The human brain is a fascinating and complex organ, capable of not only running your body's essential systems, but also producing intricate memories and the ability to engage in abstract thought. The human brain has a gelatinous consistency, and weighs approximately 3 lbs. Using an intricate system of electrochemical signals, your brain is able to send information throughout your body via 100 billion nerve cells in the brain and through communication with the central nervous system.
Cerebrum
The cerebrum is the largest part of the human brain, accounting for 85 percent of the brain's weight. The cerebral cortex is the distinctly wrinkled outermost layer of the cerebrum, divided down the center into two hemispheres. According to MayoClinic.com, these hemispheres communicate via thick nerve connections called the corpus callosum. While there are mammals with larger brains than humans, the complexity of the cerebrum and cerebral cortex is what accounts for human's extraordinarily complex intelligence, National Geographic notes.
Hemispheres of the Brain
The human brain is separated into two hemispheres, each responsible for specific aspects of thought and cognition. The hemispheres also process and control sensory input and responses for the side of the body opposite the controlling hemisphere. The left hemisphere controls mathematical and analytical functions, including language comprehension. The right hemisphere is responsible for creative and artistic processes, including spontaneity.
Brain Lobes
There are four lobes in the human brain, each responsible for specific functions. The occipital lobes, located at the back of the brain, process visual information from your eyes, while the temporal lobes, located near the temples, process sounds. The parietal lobes, located at the top of the brain, are responsible for processing sensations like touch, taste, smell and temperature. According to New Scientist, the prefrontal lobes in the front of the brain are responsible for the distinctly human aspects of complex thought, such as empathy, morality, decision making, planning and conceptualizing.
Basic Functions
Your brain also handles certain basic functions that require no conscious thought, including automatic systems, such as regulation of breathing, heart rate and reflexes via the brain stem. The brain stem also connects the brain to the spinal cord. The cerebellum is sometimes called the "little brain," notes National Geographic. According to MayoClinic.com, the cerebellum is responsible for processing the complex sensory inputs from the lobes of the brain in order to coordinate physical movements.
Limbic System
The inside of the brain houses the limbic system. Each structure in the limbic system is duplicated in both the left and right hemispheres, notes MayoClinic.com. The thalamus is responsible for sorting and sending sensory information to the appropriate parts of the brain. The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland control stimulating basic needs like hunger and sleep, as well as the timely release of growth hormones. The hippocampus is responsible for sending memories to storage and retrieving stored memories, according to MayoClinic.com.
