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The brain is composed of more than a thousand million neurons.
Specific groups of them, working in concert, provide us with the
capacity to reason, to experience feelings, and to understand the
world. They also give us the capacity to remember numerous pieces
of information.
The 3 major components of the brain are the cerebrum,
cerebellum, and brain stem.
The cerebrum is divided into is left and right hemispheres, each
composed of a frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. The
cerebral cortex (gray matter) is the outside portion of the
cerebrum and provides us with functions associated with conscious
thought. The grooves and folds increase the cerebrum’s surface
area, allowing us to have a tremendous amount of gray matter inside
of the skull. Deep to the gray matter is the cerebral "white
matter". The white matter provides for the communication between
the cortex and lower central nervous system centers.
The cerebellum is located near the base of the head. It creates
automatic programs so we can make complex movements without
thinking.
The brain stem connects the brain with the spinal cord and is
composed of 3 structures: the midbrain, pons, and medulla
oblongata. The brain stem provides us with automatic functions that
are necessary for survival.
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