| What part of you is only 1% to 3% of your body's | | | | smaller than average. There is a general correlation |
| mass, yet uses 20% of all the oxygen you breathe? | | | | between body size and the size of our brains. |
| Your brain! Here are ten more brain facts. | | | | - An elephant's brain is huge - about six times as |
| - Your brain needs a continuous supply of oxygen. A | | | | large as a human brain. However, in relation to body |
| 10 minute loss of oxygen will usually cause significant | | | | size, humans have the largest brain of all the animals, |
| neural damage. Cold can lengthen this time, which is | | | | averaging about 2% of body weight. A cat's brain? It |
| why cold-water drowning victims have been revived | | | | weighs about one ounce, a little over 1% of body |
| after as nuch as 40 minutes - without brain damage. | | | | weight. |
| - Your brain uses a fifth of all your blood. It needs it | | | | - There are about 100,000 miles of blood vessels in |
| to keep up with the heavy metabolic demands of its | | | | the brain. If they were stretched out (there's a nice |
| neurons. It needs not only the glucose that is | | | | thought!) they would circle the earth more than four |
| delivered, but of course, the oxygen. | | | | times. |
| - Your brain feels no pain. There are no nerves that | | | | - If you have an average sized brain, you have about |
| register pain within the brain itself. Because of this, | | | | 100 billion neurons up there. You'll be happy about |
| neurosurgeons can probe the brain while a patient is | | | | that after reading the next item. |
| conscious (what fun!). By doing this, they can use | | | | - Approximately 85,000 neocortical neurons are lost |
| feedback from the patient to identify important | | | | each day in your brain. Fortunately, his goes |
| regions, such as those used for speech, or | | | | unnoticed due to the built-in redundancies and the |
| visualization. | | | | fact that even after three years this loss adds up to |
| - The cerebellum is sometimes called the "little brain," | | | | less than 1% of the total. Oh, and look at the next |
| and weighs about 150 grams (a little over five | | | | item. |
| ounces). Found at the lower back side of your brain, | | | | - Recent research proves that your brain continues |
| you need your cerebellum to maintain posture, to | | | | to produce new neurons throughout your life. It also |
| walk, and to perform any coordinated movements. It | | | | proves that it does so in response to stimulation (do |
| may also play a role in your sense of smell. | | | | those brainpower exercises). Scientists refer to this |
| - The human brain weighs an average of a little over | | | | as brain plasticity or neuro-plasticity. You may find this |
| three pounds, or 1.4 kilograms. Albert Einstein's brain | | | | one the most encouraging of these brain facts. |
| may have been smaller than yours, because he was | | | | |