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.
We present some curiosities about the brainĀ that help us get an idea of āāhow surprising it can be.
1. 60% of this is fat
As incredible as it may seem, most of the brain is fundamentally fat. Specifically, 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.
2. It does not have pain receptors
The brain is full of nerve fibers, butĀ It is insensitive to pain unless this āsignalā reaches it 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.
3. It can adapt to the disappearance of one of its parts
The brain is a set of organs thatĀ He has a great ability to adapt to injuries, taking into account the importance of the functions he 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 ālearnā to perform many of the tasks that the parts that have died or have been removed previously did.
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 consciousnessĀ 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. 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 toĀ a part of the cerebral cortex called the fusiform gyrus, which is also activated when we see face-like shapes in what is known asĀ pareidolias.
6. 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 meansĀ Over time there are interconnections that are lost, probably due to lack of use, while those that are most useful are preserved.
7. Brain injuries modify our personality
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.
8. The brain is in suspension
The human brain is "floating" in a fluid that surrounds it and carries its interior ventricles: it is theĀ 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.
9. 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, himĀ cerebellumĀ It is known to house a high density of neurons.
10. Brain activation is influenced by light exposure
The human brainĀ It is sensitive to the amount of light to which we are exposed, and uses this type of stimulus to regulate the biological clockĀ which is why at certain times of the day we are more active than at others. Specifically, it secretes greater amounts of a substance calledĀ melatoninĀ when we have been exposed to less light for hours, and this molecule is linked to the desire to sleep.
