My brain and its messengers
I can think and remember because I have a brain. I can learn to read and
write because I have a brain. I can work out problems because I have a
brain. And what’s more, I know what my senses tell me because I have a
brain.
Inside my body are thousands of nerves. These nerves are a little like
tiny telephone wires. My body uses them to send messages to and from my
brain.
Nerves from my eyes and ears and mouth and nose carry messages to my
brain. Then my brain tells me about the messages.
If someone tickles my feet or if I bump my elbow, nerves in my body
carry messages to my brain. My brain sends messages back to my feet or
my elbow. Almost without thinking I do what the messages tell me to do.
I giggle and I move my feet. I rub my elbow.
Messages between my brain and the rest of my body travel through my
spinal cord. My spinal cord is in my spine. I can feel the bones of my
spine down the center of my back.
Messages between my brain and the parts of my body move fast. They can
zip up from my feet and back again more than 30 times in one second.
When I bump my elbow, the nerves in my elbow send messages to my brain.
I know my elbow hurts. I rub it and say, “Ouch!”
Different messages go to different parts of my brain. Sight and touch
messages go to places near the surface of my brain. Smell, taste, and
hearing messages go deeper into my brain.
Different parts of my brain get different messages
