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The brain is the body's hard drive
The brain is like a computer's hard drive, but much better. This is where a lot of facts and information is stored and this is where the body is run from.
We need to be careful with our brain, it is of vital importance. That is also why it is protected inside the hard skull bone, which is under the skin of the head.
The brain can be divided into three parts. Each of these three parts serves a different purpose, but they also cooperate.
The cerebrum
The cerebrum is the largest part. This is where emotions and thoughts develop and this is where memories are stored. Other information that the senses gather goes to the cerebrum, which then instructs the body what to do.
The smell of egg nog makes you think of Easter. Maybe a certain melody arouses fond memories of a trip, whereas touching a thorny branch will make you more careful.
The cerebellum
The cerebellum is responsible for all your body movements. The cerebellum controls your balance and your muscles' teamwork. It makes sure your body does as you want it to, without your having to think about it.
When you wave to somebody, the cerebellum makes you raise your arm and wave your hand. This happens automatically, by itself. You don't need to think: ”Now I'm going to raise my arm and move my hand, maybe even bend my fingers a little…”.
The medulla oblongata
The medulla oblongata is the third part of the brain. A lot of the things that the body does by itself are controlled by the medulla oblongata. This is where your breathing, your heartbeat and your eye movements are controlled.
Information about pain, heat and cold is sent to the medulla oblongata first, before it continues on to the cerebrum.
The medulla oblongata receives the information from your hand about the hot cooking pot. How should the body react? This information is passed on to the cerebrum, which gives the instruction to be careful and remove the hand immediately. And in an instant, your hand is gone from the hot cooking pot, before you even had a chance to think about it being too hot.
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