The Brain

Modern research has identified the brain as incredibly complex. While many mysteries still remain, understanding of the human brain has progressed more in the last twenty years than in the previous two thousand years. Advanced brain imaging techniques such as fMRIs have helped reveal some of the most important areas of the brain and its functioning. Moreover, the right and left hemispheres divide the brain, and research has found that each hemisphere corresponds to the opposite side of the body. The brain also has divisions where more basic parts exist closer to the brainstem, while the cerebral cortex houses more complex components. Although injuries to any portion of the brain can cause serious damage, the organ retains a remarkable capacity to adapt functions and renew abrasions through plasticity. This capability often allows people with serious brain injuries to regain functioning. Furthermore, the brain processes all of our sensory experiences and directs our behavior. Having basic knowledge of the brain and its functions constitutes a critical foundation to the study of psychology.