Health Tech

10 Interesting Facts About The Human Brain

In humans, the brain is the control point of the nervous system. It is located inside the skull and remains protected by the bony structure of the skull, called the cranium. The brain is surrounded by three membranes called the “meninges,” which safeguard it. Between these meninges, cerebrospinal fluid fills the space, protecting the brain from mechanical shocks. Cranial nerves emerge from the brain.

The human brain is divided into three parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The forebrain primarily consists of the cerebrum, which controls the brain’s ability to think. The midbrain is not subdivided into any other parts, and the hindbrain includes the pons, cerebellum, and medulla. The function of the hindbrain is to control responses to visual and auditory stimuli, such as changes in the head and neck. It also controls eye muscle movements. This article relates some fascinating facts about the brain that you might hardly know.

10 Interesting facts about the human brain:

1. Our brain uses 20% of the total energy and stored oxygen, and only 25% of the glucose flowing in our blood. The human brain weighs about 2% of the body’s total weight, approximately 3 pounds, of which 60% is fat, making it the fattiest organ in our body.

2. According to scientists, the brain is more active during the day than at night. Generally, the human brain contains about 100 billion neurons.

3. According to John Hox, an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, the human brain has shrunk to about 9 cubic inches or 150 cubic centimeters, whereas in ancient times, the average size was 82 cubic inches or 1350 cubic centimeters.

4. During pregnancy, neurons grow at a rate of over 2,00,000 per minute.

5. You will be surprised to learn that human brains cease to function with only 5 minutes of oxygen deprivation.

6. Did you know that the human brain produces 12-25 watts of electricity, enough to power low-voltage LED lights?

7. You will also be surprised to learn that the wrinkles visible on our face make the brain even sharper. The surface of the brain is called the cerebral cortex, which has some complex deep cracks called “sulci” and small grooves called “gyri,” along with spots and bumps. It also houses about 100 billion neurons. The meandering and folded surface allows the brain to expand its surface area, enabling more processing within the limited confines of the skull. Moreover, various studies have shown that dolphin brains have more wrinkles than human brains.

8. Did you know that most cells in the brain are not neurons? Neurons constitute only about 10% of brain cells, while 90% are glia, called “glue” in Greek. According to neuroscientists, glia are sticky substances that hold neurons together. An article in the 2005 issue of the Journal of Neurosbiology described the role of glia cells, which promote chromosomal arrangement, activity, and provide protection during their development.

9. Sometimes we hear people refer to the left or right brain, which is incorrect. There is only one brain in our body.

10. It is impossible for our brain to perform many tasks at once. Usually, we are encouraged to multitask, but in reality, performing multiple tasks simultaneously is not advisable.

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