Fact Sheets Archives

Fact Sheets

Neuroanatomy: The Basics

The brain and nervous system are a network of many specialized parts.

Fact Sheets

Hearing is a mechanical sense. It turns physical movement into the electrical signals that make up the language of the brain, translating these vibrations into what we experience as the world of sound.

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The Senses: Vision

All of our senses give us vital information about our surroundings, but the one we rely on most is vision. Accordingly, the physical apparatus for gathering visual information—the eye—and the brain circuits that process this information are more complex than corresponding systems for the other senses.

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The Senses: Smell and Taste

Smell and taste are the oldest of the senses. They are essential for survival, having evolved to play key roles in such basic processes as feeding, mating, and avoiding danger.

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The Senses: The Somatosensory System

What we refer to as “touch,” the "fifth sense," is really shorthand for a group of senses.

cartoon of white-matter connections in brain

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Connectivity

The human brain is a network of networks: an intricate, integrated system that coordinates operations among billions of cells.

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Cells of the Brain

The brain is a mosaic made up of different cell types, each with their own unique properties. Here are the basics.

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Stroke

Although strokes are sudden, the brain injury they inflict typically evolves over the course of hours or even days. Prompt, effective treatment is critical.

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Sex Hormones and the Brain

Many of us think of hormones as chemical messengers that arrive during puberty to govern our reproductive development. But sex steroids like testosterone and estrogen also play a critical role in brain development.