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		Fundamental principles
			Current neuroscience
		Sensory organs
		Processing data
		Interaction

The brain – the control centre

The brain enables us to think logically, to communicate with others and to learn, and furnishes us with the power of recollection. Yet emotions such as love and sympathy are situated in the brain as well.

An array of nerves carries information from the sensory organs to the brain where it gets processed. After a decision is reached, motor instructions are then likewise transmitted via nerve fibres to the muscles. Not all processes occurring in the brain are apparent to us. There are many functions the brain controls automatically, like our breathing, heartbeat and digestion.



Schematic depiction of a nerve cell

The brain contains some 100 billion nerve cells – so-called neurons – that are linked together. A single nerve cell can form up to 10,000 connections, or synapses, with other nerve cells.





		-	Neuron

Processing data

What’s fascinating about the brain is its adeptness at linking nerve cells, which are relatively slow compared to conventional computers, enabling the brain to react within a split-second, such as to altered environmental conditions. Information processing in the brain is based on the electric conductivity of the nerve cells and the existence of neurotransmitters that convey signals from cell to cell. By processing the data received from the surrounding environment, the brain enables a person to adjust his behaviour to the respective situation. When he wants to drink, for instance, he can recognise a glass of water, pick it up and bring it to his mouth, which involves a complex interplay of sensory perceptions and their processing in the brain followed by a series of motor commands.

In the course of history, there have been various notions – including numerous visual depictions – as to what a brain is. The prevailing allegorical symbol for the brain today is the computer.