The brain is one of the largest and most complex organs in the human body. It is made up of more than 100 billion nerves that communicate in ...MenuNews&FeaturesReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesVideosQuestions&AnswersFindaNeurologistLivingBetterWithMSADHDAlzheimer'sDiseaseAutismConcussionCreutzfeldt-JakobDiseaseEpilepsyGuillain-BarréSyndromeLouGehrig’sDisease(ALS)MultipleSclerosisParkinson'sDiseaseRestlessLegsSyndromeSpinalMuscularAtrophyStrokeMoreRelatedTopicsBrain&NervousSystemReferenceMenuMedicallyReviewedbyCarolDerSarkissian, MDonJune23,2021ImageSource©2014WebMD,LLC.Allrightsreserved.Thebrainisoneofthelargestandmostcomplexorgansinthehumanbody.Itismadeupofmorethan100billionnervesthatcommunicateintrillionsofconnectionscalledsynapses.Thebrainismadeupofmanyspecializedareasthatworktogether:•Thecortexistheoutermostlayerofbraincells.Thinkingandvoluntarymovementsbegininthecortex.•Thebrainstemisbetweenthespinalcordandtherestofthebrain.Basicfunctionslikebreathingandsleeparecontrolledhere.•Thebasalgangliaareaclusterofstructuresinthecenterofthebrain.Thebasalgangliacoordinatemessagesbetweenmultipleotherbrainareas.•Thecerebellumisatthebaseandthebackofthebrain.Thecerebellumisresponsibleforcoordinationandbalance.Thebrainisalsodividedintoseverallobes:•Thefrontallobesareresponsibleforproblemsolvingandjudgmentandmotorfunction.•Theparietallobesmanagesensation,handwriting,andbodyposition.•Thetemporallobesareinvolvedwithmemoryandhearing.•Theoccipitallobescontainthebrain'svisualprocessingsystem.Thebrainissurroundedbyalayeroftissuecalledthemeninges.Theskull(cranium)helpsprotectthebrainfrominjury.BrainConditionsHeadache:Therearemanytypesofheadaches;somecanbeseriousbutmostarenotandaregenerallytreatedwithanalgesics/painkillers.Stroke(braininfarction):Bloodflowandoxygenaresuddenlyinterruptedtoanareaofbraintissue,whichthendies.Abloodclot,orbleedinginthebrain,arethecauseofmoststrokes.Brainaneurysm:Anarteryinthebraindevelopsaweakareathatswells,balloon-like.Abrainaneurysmrupturecancausesastroke.Subdu