A fully grown brain has an average weight of around 1.5 kilograms (or 3.3 lbs.)
Yet despite its relatively low weight, research estimates that it contains roughly 1 billion neurons — what we might call brain cells — and 100 to 1,000 trillion synapses — the tiny spaces between our brain cells which zip information around!
Your brain is at the centre of so many functions that we associate with being human. Thinking, emotions, senses, and so much more may start their journey at nerve endings or other receptors, but you experience them most fully when they reach your brain.
Pretty crazy, considering that your brain consists of nearly 60% fat!
In the first year of life, the average human brain will triple in size, allowing infants and toddlers to adapt to the world around them while learning new skills.
It doesn’t fully form until around the age of 25! That’s a whole lot of growing to do.
As you get older, your brain will actually start to shrink. While ages aren’t exact, brains tend to get smaller after the age of 40 or so. But don’t worry, there’s no evidence that smaller brains are any less effective than larger ones.
Your brain can use as much as 20% of your body’s total oxygen, so a healthier body means a healthier brain! Just remember to protect your brain when doing things like riding a bike or skateboarding.
Your brain serves as the core of much of your human abilities, and it’s made up of many highly specialized areas that focus on doing a few things well.
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