An exhibition, being held at At-Bristol science attraction in Bristol, UK and aptly named All About Us, will put a real human brain at the centre of its operations.

The exhibition, which opened to the public on Friday, will also include a four-metre long “strand” of DNA, costing £1.5 million and which has taken two years to put together.

The brain will feature as one of the key exhibits at At-Bristol and will inevitably be the talking point for visitors.

Goery Delacote, chief executive officer for At-Bristol, said: “As a science centre, it’s our role to bring the real world, and especially that not easy to see, to the attention of our visitors.”

The exhibit consists of a large tank, engraved with the image of a person on one side and the skeleton and central nervous system on the other.

In the position of the brain will be the real human brain, showing both the right and left hemispheres.

To put it on display the family attraction had to apply for a Human Tissue Authority licence.

The brain has come from an anonymous donor and the requirements of the HTA means they have given their full and personal consent to it being used as part of the All About Us exhibition. At-Bristol said the real brain exhibit has been carefully and sensitively researched and designed by their in-house exhibitions team.

There is also be a touch screen showing interviews with surgeons, a future donor and an anatomy teacher.

The surgeon will be explaining how tissue donation helps him to teach about the human body.

The permanent exhibition has been developed around the seven themes of cardiovascular, reproduction, locomotion, senses, digestion, DNA and brains.

Exhibitions director Dan Bird said: “Our brain is the control centre of our bodies and receives and processes vast quantities of information to keep us in balance and help us to understand the outside world.

“I believe the real brain exhibit will allow our visitors to further engage in the wonders of the human body, to see real science in action though screen presentation and to gain an appreciation of why donating a body to scientific research is important.”

The brain is one of 50 interactive exhibits at the new exhibition, which has been funded by the Wellcome Trust. The launch of All About Us takes place ahead of Brain Awareness Week which will run from March 14 to March 20.

Brain Awareness Week is a global campaign to increase public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research.