One of the most fascinating aspects of the human brain, certainly, is the fact that although mankind understands most of their body systems very well, we have achieved a staggeringly low amount of knowledge about how our brains work. This is primarily due to the fact that the brain is a terribly complex organ. In order to understand it, the first basic step is to understand its basic physiological qualities.

The brain, "controls the central nervous system (CNS), by way of the cranial nerves and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and regulates virtually all human activity. Involuntary, or "lower," actions, such as heart rate, respiration, and digestion, are unconsciously governed by the brain, specifically through the autonomic nervous system. Complex, or "higher," mental activity, such as thought, reason, and abstraction, is consciously controlled.

Anatomically, the brain can be divided into three parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain; the forebrain includes the several lobes of the cerebral cortex that control higher functions, while the mid- and hindbrain are more involved with unconscious, autonomic functions. During encephalization, human brain mass increased beyond that of other species relative to body mass. This process was especially pronounced in the neocortex, a section of the brain involved with language and consciousness. The neocortex accounts for about 76% of the mass of the human brain; with a neocortex much larger than other animals, humans enjoy unique mental capacities despite having a neuroarchitecture similar to that of more primitive species. Basic systems that alert humans to stimuli, sense events in the environment, and maintain homeostasis are similar to those of basic vertebrates. Human consciousness is founded upon the extended capacity of the modern neocortex, as well as the greatly developed structures of the brain stem. (Wikipedia, 2008)."

Here are some interesting facts regarding the human brain:

-It is not, despite common perceptions, a hard, gray organ. Instead, it is actually quite spongy, reddish or pink, and extremely soft.

-People do not, as most individuals believe, use only 10% of their brain tissue. In fact, all parts of the brain are utilized for one function or another. It is true, however, that at any one point, you might only be using 10% of your brainpower. You will use the rest when it is necessary to perform the function that those parts are for.

-Many people believe that it is impossible for the brain to create new tissue, once damaged, or for it to grow new neurons. This simply isn't the case. It is, rather, a very adaptive, resilient organ, which can take a great deal of abuse and come back from it. For instance, many people who are forced to have half of their brains removed, in surgery, regain almost total function in time.