The brain is a phenomenal piece of machinery and each one is wired differently. It weighs about 3-4 lbs (1-2kgs), accounts for 2% of our body weight and uses 25% of our energy. There are 86 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections - that's a lot of infrastructure!
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Our forebrains (the front part) are the same as other mammals but we have 1,000 x as many neurons and this is constantly expanding. The lines you see in the diagram represent ridges and folds to allow more space for these growing connections. If the brain was unfolded, it would measure at 2 sqm (21.5 sqft) - yes the same size as the rug in your living room!
Corpus Callosum
- a sheet of nerves, which connects the left and right sides of the brain.
- the left side is normally more dominant.
Midbrain
- the place of the reward pathway.
- the site of positive behaviour and addiction reinforcement.
Cerebellum
- the centre of co-ordinated movement.
Brain Stem
- connects the brain and the spinal cord.
- the 'reptilian' brain.
Medulla
- the control site for unconscious actions (breathing, swallowing, heartbeat etc).
Pons
- responsible for the sleep cycle and dreaming.
Thalamus
- responds to sensory information
- connects the brain and the body for perception and movement.
- controls sleep / wake cycle.
Pituitary Gland
- connected to the hypothalamus.
- produces hormones.
Hypothallamus
- maintains body's equilibrium.
- controls temperature and hydration.
Cerebrum
- site of planning, memory and vision.