Human brain serves as the nerve system’s command center. It takes in information from the body’s sensory organs and sends it to the muscles. The human brain shares the same basic structure as other mammal brains, although it is significantly larger in proportion to body size than the brains of many other mammals, including dolphins, whales, and elephants.
What is the Weight of the human Brain?
According to a 2012 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the human brain includes roughly 86 billion nerve cells (neurons), often known as “gray matter.” Non-neuronal cells, such as oligodendrocytes, insulate neuronal axons with a myelin sheath, make up nearly the same percentage of the brain. Because axons (thin strands via which electrical impulses are passed between neurons) have a white appearance?
The human brain weighs roughly 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) and accounts for about 2% of a person’s total body weight. According to Northwestern Medicine in Illinois, male brains are around 10% larger than female brains on average. The typical male brain is about 78 cubic inches (1,274 cubic centimeters) in volume, while the average female brain is 69 cubic inches in volume (1,131 cubic cm). The cerebrum, or primary section of the brain, is positioned in the front area of the skull and accounts for 85 percent of the weight of the brain.
The Human’s Brain Anatomy
According to the Mayfield Clinic, the cerebrum is the greatest component of the human brain and is divided into two hemispheres. The frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes make up each hemisphere. The cortex is the rippling surface of the cerebrum. The brainstem is beneath the cerebrum, and the cerebellum is behind it.
The frontal lobe is involved in cognitive tasks such as thinking and planning ahead, as well as voluntary movement control. Memories and emotions are stored in the temporal lobe. The parietal lobe is vital for spatial orientation and navigation because it combines data from other senses. The occipital lobe, located near the rear of the skull, is where visual processing takes place.
The medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain make up the brainstem, which links to the spinal cord. The brainstem’s main duties are to transport information between the brain and the body, to supply most of the cranial nerves to the face and head, and to govern the heart, respiration, and levels of consciousness (it’s involved in controlling wake and sleep cycles).
The thalamus and hypothalamus are located between the cerebrum and the brainstem. Sensory and motor impulses are sent to the cortex by the thalamus. According to the online textbook “Neuroanatomy, Thalamus,” every sensory system sends information to the cortex through the thalamus except olfaction (sense of smell). Through the hypothalamus, the neurological system communicates with the endocrine system, which produces hormones through the pituitary gland.
The cerebellum is located beneath the cerebrum and is responsible for motor control. It aids in coordination and balance, as well as possibly having certain cognitive functions.
There are four linked compartments in the brain called ventricles that create cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This fluid surrounds the brain and spinal cord, protecting it from harm, before being absorbed into the bloodstream. CSF cushions the central nervous system while also removing waste from the brain, waste products from the interstitial fluid surrounding brain cells flow into the CSF and away from the brain through the glymphatic system. According to studies, this waste clearance mechanism occurs primarily during sleep.
Is Intelligence Linked to Brain Size?
For non-human animals, overall brain size has little correlation with intellect. The brain of a sperm whale, for example, is more than five times heavier than that of a person, although humans are thought to be more intelligent than sperm whales. The ratio of the size of the brain to the size of the body is a more realistic indication of an animal’s expected intellect, yet even that does not place humans first: According to BrainFacts.org, a website run by the Society for Neuroscience, the tree shrew has the highest brain-to-body ratio of any mammal.
The size of a person’s brain does not predict their level of intelligence in humans. According to Christof Koch, a neurologist and president of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, some geniuses in their area have smaller-than-average brains, while others have larger-than-average brains. Compare the minds of two well-known authors, for example. The brain of Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev measured 71 ounces (2,021 grams), while French writer Anatole France’s brain weighed only 36 ounces (1,017 g).
Neurons and folds are part of the cause for humans’ intellect. According to Dr. Eric Holland, a neurosurgeon and cancer biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington, humans have more neurons per unit volume than other animals, and the only way to fit them all within the brain’s layered structure is to make folds in the outer layer, or cortex.
Holland told Live Science that the more intricate a brain becomes, the more gyri and sulci, or wiggly hills and valleys, it has. Other intelligent species with folds in their cortex include primates and dolphins, whereas mice have smooth brains, he noted.
When it comes to intelligence, the way the brain is integrated appears to be important. Albert Einstein was a genius among geniuses, with an average-sized brain. Researchers believe his mind-boggling cognitive talents derived from his brain’s strong connectedness, with multiple pathways connecting distant parts of his brain.
According to Holland, humans have the largest frontal lobes of any animal. The frontal lobes are linked to higher-level abilities like self-control, planning, logic, and abstract thought, which he describes as “the things that make us distinctively human.”
Is there a Difference between the Left and Right Brain?
The left and right hemispheres of the human brain are joined by a bundle of nerve fibers known as the corpus callosum. The hemispheres are symmetrical in general, but not totally. The right brain controls the muscles on the right side of the body, while the left brain controls the muscles on the left. As with left- or right-handedness, one hemisphere may be slightly dominant.
The prevalent conceptions of “left brain” and “right brain” attributes are broad generalizations that lack proof. There are, however, some significant distinctions between these locations. According to Holland, the left brain comprises regions involved in language creation and comprehension (named Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, respectively), as well as mathematical computation and fact retrieval.
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