The brain is a terrible thing to waste. That is why Harvard has set up a centralized Brain Tissue Resource Center it calls The Brain Bank. The Brain Bank specializes in researching how the nervous system functions by analyzing real human brains. Brains donated to the Brain Bank have provided the keys to unlock the mysteries of various human diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. After reviewing the National Geographic video, and performing some research on your own, answer the following questions:

How many years has the Brain Bank been in operation?

Of the 300 brains the Brain Bank receives each year, how many are considered ‘normal’?

Why does the Brain Lab freeze brains? For what purposes?

Would you be willing to donate your brain, organs or other tissues for research purposes such as this? Why or why not?