The brain also controls the beating of your heart and the digestion of your food.

The brain is a central computer that controls all the body's functions.

The nervous system is like a network that relays messages back and forth from the brain to different parts of the body.

The nervous system relays messages via the spinal cord, which runs from the brain down through the back.

The spinal cord contains threadlike nerves that branch out to every organ and body part.

When a message comes into the brain from anywhere in the body, the brain tells the body how to react.

The nervous system is made up of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

The brain and the spinal cord are the central nervous system.

The nerves that go through the whole body make up the peripheral nervous system.

The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerve tissue about 18 inches long and 1/2-inch thick.

The spinal cord extends from the lower part of the brain down through spine.

The spinal cord extends from the lower part of the brain down through the spine from there, nerves branch out to the entire body.

The brain and the spinal cord are protected by bone.

The brain is protected by the bones of the skull.

The spinal cord is protected by a set of ring-shaped bones called vertebrae.

The brain and the spinal cord are cushioned by layers of membranes called meninges and a special fluid called cerebrospinal fluid.

CSF or cerebrospinal fluid helps protect the nerve tissue, keep it healthy, and remove waste products.

The brain has three main sections: the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain.

The forebrain is the largest and most complex part of the brain. It consists of the cerebrum

The cerebrum contains the information that essentially makes you who you are: your intelligence, memory, personality, emotion, speech, and ability to feel and move.

Specific areas of the cerebrum are in charge of processing these different types of information. These are called lobes, and there are four of them: the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes.

The hemispheres of the brain are connected in the middle by a band of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. It lets them communicate.

The left side of the brain is considered the logical, analytical, objective side.

The right side of the brain is thought to be more intuitive, creative, and subjective.

When you're balancing your checkbook, you're using the left side of your brain.

When you're listening to music, you're using the right side of your brain.

The outer layer of the cerebrum is called the cortex.

Information collected by the five senses comes into the brain to the cortex.

Information that is collected by the five senses is then directed to other parts of the nervous system for further processing.

In the inner part of the forebrain sits the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pituitary gland.

The thalamus carries messages from the sensory organs like the eyes, ears, nose, and fingers to the cortex.

The hypothalamus controls your pulse, thirst, appetite, sleep patterns, and other processes in your body that happen automatically.

The hypothalamus also controls the pituitary gland, which makes the hormones that control growth, metabolism, water and mineral balance, sexual maturity, and response to stress.

The midbrain, underneath the middle of the forebrain, acts as a master coordinator for all the messages going in and out of the brain to the spinal cord.

The hindbrain sits underneath the back end of the cerebrum. It consists of the cerebellum, pons, and medulla.

The cerebellum — also called the "little brain" because it looks like a small version of the cerebrum

The cerebellum is responsible for balance, movement, and coordination.

The pons and the medulla, along with the midbrain, are often called the brainstem.

The brainstem takes in, sends out, and coordinates the brain's messages.

The brainstem controls many of the body's automatic functions, like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing, digestion, and blinking.