The human brain is the center of the human nervous system. Below are some of the interesting facts about human brain.
Size and Aspects
- Average dimensions of the adult brain: Width = 140 mm/5.5 in, Length = 167 mm/6.5 in, Height = 93 mm/3.6 in.
- How much does human brain weigh? At birth our brains weigh and average of 350-400g (about 4/5 lbs), as adults the brain averages 1300-1400g (about 3 lbs).
- If stretched out the cerebral cortex would be 0.23 sq. m (2.5sq.ft), the area of a night table.
- Total surface area of the cerebral cortex is 2,500 cm2 or 2.69 sq.ft.
Proportion
- The composition of the brain = 77-78% water, 10-12% lipids, 8% protein, 1% carbs, 2% soluble organics, 1% inorganic salt.
- The breakdown of interracial contents by volume (1,700 ml, 100%): brain = 1,400 ml (80%); blood = 150 ml (10%); cerebrospinal fluid = 150 ml (10%).
- The cerebellum contains half of all the neurons in the brain but comprises only 10% of the brain.
- The cerebral cortex is about 85% of the brain.
- Percentage of total cerebral cortex volume = frontal lobe 41%, temporal lobe 22%, parietal lobe 19%, occipital lobe 18%.
- There are about 100 billion neurons in the human brain, the same number of stars in our galaxy.
- The left hemisphere of the brain has 186 million more neurons than the right hemisphere.
- 750-1000ml of blood flow through the brain every minute or about 3 full soda cans.
- In that minute the brain will consume 46cm3 (1/5 cups) of oxygen from that blood.
- Of that oxygen consumed, 6% will be used by the brain’s white matter and 94% by the grey matter.
Time sticking
- The brain can stay alive for 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen. After that cells begin die.
- The slowest speed at which information travels between neurons is 416 km/h or 260 mph, thats as “slow” as todays supercar’s top speed (the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron clocked at 253 mph).
- 10 seconds is the amount of time until unconsciousness after the loss of blood supply to the brain.
- Time until reflex loss after loss of blood supply to the brain, 40-110 seconds.
- During early pregnancy the rate of neuron growth is 250,000 neurons a minute.
Funny facts
- Results from cognitive tests show 30% of 80-year-olds perform as well as young adults.
- Your brain is about 2% of your total body weight but uses 20% of your body’s energy.
- The energy used by the brain is enough to light a 25 watt bulb.
- More electrical impulses are generated in one day by a single human brain than by all the telephones in the world.
- How much does human brain think? 70,000 is the number of thoughts that it is estimated the human brain produces on an average day.
- After age 30, the brain shrinks a quarter of a percent (0.25%) in mass each year.
- Albert Einsteins brain weighed 1,230 grams (2.71 lbs), significantly less then the human average of 1,300g to 1,400g (3 lbs).
- Each year Americans consume 50 billion aspirin tablets or 15.5 million tons.
- 89.06 is the percentage of people who report normally writing with their right hand, 10.6% with their left and 0.34% with either hand.