Need-to-know anatomy

The brain is divided into three main parts: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is responsible for most higher-level brain functions, including language, consciousness, emotions, integration of sensory stimuli, and some motor functions. The second-largest structure in the brain is the cerebellum. Located under the cerebrum at the back of the brain (just above the back of the neck), this portion of the brain governs coordination, balance, and some other aspects of movement.

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Finally, the brain stem, the smallest part, attaches the brain to the spinal cord and head and includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. It is among the most "primitive" parts of the brain and controls many of the body functions that occur automatically, including heartbeat, blood pressure, and wakefulness.

Each part of the brain breaks down into smaller regions that control various body functions and behaviors.

Protected by the skull and three thin membranes called meninges, the brain floats and is cushioned by cerebrospinal fluid. This watery liquid flows between the meninges and other spaces called ventricles.

A network of nerves made up of nerve cells, or neurons, transmits signals from the brain to other parts of the body. A different group of brain cells, called glial cells, serves as support for the neurons-feeding them, insulating them, clearing dead neurons away. The most common primary brain tumors, called gliomas, begin in glial cells or their stem cells.