Diseases affecting the nervous system - such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer’s disease.

Some of the causes of brain damage include: The specific symptoms or losses of functioning depend on which brain areas are affected. The brain can be affected by a wide range of disorders and events. This primitive area of the brain is responsible for basic emotions like anger, happiness and sexual desire.

Limbic system - made up of various structures including the hippocampus and amygdala.

The pituitary gland is considered to be the ‘master gland’ of the endocrine (hormonal) system. It works hand in hand with another brain structure, the pituitary gland. This structure plays an important role in regulating many bodily processes including temperature, thirst, hunger, sleep and libido.

Hypothalamus - located underneath the thalamus.

The brain halves are able to communicate with each other via this ‘bridge’. The two hemispheres are connected by a thick band of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum. The main function is interpretation of sensory information from the eyes.

Occipital - located at the back of the head.

Functions include memory and processing sounds, face recognition, recognition of complex objects and multi-sensory integration. These lobes process information from the sensory nerves and contribute to voluntary movement.

Parietal - located on the top and rear of the head.

Functions include consciousness, thinking, emotions, language and memory.

Frontal - located behind the forehead.

The right and left hemispheres are further divided into four lobes. Connections between neurons and with remote nuclei are carried by a myriad of axons, forming the ‘white matter’. The cerebral cortex is folded in on itself this provides the characteristic ridges and valleys of the brain. The cortex is essentially a sheet of neurons about 3mm thick, which forms the ‘grey matter’. It is this structure that gives the brain its distinctive shape of two halves - the right and left hemispheres. Most of the brain, around 85 per cent, is taken up by the cerebrum.

The cerebrum is involved in functions of higher consciousness. Cerebrum, cerebral cortex and brain hemispheres Sensory information from the body is sorted by the thalamus, which then routes the information to the most appropriate ‘receiving stations’ in the cerebral cortex. The thalamus sits on top of the brain stem. It is responsible for motor skills such as movement, coordination and balance. The cerebellum is located behind the brain stem. Midbrain - oversees hearing and seeing reflexes (startle response) and produces the brain chemical, dopamine, which is important to regulate movement.

Pons - regulates sleep and wakefulness and breathing.Medulla oblongata - responsible for functions of the autonomic nervous system such as breathing, heart beat and digestion.The three portions of the brain stem include: Messages relay from the brain to the motor and sensory nerves of the body and vice versa in a constant ‘conversation’. The brain stem is the bridge between the brain and the spinal cord. Cerebrum (including cerebral cortex and two hemispheres).The main components of the brain include: The brain is a soft, gelatinous organ made up of multiple folds. This complicated circuitry makes the human brain sophisticated enough to oversee all bodily systems and allow higher functions such as awareness, judgement and thought.

There may be around 100 billion neurones, with each neurone connected to around 10,000 to 100,000 others.

A branching of tiny projections (dendrites) that connect to other neurones.

The brain consists of specialised cells called neurones, and electrical impulses are sent from one neurone to another.

The average adult brain weighs around one to two kilograms. The brain and spinal cord are wrapped in membranes (meninges) and nourished by a special liquid called cerebrospinal fluid. The brain is connected to the sensory and motor nerves of the body by the spinal cord. Symptoms and effects depend on which brain areas are affected. This delicate organ can be affected by a wide range of disorders and events such as trauma, stroke and tumours. The brain oversees bodily functions and allows consciousness.

The brain stem consists of the