Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system. It is the source of intelligence and behavior, and controls almost all body functions. The human brain's unique abilities separate humans from other animals

Description
The brain is a spongy, three-pound structure which is the seat of the nervous system.[1] The brain contains gray matter and white matter. Gray matter refers to the cells making up the brain, such as neurons. White matter is made of axons, which are wire-like projections from the nerve cells that transmit messages in the brain.

Parts of the brain:

Forebrain

Hindbrain

Limbic system

Midbrain

Neural Pathways

Neuroendocrine systems

Vascular Systems

Dural Meningeal System

Cerebrospinal fluid

Role of the brain in the body
The brain controls numerous functions in the body, including physiologic processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and hormone release, as well as behavioral processes such as learning and emotion. The brainstem controls body functions necessary for survival such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Within the brainstem, the medulla controls breathing and heart rate; the midbrain relays signals for movement and is involved in vision, hearing, and eye movement; and the pons is involved in control of movement and analysis of sensory information The cerebellum coordinates balance and movement. The frontal lobe controls higher functions such as personality, reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. The occipital lobe helps the brain understand visual information received from the eyes. The parietal lobes are important for understanding language and spatial relationships. They also function in movement and the recognition and perception of stimuli. The temporal lobes are involved in memory and processing sensory information.

How It Works
The brain is composed of billions of neurons, which are cells that transmit information. Synapses are the points where the neurons communicate with each other. Nerve impulses are transmitted when ion channels open and allow minerals such as calcium to enter or exit the cell.[1] Neurons release chemicals called neurotransmitters in order to send signals. Examples of neurotransmitters are acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine, and amino acids such as glutamine.

Diseases of the Brain
Build up a garbage http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130627142402.htm

Conditions
different types of damage:


 * accumulation of plaques or amyloid beta
 * tau-protein tangles
 * demyelenation
 * minor age-related damage to blood vessels in the brain

"The research reveals that the loss of plasticity is due to the protein calpain actively blocking the protein cortactin, which is responsible for the sprouting of new connections. The researchers reduced calpain activity in animal models to unlock the sprouting potential of neurons and found that when calpain activity is reduced neural plasticity is enhanced." --

http://www.physorg.com/news148840268.html http://www.betterhumans.com/blogs/news/archive/2007/01/04/small-damage-in-the-brain-adds-up.aspx

"Baudry and his research team had been trying to come up with a way to visualize the activation of calpain and find out what is activating it. One of Zadran’s first forays into the research was to apply a technique called fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), which uses two fluorescent probes that interact differently depending on their distance. When calpain is activated in a neuron, a fluorescent signal is produced."

http://www.physorg.com/news187383675.html

Brain ECM
http://glycob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/6/5/489.pdf

sources:

http://wiki.medpedia.com/Brain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regions_in_the_human_brain