15 Curiosities About The Brain (that You Should Know)
The brain is the set of organs that is the basis of thoughts and emotions; Without it, the human mind simply would not exist.
Of course, despite the fact that everything we consciously experience is experienced firsthand thanks to the brain, we know very little about this structure of the human body. Its complexity and the speed with which it does its job make it almost impossible to know in detail what is happening in it at all times. That’s partly why it’s one of the most mysterious anatomical structures.
In this article we will see several curiosities about the brain that help us get an idea of how surprising this point of union between psychology and biology can be.
These are some of the reasons why neuroscience is a fascinating area of study.
1. There is a part of the brain dedicated to recognizing faces
Instant face recognition is one of the most defining characteristics of human beings, and facilitates social relationships in a species as gregarious as ours. It is a skill that we enjoy thanks to a part of the cerebral cortex called the fusiform gyrus which is also activated when we see face-like shapes in what is known as pareidolias.
2. The brain could be the union of two nervous systems
There is a theory according to which the central nervous system is the product of the union of two nervous systems that developed separately over millions of years of biological evolution: one dedicated to capturing stimuli from the environment, and the other dedicated to moving parts of the organism. For example, it has been seen that in mollusks such as octopuses there are only a few link points between the brain and the neurons that activate the tentacles.
3. 60% of this is fat
As incredible as it may seem, most of the brain is fundamentally fat. Specific, Most of the fat is accumulated in what is known as myelin sheaths which cover a part of the neurons known as the axon so that the electrical impulse that these cells transmit goes faster.
4. It never stops working
The brain literally never stops being activated. It does not stop being on even when we sleep or when we lose consciousness due to a blow or illness. One of the curiosities of the brain is that its work rate adapts to the needs of the moment, but the only time it stops doing so is when you die.
5. It does not have pain receptors
The brain is full of nerve fibers, but is insensitive to pain unless this “signal” comes from other parts of the body This makes it possible, following certain procedures, to expose it during operations while the person is conscious; In these cases, it is possible to cut some parts of the cerebral cortex, and the patient does not have to notice anything.
6. The number of neurons in the brain is incredible
There are about 80 billion neurons in the brain. In addition, different parts of it have a higher concentration of these. For example, the cerebellum is known to house a high density of neurons.
7. It can adapt to the disappearance of one of its parts
The brain is a set of organs that has a great ability to adapt to injuries, taking into account the importance of the functions it performs. This means that in some cases certain people have lost practically half of their brain, and despite that they have survived. When something like this happens, the parts that remain healthy “learn” to perform many of the tasks that the parts that have died or have been removed previously did.
8. The most numerous nerve cells are not neurons
There are two fundamental types of nerve cells: neurons and glial cells The latter are much more numerous than the former, making up 85% of the brain.
9. We lose neural connections
When we are born, each of our neurons is, on average, more connected to its peers than when we are adults. That means Over time there are interconnections that are lost probably due to lack of use, preserving those that are most useful.
10. Every memory has two copies
Recent research has shown that, when memorizing something, this information is stored in two different places at the same time: the prefrontal cortex and a part of the brain known as the subiculum, below the hippocampus. In the first moments, the memory used is the one that is stored in the subiculum, but Over time this “copy” disappears and the one from the prefrontal cortex is used which addresses long-term memory.
It has been proven that certain injuries to the brain cause you to go from having one type of personality to having another. For example, damage to some parts of the frontal lobe leads to disinhibition and aggressiveness.
12. The brain is in suspension
The human brain is “floating” in a fluid that surrounds it and carries its interior ventricles: this is the cerebrospinal fluid. This substance gives the brain extra protection against impacts, so that as much as possible it does not bounce against the hard parts inside the skull.
13. The vital areas for survival are in its depths
Biological evolution has made the brain structures that are most important for the survival of the individual become “buried” in others of lesser importance Thus, an injury to the thalamus is usually fatal, while one to the superficial part of the frontal lobe is less so.
14. The folds of the brain allow it to house more gray matter
The gray matter of the brain is the accumulation of neuronal somata, that is, the bodies of neurons, where their nucleus is located. On the other hand, the white matter is composed mainly of axons and myelin sheaths, the tube-shaped or extension-shaped structures of neurons.
Well then; If there are such characteristic folds on the outer face of the brain, it is because in this way a greater surface area is given to the layer of gray matter that covers the brain, while the white matter is below these, in the deepest area.
15. Brain activation is influenced by light exposure
The human brain It is sensitive to the amount of light to which we are exposed, and uses this type of stimulus to regulate the biological clock which is why at certain times of the day we are more active than at others. Specifically, it secretes greater amounts of a substance called melatonin when we have been exposed to less light for hours, and this molecule is linked to the desire to sleep.
