Ten Amazing and Interesting Facts About The Brain

The brain, which means “cerebrum” in Latin and “enkephalins” in ancient Greek, is one of our most important organs, the centre of our nervous system. With the exception of some reptiles, all vertebrates and most invertebrates have a brain. Physiologically, the brain’s task is to centrally control other organs. Managing the secretion of hormones and controlling muscle movements are among the most important tasks.

There is a connection between the brain and the mind. If we think mechanically, the brain is computer hardware, while the mind is computer software. Without further ado, we can move on to 10 pieces of information about the brain that may be of interest to you…

Oxygen

After 10 minutes without oxygen, brain death occurs. Brain death means there is no brain activity. A person needs life support measures like a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe and stay alive.

Development

Your brain changes a lot between birth and adolescence. It grows in overall size, modifies the number of cells contained within, and transforms the degree of connectivity. The changes don’t stop once you turn 18. In fact, scientists now think your brain continues maturing and fine-tuning itself well into your 20s.

Oxygen and Blood

The brain uses 20% of the total amount of oxygen and blood in the body.

Bulb

While the human brain is awake, it produces enough electrical energy to light a small light bulb.

Asker

The brains of children exposed to domestic violence and the brains of soldiers who have been subjected to war are almost the same.

Taste

Do you think your brain covers taste? You would be wrong because there are taste receptors in the human body; stomach, intestines, pancreas, lungs, anus, testicles and brain.

Einstein’s Brain

So special that when he died in Princeton Hospital, on April 18, 1955, the pathologist on call, Thomas Harvey, stole it. Einstein didn’t want his brain or body to be studied; he didn’t want to be worshipped.

Diet

Dieting can cause brain cells to eat themselves, a new study has found. In a paper published by the journal Cell Metabolism, US researchers report that tests on mice revealed that hunger triggers a process called autophagy in the hypothalamus.

Consistency

The brain has the consistency of tofu! “Tofu — the soft variety, if you know tofu — may be a more accurate comparison.” If you aren’t charmed by that description, consider this: About 80 percent of the contents of your cranium is brain, while equal amounts of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, the clear liquid that buffers neural tissue, make up the rest.

Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate Improves Memory, Reduces Stress. Researchers say eating dark chocolate can change your brain wave frequency, providing benefits in memory improvement and stress reduction. It’s well-known to most people with a sweet tooth that dark chocolate can be a healthier indulgence. If you thought that was interesting do check out these ten other facts about chocolate on this site.