Questions: My Brain Thinks

Question 1

Which of these does your brain control?

• A. Only your thoughts
• B. Only your movements
• C. Everything — your thoughts, movements, senses, feelings, and even your heartbeat and breathing
• D. Only what you learn at school

Answer: (C)

Your brain controls everything your body does. It handles your thoughts and memories, yes, but it also controls every muscle movement, processes everything you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch, generates your emotions, and manages things you do not even think about — like breathing and keeping your heart beating. It is the boss of your whole body.

Question 2

Your brain stops working when you are asleep.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Your brain is very active during sleep. It organizes and stores memories from the day, processes emotions, keeps your heart beating and your lungs breathing, and goes through cycles of different kinds of sleep. Some parts of your brain are actually more active during sleep than when you are awake.

Question 3

Why is it important to wear a helmet when biking or skateboarding?

Model answer: Your brain is soft and delicate, even though the skull protects it. A helmet adds extra protection so that if you fall and hit your head, the helmet absorbs the impact instead of your skull and brain. A brain injury can affect your ability to think, move, feel, and remember.

The skull is hard bone that protects the brain, but a hard enough hit can still cause damage. A helmet acts as a shock absorber — it takes the force of the impact so your head does not have to. Since the brain controls everything in your body, protecting it is one of the most important safety decisions you can make.