The secrets of our brain

The human brain is like a powerful computer that stores our memory and controls how we as humans think and react. It has evolved over time and features some incredibly intricate parts that scientists still struggle to understand. Let us find out more about it.

•    The brain is the centre of the human nervous system, controlling our thoughts, movements, memories and decisions.

•    The brain contains billions of nerve cells that send and receive information around the body.

•    The human brain is over three times as big as the brain of other mammals that are of similar body size.

•    Each side of the brain interacts largely with just one half of the body, but for reasons that are not yet fully understood, the

interaction is with opposite sides, the right side of the brain interacts with the left side of the body, and vice versa.

•    The largest part of the human brain is called the cerebrum. Other important parts include corpus callosum, cerebral cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, hypothalamus, hippocampus and brain stem.

•    The brain of an adult human weighs around 3 pounds (1.5 kg). Although it makes up just two per cent of the body’s weight, it uses around 20 per cent of its energy.

•    The human brain is protected by the skull (cranium), a protective casing made up of 22 bones that are joined together.

•    The brain is suspended in Cerebrospinal fluid, effectively floating in liquid that acts as both a cushion to physical impact anda barrier to infections•    

Boy with half a brain is mum's wee miracle

BRAVE Calib defied the doctor's who said he'd be completely disabled. 

Calib Forsyth and mum Sarah

A BOY born with half a brain has defied medics by talking and feeding himself.
Calib Forsyth’s mother was told she should terminate her pregnancy because of his bleak prospects.
But two-year-old Calib – who is missing the back half of his brain – has amazed everyone with his determination to live a full life.
He has Dandy Walker syndrome, which affects one or two babies in Scotland each year.
Most are severely disabled and die within the first year. Calib’s mum Sarah, 33, says he is a “miracle”.
She said: “I was advised to terminate my pregnancy when I had an ultrasound at 22 weeks.
“I was told my baby would not function in the outside world and if he did survive, he would not be able to do anything for himself. Thankfully, my maternal instincts kicked in – I wanted to give him a chance.”
Even after he was born, medics warned Sarah he would most likely spend his life hooked up to machines.
But Calib got stronger every day and after four operations he has learned to talk and “bum shuffle” on the way to learning to walk.

He sports a black eye as the result of his determination to live life to the full with his sisters Leona, 14, Simone, 12, and Hayley, four.
Sarah, of Glenrothes, said: “He can pick up after himself, feed himself his dinner and control his wheelchair.
“He can bum shuffle across the room which is lovely to watch.
“He is learning to talk, he can repeat words back to you and he really loves Disney films and he is learning to sing along to his favourite ones.”
To help pay to adapt the Forsyths’ garden to meet Calib’s needs, a family fun day is being held this Sunday from 11am to 3pm at Ladyzonly Gym in Glenrothes.

Calib Forsyth after an operation