The Brain

 Nerve Impulses

Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Ever wonder how you can react so fast to things around you or why that stubbed toe hurts right away? Its due to the super-speedy movement of nerve impulses from your brain to the rest of your body and vice versa, bringing reactions at the speed of a high powered luxury sports car.

The Brain OperatesThe

 brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb. The cartoon image of a light bulb over your head when a great thought occurs isnt too far off the mark. Your brain generates as much energy as a small light bulb even when youre sleeping.

The Human Brain CellThe

 human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclo- pedia Britannica. Or any other encyclo- pedia for that matter. Scientists have yet to settle on a definitive amount, but the storage capacity of the brain in electronic terms is thought to be between 3 or even 1,000 terabytes. The National Archives of Britain, containing over 900 years of history, only takes up 70 terabytes, making your brains memory power pretty darn impressive.

Your Brain Uses

The brain uses 20 percent of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream.The brain only makes up about 2% of our body mass, yet consumes more oxygen than any other organ in the body, making it extremely susceptible to damage related to oxygen deprivation. So breathe deep to keep your brain happy and swimming in oxygenated cells.

The Brain Is Much More Active

The brain is much more active at night than during the day. Logically, you would think that all the moving around, complicated calculations and tasks and general interaction we do on a daily basis during our working hours would take a lot more brain power than, say, lying in bed. Turns out, the opposite is true. When you turn off your brain turns on. Scientists dont yet know why this is but you can thank the hard work of your brain while you sleep for all those pleasant dreams.

Scientists Say

Scientists say the higher your I.Q. the more you dream. While this may be true, dont take it as a sign youre mentally lacking if you cant recall your dreams. Most of us dont remember many of our dreams and the average length of most dreams is only 2-3 seconds-barely long enough to register.

Neurons Continue To Grow 

Neuronscontinue to grow throughout human life. For years scientists and doctors thought that brain and neural tissue couldnt grow or regenerate. While it doesnt act in the same manner as tissues in many other parts of the body, neurons can and do grow throughout your life, adding a whole new dimension to the study of the brain and the illnesses that affect it.

Information Travels

Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons. Not all neurons are the same. There are a few different types within the body and transmission along these different kinds can be as slow as 0.5 meters/sec or as fast as 120 meters/sec.

Brain Itself Cannot Feel Pain

The brain itself cannot feel pain. While the brain might be the pain center when you cut your finger or burn yourself, the brain itself does not have pain receptors and cannot feel pain. That doesnt mean your head cant hurt. The brain is surrounded by loads of tissues, nerves and blood vessels that are plenty receptive to pain and can give you a pounding headache.

80% Of The Brain

80% of the brain is water. Your brain isnt the firm, gray mass youve seen on TV. Living brain tissue is a squishy, pink and jelly-like organ thanks to the loads of blood and high water content of the tissue. So the next time youre feeling dehydrated get a drink to keep your brain hydrated.