Part 1

The Brain Book

大脑之书

Introduction This book is a voyage around the inside of your head. We're going to explore what brains are made of, how they work, and how they make you who you are. Everything that you feel, see, hear, taste, and smell depends on messages travelling around your brain. Every move you make is controlled by your brain, and all your emotions– happiness and sadness; frustration and joy; fear and love– are created by your brain. All brains are similar but each one is unique. Some differences depend on information in the DNA we inherit from our parents, others are caused by our experiences and what we learn. Brains can absorb huge amounts of knowledge– I hope yours enjoys finding out about itself! Dr Liam Drew

引言 这本书是一场探索你头脑内部的奇妙旅程。 我们会一起探索大脑由什么组成、如何工作，以及它如何塑造了独一无二的你。 你感受到、看到、听到、尝到、闻到的一切，都依赖在大脑中传递的信号。 你的一举一动都由大脑控制，而你所有的情绪——快乐与悲伤； 沮丧与喜悦； 恐惧与喜爱——全都是大脑创造的。 所有大脑的构造大致相似，但每一颗都独一无二。 有些差异来自我们从父母那里继承的DNA信息，另一些则由我们的经历和学到的知识塑造。 大脑能吸收海量知识——希望你的大脑能享受这次认识自己的旅程！ 利亚姆·德鲁博士

What is a brain? The mysterious organ inside your head is called the brain. It is what makes you who you are. All of your thoughts, experiences, and feelings happen in the brain. Brain story Some people think that the brain is the most complex object in the Universe! In this book, we are going to learn about many things that scientists know about this amazing structure. Wrinkles The outside of the brain is wrinkled and folded, so it all fits inside the skull. Cranium The largest part of the skull is a hard, bony case that protects the brain from physical damage. Spinal cord This carries messages to and from the brain and body. WHY DO I NEED A BRAIN? Your brain allows you to move around and do many things. It helps you to remember things, to learn, to eat and drink, to stay safe, and to make friends. Brain areas Here is what it looks like if you slice a brain down the middle. The brain is made of many areas, which have different functions, but they all work together to make you, you! An adult's brain weighs around 1.5 kg (3 lb). Nervous system The brain gathers information from all of the senses and tells the body what to do. All of this communication happens along nerves, which run to and from the brain and throughout the body. What do you think?

什么是大脑？ 你脑袋里这个神秘的器官就叫做大脑。 正是它造就了独一无二的你。 你所有的想法、经历和感受，都发生在大脑里。 大脑趣闻 很多人认为大脑是宇宙中最复杂的物体！ 在这本书里，我们会一起了解科学家已经探明的，关于这个奇妙结构的诸多知识。 褶皱 大脑的外表面布满褶皱和折叠，这样才能完整容纳在头盖骨里。 头盖骨 头盖骨的主体是坚硬的骨质外壳，保护大脑不受外伤。 脊髓 它负责在大脑和身体之间传递信号。 为什么我需要大脑？ 大脑让你可以活动，完成各种各样的事情。 它帮你记忆、学习、吃喝、保证安全，还帮你交朋友。 大脑分区 如果把大脑从中间纵向切开，就会是这个样子。 大脑由许多功能不同的区域组成，它们一起协作，才造就了独一无二的你！ 成年人的大脑重大约1.5千克（3磅）。 神经系统 大脑从所有感官收集信息，再指挥身体做出行动。 所有信息传递都沿着神经完成，神经连接大脑，延伸到身体的每个角落。 你觉得呢？

What does a brain do? The brain is the control centre of your body. It gathers information about what's happening, processes this information, and then controls how your body responds. All brains work similarly, but the little differences make everyone unique. Sight The eyes take in visual information, such as a plane flying by outside. Hunger The brain gives you a feeling of hunger if you haven't eaten for a while. That's a lot to do! Gathering information Your eyes, ears, and other sense organs turn information from the outside world into signals that are sent to the brain. The brain also keeps track of what's going on inside your body. It can tell you whether you're hungry, thirsty, sleepy, or in pain. Controlling your body All your muscles are controlled by the brain. By moving different muscles, the brain can make you run, jump up in the air, or grab a pen to write. Hearing Your ears sense noises, such as the school bell. Processing information When you think, your brain combines useful new information with useful stored information. You make memories of the most important things that you experience, think, and do. Feelings Your feelings, such as excitement when playing a sport, are produced by the brain. Memory Your brain stores memories, such as a great beach holiday. Thinking Your brain does your thinking, such as working out a sum. Writing The brain coordinates the delicate movements you need to be able to write. Getting the body ready Your heart– a big muscle– may pump a little faster if you're asked a question in class. This is because the brain prepares you for action. Talking The muscles you use to talk are under the brain's control.

大脑会做什么？ 大脑是你身体的控制中心。 它收集周边发生的信息，处理这些信息，再指挥身体做出反应。 所有大脑的工作方式都差不多，但微小的差异造就了每个人的独一无二。 视觉 眼睛接收视觉信息，比如窗外飞过的飞机。 饥饿感 如果你有一阵子没吃东西，大脑会让你产生饥饿的感觉。 大脑要做的事可真多呀！ 收集信息 你的眼睛、耳朵和其他感官，会把外界信息转化成信号发送给大脑。 大脑还会随时掌握你身体内部的状况。 它能告诉你，你是饿了、渴了、困了还是在疼。 控制身体 你所有的肌肉都受大脑指挥。 通过调动不同肌肉，大脑能让你跑步、跳起来，或是拿起笔写字。 听觉 你的耳朵能感知声音，比如上课的铃声。 处理信息 你思考的时候，大脑会把有用的新信息和已经储存的有用信息结合起来。 你会把自己经历、思考和做过的重要事情，保存成记忆。 情绪 你的各种感受，比如做运动时的兴奋，都是大脑产生的。 记忆 你的大脑储存着记忆，比如一次开心的海滩度假。 思考 所有思考活动都由大脑完成，比如算出一道算术题。 书写 大脑协调好精细动作，你才能写字。 让身体做好准备 如果你上课的时候被点到回答问题，你的心脏这块大肌肉可能会跳得更快一点。 这是因为大脑在帮你做好行动的准备。 说话 你说话用到的肌肉都受大脑的控制。

Map of the brain The brain is made up of many parts, each of which handles different tasks, such as understanding the words you read or the sounds you hear. Here's a map of the brain showing where these tasks happen. Look in here! Body temperature, hunger, thirst, and many other body functions are controlled by the hypothalamus. The amygdala controls our emotions and gives them meaning. Memories are made in a long, thin structure called the hippocampus. Looking inside There are many more brain regions beneath the cerebral cortex, which all have essential jobs. These include the limbic system, which controls our instincts, memories, and emotions. Cerebral cortex The cerebral cortex is the folded surface of the brain. It is divided into four "lobes" with slightly tricky names– the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital. Complex thoughts and activities are processed here. Everything is connected! The cerebral cortex is only 2.5 mm (0.1 in) thick.

大脑地图 大脑由许多部分组成，每个部分负责不同的任务，比如理解你读到的文字或是听到的声音。 这张大脑地图就标出了这些任务分别发生在哪个位置。 往这儿看！ 体温、饥饿、口渴还有很多其他身体机能都由下丘脑控制。 杏仁核控制我们的情绪，赋予情绪不同的意义。 记忆形成在一个细长的结构中，它叫做海马体。 深入大脑 大脑皮层下方还有更多脑区，它们都承担着关键工作。 其中就包括边缘系统，它控制着我们的本能、记忆和情绪。 大脑皮层 大脑皮层就是大脑表面带有褶皱的那层组织。 它被分成四个名字不太好记的“脑叶”——额叶、顶叶、颞叶和枕叶。 复杂的想法和活动都在这里处理。 所有部分都相互连接！ 大脑皮层只有2.5毫米（0.1英寸）厚。

Studying the brain Scientists who study the brain are called neuroscientists. They do many different things to unlock the brain's secrets, including using brain scanners and microscopes, and studying the effects of head injuries. How MRIs work MRI scanners use very powerful magnets and radio waves to create signals from the body, which are turned into images by a computer. Inside your head MRI scans create 3D maps of the brain. You can look at any slice you like– this one looks as if the person's brain was cut right down the middle. The working brain When a part of your brain becomes active, extra blood goes there. Scans can detect the oxygen in blood and therefore which brain regions are working when you do certain things. Neurons up-close Scientists use microscopes to look at samples of the brain or neurons they grow in the lab. These help us understand how they work. CASE STUDIES If someone injures a part of their brain, it may change how their mind works. This can tell us what different brain regions do. Music memory If the hippocampus is damaged, people can lose the ability to form memories of new experiences. Older memories and learned skills are remembered, though. Taking sides Certain types of brain damage make people unable to see and respond to half of the world in front of them. They might only see half the food on a plate. Who's that? One part of the cerebral cortex responds to faces– damage to it leaves people unable to recognize anyone, even family and friends.

研究大脑 研究大脑的科学家被称为神经科学家。 他们做了许多不同的研究来解开大脑的秘密，比如使用脑部扫描仪、显微镜，还有研究头部损伤造成的影响。 磁共振成像的原理 磁共振扫描仪用超强磁铁和无线电波获取身体发出的信号，再由计算机把信号转换成图像。 头颅内部 磁共振扫描可以绘制出大脑的3D地图。 你可以观察任意切面——就像这张，看起来就像是把人的大脑正从中部分切开了一样。 工作中的大脑 当大脑的某一区域开始活动，就会有额外的血液流向这里。 扫描仪可以检测到血液中的氧气，因此就能得知你做特定活动时，哪些脑区正在工作。 近距离观察神经元 科学家会用显微镜观察大脑样本，或是他们在实验室培养的神经元。 这些研究能帮助我们了解神经元的工作方式。 案例研究 如果大脑的某部分受损，人的思维功能可能会发生改变。 这就能帮我们弄清楚不同脑区的作用。 音乐记忆 如果海马体受损，人们会失去形成新经历记忆的能力。 不过更早的记忆和已经学会的技能仍然能保留下来。 偏侧忽视 某些类型的脑损伤会让人们无法看到、也无法对面前一半的世界做出反应。 他们可能只能看见盘子里一半的食物。 这是谁呀？ 大脑皮层有一个区域专门负责识别面孔——这个区域受损后，人们就认不出任何人了，哪怕是家人朋友也认不出来。