The brain might make up for only 3 per cent of our body’s total mass, but it is the most powerful human organ that holds astonishing secrets about our existence. Everything we do from walking to talking, breathing to thinking and even dreaming at night requires brain power – no wonder an average human brain contains over 85 billion neurons that are working day and night, even when you’re fast asleep. But there are so many interesting facts about the brain that we weren’t taught in our high school science class. Here are a few that’ll blow your mind:
The Brain is Incapable of Feeling Pain
Brain surgeons are able to operate on patients while they are still awake. Ever wondered how? This is because the brain itself isn’t able to feel any pain, it’s only the outer layers and blood vessels surrounding the organ that have the pain receptors. So the next time you have a headache, you’ll know that it isn’t your actual brain that is in hurting, Instead, the pain is stemming from the muscles surrounding the organ and your spine.
Your Brain Requires More Energy Than You Think
The brain might be one of the smallest organs in our body, but it is extremely greedy when it comes to its energy requirement. Typically, your brain will use up 30 per cent of the oxygen supplied through the bloodstream which shows how much it has to work in order to support the numerous biological processes taking place in our body at any given time.
You can think of the brain as a selfish, spoiled child who has a lot of demands but is also very smart and useful. The brain is the fastest organ in our body which takes less 1/10,000th of a second to send and receive information, no wonder it requires so much energy and attention.
You Don’t Use Just 10% Of Your Brain
It’s a common misconception, inspired by the movie Limitless starring Bradley Cooper, that humans only use 10 per cent of their brains during their day-to-day lives. This is actually far from the truth.
According to neuroscientist and engineer, Brett Wingeier, our brain is very adaptable so even when you hit your head somewhere or suffer an injury, it will only create minor consequences. But the fact of the matter is that we use almost all of our brain most of the time for moving, thinking, memorizing, learning and even dreaming. You use more than 10 per cent of your brain even when you’re fast asleep!
Exercise Helps Your Brain as Much as Your Body
What if we told you that going to the gym could make you smarter? Studies have proven that frequent cardiovascular activity is not just a physical exercise but also a mental one. After all, your brain is just another muscle that needs exercise and good nutrition to grow and become stronger.
Professional athletes are aware of the importance of mental stimulation for enhanced physical performance which is why they put more effort into their exercise routine. When you’re trying a new workout or a fitness class, your brain has put in more effort to balance your body and learn the movements, which is beneficial in boosting its working capacity.
Your Ears are Your Eyes… Kind of
Your brain is a truly amazing thing because it has the flexibility to change with time and adapt to any circumstances (this ability is also known as neuroplasticity). For example, people who are blind have heightened sense of smell or hearing because their brain actually takes the neural network that is meant to work with their vision and connects it with the ears instead to enhance the person’s hearing ability. This way, blind people are actually able to see with their ears! How cool is that?
Your Brain Lights Up When You’re in Love
This one is for the people who don’t think that love exists because neuroscience actually disagrees! According to research, our brain scans can light up in the area where levels of dopamine – a feel-good hormone – are higher if a person is in love.