Explore Your Weird, Incredible Brain

We are what we think ourselves to be. We can encourage ourselves to think and be what we want. In fact, we use a very small portion of our undaunted brain. Although a human brain weighs not more than 3 pounds (1.36 kg), it is amazing to know that it contains more than a trillion cells. And these set of cells functions like a super computer: process facts and figures, stores in it millions of undamaged memory, controls our movements, imagine and assume things and activities beyond comparison.

Here are some amazing facts about our weird, incredible brain:

The human brain is divided into two hemispheres of which the left one contains almost 200 million more neurons than the right hemisphere.

The neurons are too small, yet for scientists they can still measure activity of each single neuron simply by inserting microelectrodes into the brain, 'single-unit recording' to refine epilepsy diagnoses.

The issue of sex difference is controversial in human brain, but according to an article in Journal of Neuroscience, gray matters are found in pretty good numbers in women than men. However, according to researchers, with regular exercise, the gray matter can be increased.

Fat is risky for heart but for brain, it is beneficial and more than half of the brain including myelin is made of fat.

Human brain is a powerhouse of energy and even a sleeping brain has got the potential to light a 25-watt bulb.

Glial cells exceeds the number of neurons in the brain. They are 10-times more in number than the neurons. Though they basically held neurons together but certain types, like astrocytes play a significant role in the complex thought process.

Forty years after the death of Albert Einstein, researchers at National Institute of Health found that his brain contains unusually high number of astrocytes. His brain also contained an extra-thick corpus callosum.

However, the brain of this legendary genius proved that size doesn't matter. It weighed only 2.71 pounds, which is comparatively smaller than the usual.

Pain receptors do not exists in human brain for which surgeons can operate the cerebral  cortex of a fully conscious patient. Infact, people can survive even on a half brain. 

By: Subrata Dey

Content: https://mic.com/articles/103518/43-facts-about-your-brain-that-will-blow-your-mind#.LyFeA7Svl