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Understanding the anatomy of the human brain requires a more complex explanation than the one offered by those pull-apart models found in most high school biology classrooms! As you will find with almost any field of science, you must start with the smallest components - that of the tissues and cells.

Neurons are the most basic cell that makes up the tissues of the brain. They are further divided into the dendrite (or cell body) and the axon (or long fiber that stretches out from the cell body). The axon is covered in insulation, similar to electrical wire insulation, known as myelin which allows for quick and proper transfer of electrical impulses along the neuron.

Impulses are passed along the axon to the terminus (or end) and there neurotransmitter chemicals are released in response to that impulse. Once released the neurotransmitters travel across a gap known as the synapse and are then absorbed by the dendrites of other neurons - thus passing impulses throughout the brain. These impulses can also pass along nerve fibers in the spinal column and out to the body.

From the outside, the living brain is a wrinkly grey organ with many different clefts and fissures. This grey tissue, known as grey matter, consists of the neuron dendrites. The axons, extending inward with their myelin sheath giving them a whitish color, create what is known as the white matter. The wrinkles are called gyri (ridges) and sulci (valleys) and allow the brain to have greater surface area in a smaller place. The gyri and suci are found on the outer layer of both the cerebrum and cerebellum.

The brain can be divided into a number of anatomical groupings. For our purposes, we'll divide it into the following categories: the limbic, the brain stem, the cerebellum and the cerebrum. The limbic system's core is found snaking through the interior base of the brain and contains the hypothalamus and hippocampus. There is some debate as to what other structures may be included. Generally, the limbic system is thought to control emotion and long term memory.

The brain stem is the most basic part of the brain and is responsible for autonomic bodily functions (or those actions your body takes without thought) - such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, gag reflex, swallowing, and sleeping/excitation. Additionally, the brain stem regulates the central nervous system and is the conduit for all messages between the body and the brain. The brain stem is located at the base of the brain and

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