The Brain
When people think of the brain, they picture only part of the brain. That is, they only picture the part that is contained within the skull. It is more accurate to picture the brain as the part in the skull, with a tail! Any structure in the brain is complex, delicate and responsible for running and marinating all the systems and functions of the body. This included the "tail" part, which is the spinal cord. Although one may think of the spinal cord as the wires that enables the brain to communicate with all parts of the body, this is only the partial picture. The spinal cord has certain functions within itself that do not relay to the brain, and so it has features of the brain itself. Reflexes are an example of a function that occurs entirely in the spinal cord and does not involve the brain itself. While the brain is encased in a housing of solid bone, the skull; the spinal "casing" needs to allow for a great deal of motion. Nature's answer to the challenge is the 24 movable bones called the vertebrae. The vertebrae afford protection to the delicate spinal cord, while allowing for a full range of motion of the trunk of the body.
