• Question: What is the brain made of?

    Asked by to Charli, Oliver on 19 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Charlotte Flavell

      Charlotte Flavell answered on 19 Jun 2014:

      Hi tylerbriany and ucantseeme123,

      The brain is made up of lots of tiny cells called neurones. Everything in our body is made of cells, there are skin cells, heart cells, lung cells and liver cells and each one is different.

      Brain cells are very long and thin and can send tiny electrical signals along them. There are brain cells that can travel all the way from your big toe, right up to the very front of your brain – think how long that is for something so small you need a microscope to see it!

      The cells in the brain connect to each other and talk using the electrical signals. When that big toe neurone notices that something just walked over your foot, it sends a signal up to your brain. Your brain might then tell your eyes to see what it was and another part might process the feeling of fear when you realise it was a spider! In response, your brain will tell your foot to move out of the way of that spider so it doesn’t touch you again 😮

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