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Reference Terms
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Brain

Brain refers to the complex organ inside the skull that serves as the command center for the entire nervous system. It’s the most sophisticated biological structure known to science, responsible for everything from basic survival functions—like breathing and heartbeat regulation—to higher-order abilities such as thinking, learning, emotions, creativity, and memory. Packed with about 86 billion neurons, the human brain processes vast amounts of information every second, constantly receiving signals from the body and environment and deciding how to respond.

Structurally, the brain is divided into specialized regions. The cerebrum, the largest part, handles conscious thought, language, and voluntary movement. The cerebellum fine-tunes coordination and balance, while the brainstem controls automatic functions like breathing and heart rate. Other parts, like the hippocampus and amygdala, are key players in memory and emotion. These areas work together through networks of neurons and chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, forming the basis of everything we think and feel.

In science, the brain is a frontier of endless fascination. Neuroscientists study how it develops, how it adapts (a feature called plasticity), and what goes wrong in diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Cutting-edge fields like neuroimaging and brain-computer interfaces aim to decode brain activity and even connect minds to machines. While we still have much to learn, one thing is clear: the brain isn’t just where we store knowledge—it’s what makes knowledge, experience, and consciousness possible. It’s the ultimate engine behind being human.

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Mind & Brain News

October 8, 2025

Scientists have discovered that DMT, a natural compound found in plants and even the human brain, can dramatically reduce brain damage caused by stroke. The psychoactive molecule, long known for its hallucinogenic effects, restored the blood-brain ...
Researchers in Japan have pinpointed a biological cause of Long COVID brain fog using advanced PET brain imaging. They discovered widespread increases in AMPA receptor density linked to cognitive ...
Addiction often isn’t about chasing pleasure—it’s about escaping pain. Researchers at Scripps Research have discovered that a tiny brain region called the paraventricular nucleus of the ...
A University of New Mexico scientist is revealing what might be one of the most overlooked causes of dementia — damage in the brain’s tiny blood vessels. Dr. Elaine Bearer has created a new way to classify these changes, showing that many people ...
A new study shows glioblastoma isn’t confined to the brain—it erodes the skull and hijacks the immune system within skull marrow. The cancer opens channels that let inflammatory cells enter the brain, fueling its deadly progression. Even drugs ...
Stanford scientists found that aging disrupts the brain’s internal navigation system in mice, mirroring spatial memory decline in humans. Older mice struggled to recall familiar locations, while a few “super-agers” retained youthful brain ...
Researchers from Leeds found that overeating is driven more by what people believe about food than by its actual ingredients or level of processing. Foods perceived as fatty, sweet, or highly processed were more likely to trigger indulgence. ...
Scientists discovered that lifelong social support can slow biological aging. Using DNA-based “epigenetic clocks,” they found that people with richer, more sustained relationships showed younger biological profiles and lower inflammation. The ...
Researchers have uncovered how a protein called MRAP2 acts as a key regulator of hunger. It helps move the appetite receptor MC4R to the cell’s surface, allowing it to send stronger “stop eating” signals. The discovery offers new hope for ...
A massive new study combining observational and genetic data overturns the long-held belief that light drinking protects the brain. Researchers found that dementia risk rises in direct proportion to alcohol consumption, with no safe level ...
Researchers uncovered a key cellular regulator, PP2A-B55alpha, that controls both the cleanup of damaged mitochondria and the creation of new ones. In Parkinson’s disease models, reducing this regulator improved symptoms and mitochondrial health. ...
New research from Houston Methodist reveals how obesity may directly drive Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists discovered that tiny messengers released by fat tissue, called extracellular vesicles, can carry harmful signals that accelerate the buildup ...

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updated 12:56 pm ET