6 Curiosities Of The Human Brain That You Probably Don’t Know
Rivers of ink have been written to this day on the most important organ of the human body: the brain. And, despite this, its operation and the potential it may have remains a mystery to science. In this article we share some curiosities of the human brain that you surely do not know.
As the years go by, scientific research on this fascinating organ advances and sheds light on all its enigmas. Here are some of those curiosities that will not leave you indifferent.
6 curiosities of the human brain that surely you do not know
1. The curiosity of curiosity
Are you a curious person? It is likely so and that is why you are reading this article about the curiosities of the brain. But you should know that I have led him here has an explanation.
When something catches our attention, it can be said that brain chemistry changes. In this way, it prepares us to retain more information and increases our learning capacity thanks to dopamine. That is why it is always easier for us to learn about what interests us, according to a research published in 2014 in the journal Cell .
2. Curiosities of the brain: The brain can survive 5 minutes without oxygen
The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to function. However, have you ever wondered how long you can go without oxygen (brain hypoxia)?
Some of the brain cells would begin to die less than 5 minutes after the oxygen supply was cut off, according to MedlinePlus. This can happen, for example, in case of inhaling smoke in a fire, by suffocation or at high altitudes, among other causes.
3. The size of the brain
Generally speaking, a man’s brain is about 10% larger than a woman’s. Even taking into account that the body size is larger.
However, there is a part of this organ that is larger in women: the hippocampus. This is related to memory. This is confirmed by studies such as the one published in 2014 by the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews .
Another curious fact regarding brain size is that it was Neanderthals who had the largest brain size that we know of. This is confirmed by a research published in 2012 in the journal Evolutionary Biology .
4. Curiosities of the brain and GPS
Did you know that using the GPS or navigator to locate or reach your destination instead of your own sense of location hurts you? This device deteriorates this brain capacity that we had been developing since ancient times.
This is confirmed by research published in 2017 by the journal Nature . Using MRI, the team of researchers who carried out this study were able to observe changes in some parts of the brain related to orientation.
This innate ability is based on certain neural connections. By not using this involved part of the brain regularly, we stop needing it and, therefore, having it. And this can happen with other capabilities that, today, are being replaced by different technological applications.
5. The best age of the brain
The brain begins to slow down at the age of 24. Does it surprise and worry you? You should also know that different cognitive abilities have different ages as their peak.
This is confirmed by research published in the journal PLOS ONE in 2014. The authors carried out a study to determine cognitive performance during adolescence and adulthood in a sample of video game players.
Thus, they were able to observe that, from the age of 24, there was a decrease in the response time of the study participants.
6. The brain, that mysterious organ
Finally, the brain will always be the object of study. It is likely that we will never be able to understand all the mysteries that surround it, since each person shows their particularities and many factors influence.
What we do know, because they are objective data, is that the brain weighs more or less 2% of the total weight of our body, but that it uses a fifth of its energy and oxygen consumption.
In addition, it has three quarters of water. Only with 2% dehydration we could already suffer cognitive difficulties. Therefore, we must not forget to drink enough water throughout the day, especially outside of meals. And, above all, if we sweat a lot.
