Breaking into the Bank Holds 1,000 Human Brains in the UK

Britain's largest brain bank in Southmead Hospital, Bristol is storing about 1,000 human brains that could provide new hope for patients with dementia like Alzheimer's. This article explains the key facts and context behind human brain.

Key Facts About Human Brain

Brain bank in Southmead hospital.(Video: Bristol Post.)

These specimens will be used for research in the hope of creating a breakthrough in the treatment of memory loss due to brain degeneration for future generations.

Dr. Laura Palme, her banker and colleague, only had 72 hours to bring the human brain to the facility in a cooler, after the donor died. The brain will be divided into two halves. The first half will be frozen at -150 ° C for future research. The other half will be placed in a container filled with formalin solution for three weeks to prevent decomposition.

The half of the brain after formalin immersion will not retain the original color of pink gray and has a primitive form of jelly that is harder and has a golden-brown color. They will be cut into the parts most affected by dementia and covered by wax bank staff. Finally, these sections are divided into thin slices and placed on a microscope for neuropsychological specialists to study the symptoms and medications used by the donor.