Our brain is the supercomputer that controls parts of the body. The brain receives messages from body parts and tells them what to do. Brain communicates with parts of body through nerves. This network of brain and nerves is called the nervous system. Our nervous system is made up of millions of cells called neurons. Each of these neurons has many tiny arms that connect with other neurons. It is through these arms that signals travel among the neurons. The first and the most important of these nerves is the spinal cord, which hangs down from the brain through the back. Nerves branch out from the spinal cord to parts of the body. The brain is a pinkish ball with many creases and different parts. The brain of an adult weighs about 1.4 kilograms. Different parts of the brain do different jobs. Scientists have names for these different parts of the brain. The most important three parts are the cerebrum the cerebellum and the brain stem. The cerebrum is the topmost front portion of the brain. This part takes care of our sensory information- like sight, hearing and taste- and also voluntary actions. Cerebellum lies behind the cerebrum. Cerebellum is the part responsible for balance and posture of our body. The brainstem is the bottom part of our brain, which connects the brain with our spinal cord. Brain stem controls things like blood pressure, breathing, heartbeats etc that go on without our being aware of it. It is the most primitive part of our brain. Messages from the brain have to pass through the brain stem to the spinal cord before reaching different parts of our body. The brain stem is also directly connected with the nerves in the head region- like the nerve linked with hearing. The brainstem is thus the most important junction in the body!