The brain is the center of our nervous system. It is involved in some processes that we consider ‘automatic’ and easily take for granted, such as breathing, sleeping and waking, and perceiving what we see with our eyes. It also allows us to consider information about the environment that we receive through our senses, think about the best reaction, and actively respond.

The brain is divided into three parts – the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain – which fulfill different roles in survival. The midbrain and hindbrain together form the brainstem, which primarily controls visceral functions such as breathing, digestion, heartbeat, sleeping, and cyclical movements such as walking or running. The forebrain is involved in perception and the more conscious processes of thought and action.

In this collection of articles from our database, we delve into the structure and development of the brain and central nervous system, the conscious and unconscious processes carried out by the brain, the regulation of thought and emotion in reaction to outside stimuli, and disorders of the brain caused by disease or unhealthy environment.