MARY ASGILL Brain Health

Brain Facts – Dimensions & Sizes Average dimensions of the adult brain: ◦ Width = 5.5 in, Length = 6.5 in, Height = 3.6 in. Weight: ◦ At birth our brains weigh and average of 4/5 lbs. ◦ As adults the brain averages about 3 lbs. If Stretched out the cerebral cortex would be (2.5sq.ft), the area of a night table.

Brain Facts - Composition The brain is = 77-78% water, 10-12% lipids, 8% protein, 1% carbs, 2% soluble organics, 1% inorganic salt. The cerebellum contains half of all the neurons in the brain but comprises only 10% of the brain. The cerebral cortex is about 85% of the brain. There are about 100 billion neurons in the human brain, the same number of stars in our galaxy. The left hemisphere of the brain has 186 million more neurons than the right hemisphere ml of blood flow through the brain every minute or about 3 full soda cans. In that minute the brain will consume 1/5 cups of oxygen from that blood. Of that oxygen consumed, 6% will be used by the brain's white matter (body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure) and 94% by the grey matter (regions of the brain that involve muscle control, sensory perceptions, emotions, and speech).

Brain Facts - Times The brain can stay alive for 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen. After that cells begin die. The slowest speed at which information travels between neurons is 260 mph, that’s as "slow" as today’s supercar's top speed (the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron clocked at 253 mph). 10 seconds is the amount of time until unconsciousness after the loss of blood supply to the brain. Time until reflex loss after loss of blood supply to the brain, seconds. During early pregnancy the rate of neuron growth is 250,000 neurons a minute.

Other Brain Facts Results from cognitive tests show 30% of 80-year-olds perform as well as young adults. Your brain is about 2% of your total body weight but uses 20% of your body's energy. The energy used by the brain is enough to light a 25 watt bulb. More electrical impulses are generated in one day by a single human brain than by all the telephones in the world. It is estimated that the human brain produces 70,000 thoughts on an average day. After age 30, the brain shrinks a quarter of a percent (0.25%) in mass each year. Albert Einstein’s brain weighed 2.71 lbs., significantly less than the human average of 3 lbs is the percentage of people who report normally writing with their right hand, 10.6% with their left and 0.34% with either hand.

Central Questions What are the functions of the brain? What constitutes a healthy brain? What is an unhealthy brain? Why should we care about the health of the brain as opposed to any other part of the body? How can we keep the brain healthy?

How Does the Brain Work?

Brain Health Mary Asgill

Why Brain Health? My mother My students Myself My children

The task: Add some dark chocolate to your diet. The reason: When you eat chocolate you activate the systems in your brain that pump dopamine, an important brain chemical. These systems enable learning and memory, and help keep your brain sharp and fit. Tip #1

Your brain, your spinal cord, and all of your nerves make up your “nervous system.” Everything your body does is controlled by this system of electrical and chemical connections. Somehow, your brain can remember what you wore on your first day of school. Your brain can remember people’s faces and names. brains are divided into sections or areas that handle different tasks. The cerebellum controls movement. The cerebrum stores memories. The medulla oblongata takes care of your basic functions like your heart’s pumping and your lungs’ breathing. we can grow new brain cells throughout our lives. What do we do with them? Big Ideas: The brain, spinal cord, and nervous system control the entire body. The brain understands, sorts, and stores information. Did You Know That? The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body? The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body? Your brain has at least 20 billion, maybe even 200 billion neurons?

Theories Social learning theory Consistency theory