JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: INSIDE
YOUR SKULL IS THE THING THAT
CONTROLS EVERYTHING YOU DO.
YOUR BRAIN.
FIND OUT MORE.
OH, WAIT A MINUTE.
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THIS.
I'LL PUT IT BACK AND WE CAN GET
STARTED WITH THE SHOW.
(MUSIC)
THE BRAIN WEIGHS ABOUT
THREE POUNDS.
ITS MADE UP OF 100 BILLION NERVE
CELLS OR NEURONS.
ELECTRICAL MESSAGES PASS FROM
CELL TO CELL.
MESSAGES GO OUT OF YOUR BRAIN,
DOWN YOUR SPINAL CORD AND OUT TO
YOUR BODY AND THEN BACK AGAIN,
ALL IN AN INSTANT.
THE BRAIN, THE SPINAL CORD AND
ALL THOSE NERVES MAKE UP THE
NERVOUS SYSTEM.
IT'S YOUR BODY'S INFORMATION
SYSTEM.
THE BRAIN IS MADE UP OF SEVERAL
PARTS.
THERE 'S THE BRAIN STEM.
IT CONTROLS YOUR BODY'S BASIC
AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONS, LIKE
BREATHING.
THE CEREBELLUM CONTROLS THINGS
LIKE YOUR MOVEMENT, YOUR
PHYSICAL SKILLS.
AND THEN THERE IS THE LIMBIC
SYSTEM THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR
EMOTION, MEMORY AND LEARNING.
IT MAKES UP ABOUT ONE FIFTH OF
YOUR BRAIN.
THERE STRUCTURES LIKE THE
PITUITARY AND HYPOTHALAMUS.
THEY WORK WITH THE BRAIN STEM TO
CONTROL BODY TEMPERATURE, GROWTH
AND BLOOD PRESSURE.
AND THEN THERE'S THE CEREBRUM.
THIS IS THE THINKING, CREATIVE
PART OF YOUR BRAIN.
IT'S ALSO THE BIGGEST PART OF
YOUR BRAIN.
ALONG WITH ITS THIN COVERING,
THE CORTEX, IT'S THE PART OF
YOUR BRAIN THAT GOVERNS
VOLUNTARY MOVEMENTS.
ITS WHERE YOU THINK, WHERE YOU
PERCEIVE OR SENSE THINGS.
AND BECAUSE OF YOUR CORTEX, YOU
CAN UNDERSTAND, LEARN, REMEMBER
COMMUNICATE AND CREATE.
THE BRAIN'S SURFACE IS COVERED
WITH WRINKLES AND GROOVES.
THESE WRINKLES AND FOLDS ALLOW
THE BRAIN TO HAVE A MUCH LARGER
SURFACE AREA.
AND A BRAIN WITH MORE SURFACE
AREA CAN PROCESS MORE
INFORMATION.
STUDENT: IT'S KIND OF LIKE
TRYING TO TAKE A PIECE A PAPER
AND FIT IT INTO A PLASTIC EASTER
EGG.
IF IT'S FLAT IT WON'T FIT VERY
WELL.
BUT IF YOU CRUMPLE IT UP,
(CRUMPLING PAPER)
IT FITS NICELY.
AND THAT'S HOW YOUR BRAIN CAN
USE A LOT OF SURFACE AREA FOR
PROCESS POWER AND STILL FIT
INSIDE YOUR HEAD.
CARTAN-HANSEN: THE BRAIN HAS TWO
HEMISPHERES AND THERE IS BAND OF
FIBERS BETWEEN THE TWO PARTS OR
HEMISPHERES OF THE BRAIN SO THAT
THE LEFT SIDE KNOWS WHAT THE
RIGHT SIDE IS DOING.
STUDENT: THE HUMAN BRAIN IS SO
SOFT THAT YOU COULD CUT IT WITH
A BUTTER KNIFE.
THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULD WEAR YOUR
HELMET WHEN YOU RIDE YOUR BIKE.
YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOUR BRAIN!
CARTAN-HANSEN: YOUR BRAIN AND
BODY ALSO PUT OUT CHEMICALS
CALLED HORMONES OR
NEUROTRANSIMTERS.
HORMONES HELP REGULATE YOUR
BODY'S GROWTH, HELP YOU MATURE,
MAINTAIN DIGESTION, EVEN TELL
YOU WHEN TO SLEEP.
NEUROTRANSMITTERS ARE CHEMICALS
THAT SEND MESSAGES BETWEEN BRAIN
CELLS OR NEURONS.
SOME NEUROTRANSMITTERS TELL YOUR
HEART TO BEAT OR YOUR LUNGS TO
BREATHE OR MUSCLES TO MOVE WHILE
OTHERS REGULATE YOUR FEELINGS,
ATTENTION, OR BEHAVIOR.
THESE CHEMICALS PLAY A PART IN
HOW YOU REMEMBER THINGS.
WHY YOU DREAM, WHO YOU ARE.
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN YOUR
BODY, YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR
FEELINGS, YOUR BREATHING, YOUR
GROWING ARE ALL CONTROLLED BY
YOUR BRAIN.
AND THE BRAIN CONTINUES TO
DEVELOP EVEN AFTER YOU'RE BORN.
AND IT CONTINUES TO CHANGE EVEN
AS AN ADULT.
YOUR BRAIN IS WHAT MAKES YOU,
YOU.
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
THE BRAIN AND LOTS OF OTHER
SCIENTIFIC TOPICS, CHECK OUT THE
SCIENCE TREK WEBSITE.
YOU'LL FIND IT AT
IDAHOPTV.ORG/SCIENCE TREK
(MUSIC)
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