There are always a lot of unknown (unless you have a special interest) or misinformed information floating around about the brain, the most vital and also the most complex organ of the human body. We only use 10 percent of our brains, some people use the left side of the brain, some people use the right side, intelligent people have larger brains, etc. As someone who has read almost all the books about the brain published, I was surprised when I learned some interesting facts about the subject...
The brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, is made up of around 100 billion cells, and each cell has between 1,000 and 10,000 connections to other cells called synapses.
The brain is made up of 80 percent water, the remaining part consists of fat, sugar, salt and protein (like a recipe😄).
Although it is the control center of all sensory organs, there are no pain receptors in the brain, meaning it does not feel pain.
Although the brain makes up only 2-3% of body weight, it consumes 20% of oxygen and 15-20% of glucose.
An awake brain can produce enough energy to power a 25-watt light bulb.
The brain can produce about 70 thousand thoughts per day, and these thoughts move at different speeds (from 1.6 km to 432 km per hour).
The storage capacity of the human brain is estimated at around 2.5 petabytes, equivalent to the capacity to store millions of books.
Thanks to brain plasticity, as new information is learned, synaptic connections become stronger and the structure of the brain changes.
There is a myth that people only use 10% of their brain. In reality, research using brain imaging techniques (fMRI, PET) has shown that the entire brain is active and different areas work on different tasks. Even when you sleep, the brain remains active.
The right brain controls creative thinking, the left brain controls logical thinking, and people are said to be dominant on one side only, but in fact both hemispheres work together. Functions such as creativity and logic occur through coordination between different parts of the brain.
A larger brain is thought to indicate higher intelligence, yet intelligence is related to the density and effectiveness of synaptic connections rather than the size of the brain.
Humans have only five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell). In reality, humans are equipped with many additional senses, such as balance, temperature perception, pain perception, etc.
Forgetting unnecessary information is healthy for the brain in terms of making room for new information.
Not getting enough oxygen to the brain for 5-10 minutes can cause permanent damage.
The frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as complex problem solving, planning and decision making. This ability is one of the most fundamental characteristics that distinguishes humans from other living things.
Having more gray matter means that a person's language skills are very advanced. Women have more gray matter. If you exercise regularly, you can increase the amount of gray matter in the hippocampus.
The human brain produces a lot of energy. A sleeping brain can power a 25-watt light bulb.
The axons that transmit nerve impulses in the human brain are 160,000 kilometers long, meaning they can circle the world four times.
It takes until the 20s for the prefrontal cortex and limbic system to complete their development. This is why more irrational and risky things are done during adolescence. According to the law, 18-year-olds are considered adults and can vote, but according to science, the human brain matures when a person reaches the age of 25.
Suggestions that will help the brain become active and reduce problems such as aging and dementia:
Change up your daily routine. Try different ways to get somewhere from time to time.
Try to do your activities with the other hand instead of the one you use most of the time.
Get into social environments. Talk to people and discuss various topics. The human brain loves to ‘brainstorm’.
Solve puzzles like crossword, sudoku, kakuro.
Take walks and exercise outdoors.
Comentarios