,emotion,andmemoryareafewofthemanythingsgovernedbythebrain.Protectedwithintheskull,thebrainiscomposedofthecerebrum,cerebellum,andbrainstem.Thebrainreceivesinformationthroughourfivesenses:sight,smell,touch,taste,andhearing-oftenmanyatonetime.Itassemblesthemessagesinawaythathasmeaningforus,andcanstorethatinformationinourmemory.Thebraincontrolsourthoughts,memoryandspeech,movementofthearmsandlegs,andthefunctionofmanyorganswithinourbody.Thecentralnervoussystem(CNS)iscomposedofthebrainandspinalcord.Theperipheralnervoussystem(PNS)iscomposedofspinalnervesthatbranchfromthespinalcordandcranialnervesthatbranchfromthebrain.BrainThebrainiscomposedofthecerebrum,cerebellum,andbrainstem(Fig.1).Figure1.Thebrainhasthreemainparts:thecerebrum,cerebellumandbrainstem.Cerebrum:isthelargestpartofthebrainandiscomposedofrightandlefthemispheres.Itperformshigherfunctionslikeinterpretingtouch,visionandhearing,aswellasspeech,reasoning,emotions,learning,andfinecontrolofmovement.Cerebellum:islocatedunderthecerebrum.Itsfunctionistocoordinatemusclemovements,maintainposture,andbalance.Brainstem:actsasarelaycenterconnectingthecerebrumandcerebellumtothespinalcord.Itperformsmanyautomaticfunctionssuchasbreathing,heartrate,bodytemperature,wakeandsleepcycles,digestion,sneezing,coughing,vomiting,andswallowing.Rightbrain–leftbrainThecerebrumisdividedintotwohalves:therightandlefthemispheres(Fig.2)Theyarejoinedbyabundleoffiberscalledthecorpuscallosumthattransmitsmessagesfromonesidetotheother.Eachhemispherecontrolstheoppositesideofthebody.Ifastrokeoccursontherightsideofthebrain,yourleftarmorlegmaybeweakorparalyzed.Notallfunctionsofthehemispheresareshared.Ingeneral