How the Brain Works: The Facts Visually Explained (How Things Work)

Are men's and women's brains really different? Why are teenagers impulsive and rebellious? And will it soon be possible to link our brains together via the Cloud? Drawing on the latest neuroscience research, this visual guide makes the hidden workings of the human brain simple to understand. How the Brain Works begins with an introduction to the brain's anatomy, showing you how to tell your motor cortex from your mirror neurons. Moving on to function, it explains how the brain works constantly and unnoticed to regulate heartbeat and breathing, and how it collects information to produce the experiences of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The chapters that follow cover memory and learning, consciousness and personality, and emotions and communication. There's also a guide to the brain's disorders, including physical problems, such as tumours and strokes, and psychological and functional disorders, ranging from autism to schizophrenia. Illustrated with bold graphics and step-by-step artworks, and peppered with bite-sized factoids and question-and-answer features, this is the perfect introduction to the fascinating world of the human brain. CONTENTS 5 THE PHYSICAL BRAIN 9 What the Brain Does 10 The Brain in the Body 12 Human and Animal Brains 14 Protecting the Brain 16 Fueling the Brain 18 Brain Cells 20 Nerve Signals 22 Brain Chemicals 24 Networks in the Brain 26 Brain Anatomy 28 The Cortex 30 Nuclei of the Brain 32 Hypothalamus, Thalamus, and Pituitary Gland 34 The Brain Stem and Cerebellum 36 The Limbic System 38 Imaging the Brain 40 Monitoring the Brain 42 Babies and Young Children 44 Older Children and Teenagers 46 The Adult Brain 48 The Aging Brain 50 How to Slow the Effects of Aging 52 Brain Food 54 Genetics and the Brain 56 Male and Female Brains 58 Nature and Nurture 60 BRAIN FUNCTIONS AND THE SENSES 63 Sensing the World 64 Seeing 66 The Visual Cortex 68 How We See 70 Perception 72 How We Hear 74 Perceiving Sound 76 Smell 79 Taste 80 Touch 82 Proprioception 84 Feeling Pain 86 How to Use Your Brain to Manage Pain 88 The Regulatory System 90 Neuroendocrine System 92 Hunger and Thirst 94 Planning Movement 96 Making a Move 98 Unconscious Movement 100 Mirror Neurons 102 COMMUNICATION 105 Emotions 106 Fear and Anger 108 Conscious Emotion 110 Reward Centers 112 Sex and Love 114 Expressions 116 Body Language 118 How to Tell if Someone Is Lying 120 Morality 122 Learning a Language 124 The Language Areas 126 Having a Conversation 129 Reading and Writing 130 MEMORY, LEARNING, AND THINKING 133 What Is Memory? 134 How a Memory Forms 136 Storing Memories 138 Recalling a Memory 140 How to Improve Your Memory 142 Why We Forget 144 Memory Problems 146 Special Types of Memories 148 Intelligence 150 Measuring Intelligence 152 Creativity 154 How to Boost Your Creativity 156 Belief 158 CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE SELF 161 What Is Consciousness? 162 Attention 164 How to Focus Your Attention 167 Free Will and the Unconscious 168 Altered States 170 Sleep and Dreams 172 Time 174 What Is Personality? 176 The Self 178 THE BRAIN OF THE FUTURE 181 Superhuman Senses 182 Wiring the Brain 184 The Unexplored Brain 186 Artificial Intelligence 188 The Expanded Brain 190 The Global Brain 192 DISORDERS 195 Headache and Migraine 196 Head Injuries 197 Epilepsy 197 Meningitis and Encephalitis 198 Brain Abscess 198 TIA 199 Stroke and Hemorrhage 199 Brain Tumors 200 Dementia 200 Parkinson鈥檚 Disease 201 Huntington鈥檚 Disease 201 Multiple Sclerosis 202 Motor Neuron Disease 202 Paralysis 203 Down Syndrome 204 Cerebral Palsy 204 Hydrocephalus 205 Narcolepsy 205 Coma 206 Depression 206 Bipolar Disorder 207 Seasonal Affective Disorder 207 Anxiety Disorders 208 Phobias 208 Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder 209 Tourette鈥檚 Syndrome 209 Somatic Symptom Disorder 210 Munchausen Syndrome 210 Schizophrenia 211 Addiction 212 Personality Disorder 213 Eating Disorders 214 Learning Disabilities and Difficulties 215 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 216 Autism Spectrum Disorders 217 INDEX 218 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 224 CONTENTS THE PHYSICAL BRAIN What the Brain Does The Brain in the Body Human and Animal Brains Protecting the Brain Fueling the Brain Brain Cells Nerve Signals Brain Chemicals Networks in the Brain Brain Anatomy The Cortex Nuclei of the Brain Hypothalamus, Thalamus, and Pituitary Gland The Brain Stem and Cerebellum The Limbic System Imaging the Brain Monitoring the Brain Babies and Young Children Older Children and Teenagers The Adult Brain The Aging Brain How to Slow the Effects of Aging Brain Food Genetics and the Brain Male and Female Brains Nature and Nurture BRAIN FUNCTIONS AND THE SENSES Sensing the World Seeing The Visual Cortex How We See Perception How We Hear Perceiving Sound Smell Taste Touch Proprioception Feeling Pain How to Use Your Brain to Manage Pain The Regulatory System Neuroendocrine System Hunger and Thirst Planning Movement Making a Move Unconscious Movement Mirror Neurons COMMUNICATION Emotions Fear and Anger Conscious Emotion Reward Centers Sex and Love Expressions Body Language How to Tell if Someone Is Lying Morality Learning a Language The Language Areas Having a Conversation Reading and Writing MEMORY, LEARNING, AND THINKING What Is Memory? How a Memory Forms Storing Memories Recalling a Memory How to Improve Your Memory Why We Forget Memory Problems Special Types of Memories Intelligence Measuring Intelligence Creativity How to Boost Your Creativity Belief CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE SELF What Is Consciousness? Attention How to Focus Your Attention Free Will and the Unconscious Altered States Sleep and Dreams Time What Is Personality? The Self THE BRAIN OF THE FUTURE Superhuman Senses Wiring the Brain The Unexplored Brain Artificial Intelligence The Expanded Brain The Global Brain DISORDERS Headache and Migraine Head Injuries Epilepsy Meningitis and Encephalitis Brain Abscess TIA Stroke and Hemorrhage Brain Tumors Dementia Parkinson’s Disease Huntington’s Disease Multiple Sclerosis Motor Neuron Disease Paralysis Down Syndrome Cerebral Palsy Hydrocephalus Narcolepsy Coma Depression Bipolar Disorder Seasonal Affective Disorder Anxiety Disorders Phobias Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder Tourette’s Syndrome Somatic Symptom Disorder Munchausen Syndrome Schizophrenia Addiction Personality Disorder Eating Disorders Learning Disabilities and Difficulties Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorders INDEX ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Have You Ever Asked Yourself Why You Can't Remember Anything From Before The Age Of Three, Why We Experience Dej Vu, Or Indeed How A Bundle Of Cells In Our Heads Can Produce The Remarkable Phenomenon That Is Human Consciousness? Drawing On The Latest Neuroscience Research, This Visual Guide Makes The Hidden Workings Of The Human Brain Simple To Understand. How The Brain Works Begins With An Introduction To The Brain's Anatomy, Showing You How To Tell Your Motor Cortex From Your Mirror Neurons. From Anatomy, It Moves On To Function, Explaining How The Brain Works Constantly And Unnoticed To Regulate Processes Such As Heartbeat And Breathing And How It Collects Information From The External World To Produce The Experiences Of Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, And Touch. The Chapters That Follow Cover Memory And Learning, Consciousness And Personality, And Emotions And Communication. There's Also A Guide To The Brain's Disorders, Including Physical Problems, Such As Tumours And Strokes, And Psychological And Functional Disorders, Ranging From Autism To Schizophrenia. Illustrated With Bold Graphics And Step-by-step Artworks, And Peppered With Bite-sized Factoids And Question-and-answer Features, This Is The Perfect Introduction To The Fascinating World Of The Human Brain. Have you ever asked yourself why you can't remember anything from before the age of three, why people experience deja vu, or how a bundle of cells in our heads can produce the remarkable phenomenon that is human consciousness? Drawing on the latest neuroscience research, this visual guide makes the hidden workings of the human brain simple to understand. How the Brain Works begins with an introduction to the brain's anatomy, showing you how to tell your motor cortex from your mirror neurons. From anatomy, it moves on to function, explaining how the brain works constantly and unnoticed to regulate processes such as heartbeat and breathing and how it collects information from the external world to produce the experiences of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The chapters that follow cover memory and learning, consciousness and personality, and emotions and communication. There's also a guide to the brain's disorders, including physical problems such as tumors and strokes and psychological and functional disorders, ranging from autism to schizophrenia. Illustrated with bold graphics and step-by-step illustrations and peppered with bite-size factoids and question-and-answer features, this is the perfect introduction to the fascinating world of the human brain. Are men's and women's brains really different? Why are teenagers impulsive and rebellious? And will it soon be possible to link our brains together via the Cloud?Drawing on the latest neuroscience research, this visual guide makes the hidden workings of the human brain simple to understand. How the Brain Works begins with an introduction to the brain's anatomy, showing you how to tell your motor cortex from your mirror neurons. Moving on to function, it explains how the brain works constantly and unnoticed to regulate heartbeat and breathing, and how it collects information to produce the experiences of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The chapters that follow cover memory and learning, consciousness and personality, and emotions and communication.There's also a guide to the brain's disorders, including physical problems, such as tumors and strokes, and psychological and functional disorders, ranging from autism to schizophrenia. Illustrated with bold graphics and step-by-step artworks, and sprinkled with bite-sized factoids and question-and-answer features, this is the perfect introduction to the fascinating world of the human brain. The simplest, most visual guide to the brain - ever. Are men's and women's brains really different? Why are teenagers impulsive and rebellious? And will it soon be possible to link our brains together via the Cloud? Drawing on the latest neuroscience research, this visual guide makes the hidden workings of the human brain simple to understand. How the Brain Works begins with an introduction to the brain's anatomy, showing you how to tell your motor cortex from your mirror neurons. It moves on to function, explaining how the brain works constantly and unnoticed to regulate heartbeat and breathing, and how it collects information to produce the experiences of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The chapters that follow cover memory and learning, consciousness and personality, and emotions and communication. With clear, easy-to-understand graphics and packed with fascinating facts, 'How the Brain Works' demystifies the complex processes of the human brain. This book "begins with an introduction to the brain's anatomy, showing you how to tell your motor cortex from your mirror neurons. It moves on to function, explaining how the brain works constantly and unnoticed to regulate heartbeat and breathing, and how it collects information to produce the experiences of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The chapters that follow cover memory and learning, consciousness and personality, and emotions and communication"--Publisher marketing