Created by God is an amazing thing wich scientists are yet to understand fully and know it’s full potentials
Here are the top 50 interesting facts you never knew about the human brain..
1. The human brain, weighs only about 3lbs. (around 1.5 kg.), makes up just 2% of the body weight and uses around 20% of the body’s oxygen and blood. 75% of the total brain mass is water.
2. It is the fattest organ in the body, contains 100 billion neurons or nerve cells (15 times the total human population on earth) and a trillion glial cells and has around 150,000 miles of blood vessels.
3. The brain processes information as slow as 0.5m/sec to as fast as 120m/sec. The brain can survive without oxygen for 4-6 minutes after which it begins to die. Lack of oxygen for 5-10 minutes can lead to permanent brain damage.
4. Good nutrition is of utmost importance to brain health and functioning. Dieting can force the brain to eat itself, according to scientists. Malnourished fetuses and infants suffer from cognitive and behavioral deficits, slower motor and language development and lower I.Q. Babies brains use up almost 50% of the total glucose supply, which might be one of the reasons why babies sleep so much.
5. Physical exercise is just as important for the brain as it is for the rest of the body. In a recent study published in the annals of internal medicine suggest that exercise can delay the age at which people may get Alzheimer’s disease by more than 30% as it improves and makes more regular the blood flow to the brain.
6. In a study, scientists found that students who ate foods that did not contain preservatives, food additives like artificial flavors and dyes did 14% better in I.Q tests than those that consumed with these substances.
7. Half of a person’s genes are responsible for the complex design of the brain with the other half describing the organization of the remaining 98% of the body.
8. It is a myth that we use only 10% of the brain, in fact every part of the brain has a known function. Also, there is no left/right brain divide-they work together. And No, brain cells do not die whenever you sneeze.
9. It is also a myth that getting forgetful is an inevitable part of aging. Earlier the brain was thought to be hardwired, however, Neuroscientists have developed computer programs that can halt slow down and even reverse memory loss by 10 years.
10. However, you may be surprised to know that surgical removal of almosthalf of our brains is possible with little or no effect on personality or memory.
11. Sleep deprivation can affect the brain in multiple ways and can affect memory, slow down yourreactions and impair judgment.
12. Drugs and alcohol interfere with the brains signaling mechanisms and have some effect on the dopamine and opiod systems, which are provide for some of our sense of pleasure and reward.
13. It takes the brain cells only 6 minutes to react to alcohol. And drinking alcohol does not make you forget anything. When you get blackout drunk, the brain temporarily loses its ability to create memories.
14. Music triggers activity in the same part of the brain that releases the ‘pleasure chemical’ dopamine during sex and eating.
15. On an average, humans experience around 70,000 thoughts each day. Laughing at a joke requires activity in five different areas of the brain.Forgetting unnecessary things is actually good for the brain as it helps the nervous system to maintain its plasticity.
16. Long time use of mobile phones is linked to higher risk of brain tumors. Loss of blood from the brain for 8-10 seconds can lead to unconsciousness.
17. Smell is the only sense that is directly linked to the limbic system of the brain that is associated with physical, emotional and psychological responses. Hence, good smells like essential oils and smell of food, and bad odor effect our moods drastically.The smell of chocolate increases the theta brain waves that triggers relaxation.
18. Everyone dreams, even blind people, for at least 1-2 hours and on an average 4-7 dreams each night. Brain waves are more active while you are dreaming than when you are awake.
19. Ambidextrous people have a corpus collosum(the part of the brain that bridges the two halves) that is 11% larger than those who are right handed.
20. A study of London taxi drivers revealed that they had larger hippocampus, suggesting that as you memorize more and more information, this part of the brain grows
21. It comprises 60% of fat and is one of the fattest organs in the human body
22. Human brain has the capacity to generate approximately 23 watts of power when awake.
23. Of the total blood and oxygen that is produced in our
body, the brain gets 20% of it.
24. When the blood supply to the brain stops, it is almost after 8-10 seconds that the brain starts losing the consciousness.
25. The brain is capable of surviving for 5 to 6 minutes only if it doesn’t get oxygen after which it dies.
26. The blood vessels that are present in the brain are almost 100,000 miles in length.
27. There are 100 billion neurons present in the brain.
28. In early pregnancy, the neurons develop at an alarming rate of 250,000 per minute.
29. As we grow older, we are unable to remember new things. According to the researchers in the US it is because the brain is unable to filter and remove old memories which prevent it from absorbing new ideas.
30. The brain itself can’t feel pain
Ever wonder how brain surgeons are able to perform surgeries on patients while they’re awake? Beth McQuiston, MD, neurologist and medical director at Abbott, explains that even though the brain contains layers of coverings and blood vessels that contain pain receptors, the brain itself has zero. When a person has a headache, for example, it’s often thought of as pain stemming from the brain, but this is actually not the case. The muscles and skin surrounding the brain, however, can feel pain. These are the 16 signs your headache pain could actually be something worse .
31. Your brain is greedy
Your brain might account for only about three percent of your body weight, but it receives about 30 percent of the blood being pumped by your heart. This shows how much attention and support it requires in comparison to the other seemingly important areas of your body. “The brain is like a spoiled and demanding child, but yet it is extremely smart, and efficient,” explains Bennet Omalu, MD, forensic pathologist, neuropathologist, epidemiologist, clinical professor at University of California, Davis and author of Truth Doesn’t Have a Side. “It takes the brain about 1/10,000th of a second to respond to something and generate an action.”
32. You actually do use most of your brain, most of the time
Though the film Limitless with Bradley Cooper lead people to think that they use only a tiny portion of their brain, this is actually not true. “This misconception came about because the brain is so adaptable that sometimes minor damage causes only subtle problems,” explains Brett Wingeier, PhD, engineer, neuroscientist and co-founder of Halo Neuroscience. “The fact is, most of your brain is constantly working—to sense, process, think, move, and even dream.” Even when you head to sleep at night, your brain is still hard at work! Here are what your dreams reveal about you .
33. Brain waves are even more active while you’re dreaming
When you’re fast asleep, you might think that your brain is “shut off,” but it’s actually doing a whole lot more than when you’re walking, talking, eating, and thinking. “When awake, people utilize alpha and beta waves, which gives us day wakefulness,” explains Brandon Brock, MSN, BSN, staff clinician at Cerebrum Health Centers. “Sleep, however, especially in the initial stages, uses Theta activity, which is greater in amplitude than Beta.” Check out these bizarre facts about dreams .
34. Adults brain still make new neurons
While most of our neurons have been with us since birth, and age does take a toll, your brain still makes new neurons. “This process, known as neurogenesis, occurs in a special region called the dentate gyrus,” explains Dr. Wingeier. This topic has been highly debated, but
research shows that the adult brain can generate new nerve cells and incorporate them into neural circuits. “These neurons are thought to be important for learning, memory, and responding to stress.” How can you boost this process in your own brain? Dr. Wingeier says through healthy living—things like sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet. Here are the foods you should be eating to boost your brain power.
35. Almost half of a child’s energy goes to fuel his brain
In order for the brain to stay running at top-notch, it requires significant amounts of energy. And this is even more true for young children who are still learning, processing, and developing at a fast rate. “Scientists at Northwestern University discovered recently that in the preschool years, when a child’s brain development is faster, physical growth is slower, possibly to save more energy for the developing brain,” explains Dr. Wingeier. “Conversely, during puberty, when physical growth is faster, brain development is slower—which may come as no surprise to parents of teenagers.” Here’s how to tell if you’re raising a genius.
36. The majority of brain cells aren’t neurons
Did you know that for all the neurons in the brain, there are at least as many glial cells that support and protect these neurons? “These microscopic unsung heroes make sure neurons have a constant supply of nutrients and oxygen, insulate neurons from each other, and even help clean up after neural damage,” says Dr. Wingeier. “They even help optimize communication between neurons.”
37. Exercise is just as good for your brain as it is for your body
Professional athletes know how important fueling their brain is to ensure they’re able to put maximum effort and energy into their workouts. ” This is because of the mental stimulation that comes with exercise, but also because a healthy cardiovascular system means better plumbing for the brain,” says Dr. Wingeier. Especially when you try a new fitness class or regimen for the first time, your brain is working hard at learning the motions and controlling your muscles. Try these morning brain boosters to stay sharp all day .
38. You can “see” through your ears
Neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to reorganize and change itself throughout a person’s lifetime, is a truly remarkable thing. One study by the University of Montreal, compared the brain activity of individuals who were born blind and those who had normal vision. They found that the part of the brain that’s normally wired to work with our eyes can instead rewire itself to process sound information instead of visual perception. Pretty cool, right?
39. The visual areas of the brain are in the very back
It might sound counterintuitive, considering your eyes are in the very front of your head, but the part of your brain responsible for vision, the occipital lobe, is located in the very back. “Bang someone on the back of the head and they will see stars, not sounds,” says Henry Soper, MD, clinical psychology faculty member in the School of Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. Similarly, the left side of your brain controls the vision on your right side and vice versa. The same goes for how our brain processes sound—on opposite sides of the head. “Although evolutionary theories have been proposed, the bottom line is we really do not know why,” Dr. Soper says.
40. Brain scans can “light up” when a person is in love
Some may think that being “in love” is only an idea or merely a term people use, but brain scans reveal otherwise. “For people who are romantically in love, functional MRI brain scans can show activity where dopamine, the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter, is present,” says Dr. McQuiston. “Other areas in the brain associated with pleasure and reward can also show greater activity for people who have fallen in love.” On that note: Here are our favorite quotes about falling in love .
41. Your brain activity is as unique as your fingerprints
Research published in the journal, Nature Neuroscience, suggests that a person’s brain activity may be as unique as his or her own fingerprints. To reach their conclusion, scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to create “connectivity profiles,” which allowed researchers to identify the brain activity of more than 100 individuals. “Learning about individual brain connections offered scientists specific insights about an individual’s intelligence or personality,” explains Dr. McQuiston. “This could have implications for how scanning brains might be used in the future to one day help individualize care for each unique person.”
42. Your brain is smaller than your ancestors’
It’s a scary thing to think about, but paleoanthropological research proves that our brains are shrinking. Skeletal evidences from every inhabited continent backs up this theory. Some scientists suggest that this may be related to the fact that the average body size of humans has also shrunk in size over the last 10,000 years. “A larger body requires a larger nervous system, so, as our bodies grew smaller, so did our brains in response,” suggests Donald Krieff, DO, board-certified neurosurgeon.
43. The brain has more cell types than any other tissue in our body
Unlike the liver or certain muscles in our body where most of the cells are the same type, the brain is composed of a variety of complicated, interconnected types of cells, one being neurons, explains Hermona Soreq, professor of molecular neuroscience at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences.
44. When you’re awake, your brain produces enough electricity to power a small light bulb
According to computer scientists at Stanford University, a robot with a processor that is virtually as intelligent as the human brain would require at least 10 megawatts of electricity to operate properly. “Neurons in the brain do make enough electricity to run a light bulb—100 billions cells generate this amount of energy,” explains Brock. And the brain works fast, too—so fast that’s speedier than the world’s greatest computer. “The information going to your brain from your arms and legs travels at 150 miles per hour.”
45. The brain waves of two musicians can synchronize when performing together
There’s a scientific reason why your favorite bands and musicians blend together harmoniously. A team of scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany, used electrodes to record the brain waves of 16 pairs of guitarists as they played the same musical sequence. Even though the two individuals in each pair played different parts, their brain waves synchronized. “This study suggests that there’s a neural blueprint for coordinating actions with others,” explains Brock. “Brain waves, neurochemicals, and some say even heartbeats start to sync and become similar in those singing together or in choirs.”
46. “Brain freeze” is actually your brain recognizing a drop in temperature
It’s true! In an effort to save you from freezing to death, your brain leaps into action when it senses a drop of temperature on your palate. “Your brain quickly increases blood pressure in an effort to tell you to slow down or take it easy,” says Brock. “The scientific term is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia and is a way for your brain to say that it is turning up the brakes on what you are doing to prevent unwanted changes due to temperature.” Here’s a quick trick to alleviate the pain of brain freeze.
47Reading aloud uses different brain circuits than reading silentl
While researchers have long understood that children first learn to read by speaking words out loud and only once that knowledge has been established can they learn to read to themselves. “Environmental noise versus chaotic noise versus noise discrimination all use different channels,” explains Brock. In the same vein, noise in the form of music is processed differently than regular speech, various pitches and frequencies and different harmonies, as well. Find out how to raise a child who loves reading .
48. Your brain is mostly fat
Yep—your thinking cap is the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of a minimum of 60 percent fat. This is why a diet rich in healthy fats, such as omega-3s and omega-6s, is vital for brain and overall body health. “Fat stabilizes the cell walls in the brain and carries, absorbs and stores fat-soluble vitamins in your bloodstream,” explains Brock. “It also reduces inflammation and helps the immune system regulate and function properly.”
49. Brain cells can only survive on oxygen and glucose
These two nutrients are incredibly vital to the functioning and survival of the human brain. It takes the brain anywhere from three to five minutes to suffer irreversible damage when it is starved of oxygen or glucose. As Dr. Omalu explains, the brain controls and drives the heart and lungs and controls our consciousness. This is why most deaths are never instant. “Even if a human being is decapitated, the brain does not suffer irreversible damage and death until several minutes after decapitation.”
50. The brain is not permanently arranged at birth
Nope—those nerve cells in your noggin continue to change based on how often they’re used and stimulated in the first year of life. This is especially true for speech and language. “Some toddlers have to undergo extensive brain resections for medical reasons and these procedures may unfortunately mean removing the primary language center in the brain,” explains Jennifer Bickel, MD, Pediatric Neurologist and Director of Comprehensive Headache Clinic at Children’s Mercy Kansas City. “If adults undergo a similar procedure, they are often unable to communicate through written or verbal language, however, young children’s brain are so adaptable that it will reorganize itself and the ability to use language will be retained.” It’s this ongoing ability of the brain to adapt that is the reason for why young children require regular exposure to language.