How do you remember the way to your friend's house? Why do your eyes blink without you ever thinking about it? Where do dreams come from? Your brain is in charge of these things and a whole lot more. In fact, your brain is the boss of your body. It runs the show by controlling just about everything you do.

• It's faster and more powerful than any computer you've ever used.
• It's large and in charge - so large that it fills the upper half of your head.
• It looks like a soft, wrinkly, gray sponge, and it's almost as heavy as a carton of orange juice! By the time you're grown up, it will weigh about 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms).

Read on to learn more about some important parts of your brain.

The Brain Team
 The largest player on the brain team is the cerebrum (say: sur-ee-brum). The cerebrum makes up 85% of the brain's weight, and it's easy to see why. This is the thinking part of the brain. It lets you solve math problems, play video games, feed your fish, dance, remember your sister's birthday, and draw pictures. The cerebrum makes humans more intelligent than animals because it's the part that lets us reason. Imagine if your dog tried to read the paper after he fetched it. It wouldn't work out too well for him, because compared with your brain, the thinking part of his brain is very small!

The cerebrum is made up of two halves, with one on either side of the head. Some scientists think that the right half helps you think about abstract things, like music, colors, and shapes. The left half is said to be more analytical, helping you with math, logic, and speech. Scientists do know for sure that the right half of the cerebrum controls the left side of your body, and the left half controls the right side.

One part of the cerebrum is called the motor area. It runs across the two halves of the cerebrum like headphones, from ear to ear. The motor area controls your voluntary muscles - the muscles in your body that move when you want them to. Next time you're playing soccer and take a shot on goal, thank your motor area!