ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the brain without waxing lyrical. The brain is the physical organ that makes all our mental life possible. The cell body contains the nucleus and other organelles. The nucleus contains the genetic code, and this is involved in protein synthesis. Neurons are organized within the brain to form white matter and gray matter. Gray matter consists of neuronal cell bodies. White matter consists of axons and support cells. The brain also contains a number of hollow chambers termed ventricles. There are conventional directions for navigating around the brain, just as there is a north, south, east and west for navigating around maps. Anterior and posterior refer to directions toward the front and back of the brain. The hollow chambers of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid. The thalamus consists of two interconnected egg-shaped masses that lie in the center of the brain and appear prominent in a medial section.
