13+ Fun Facts About the Nervous System | The Most Interesting Facts About the Human Nervous System
The nervous system is a highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes that impact the body, then works in tandem with the endocrine system to respond to such events.
- There are millions of nerve cells in the human body. This number even exceeds the number of stars in the Milky Way.
- The human brain alone consists of about 100 billion neurons. If all these neurons were to be lined up, it would form a 600-mile-long line.
- In humans, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, while the left side of the brain controls the right side.
- The diameter of the neurons can range between 4 to 100 microns.
- The brain’s structure is constantly changing as we learn. New neuronal connections are made which increases the density of the brain.
- We lose neurons as we age, starting at around 20 years old in humans. 1/10 of our neurons are gone by the time we turn 75.
- In a child developing inside the womb, neurons grow at the rate of 250,000 neurons per minute.
- By the time of its birth, the baby's brain consists of around 10 million nerve cells.
- The longest nerve in the body is the sciatic nerve. It runs from the spinal cord to the toes on each side of the body.
- Neurons can look very differently from each other depending on their function. For example, sensory neurons have dendrites on both sides of their body, rather than on one side.
- Glial cells are support cells for neurons. They can make myelin to surround part of the neuron. They can also get rid of microbes and help supply nutrients to the neurons.
- The human spinal cord consists of around 13,500,000 neurons. The cluster of nerves located at the base of the spinal cord are most sensitive.
- The weight of the brain in average adult males is 1375 grams, while in females it is 1275 grams. - This does not mean men are smarter, just to make that clear :)
- And as we grow older, the brain loses a gram each year.
- At a given point of time, only four percent of the cells in the brain are active, the rest are kept in reserve.
- Neurons are programmed to do different things.
- Your nervous system can be hacked
- The nervous system is very quick, it can transmit impulses at a tremendous speed of 100 meters per second. The speed of message transmissions to the brain can be as high as 180 miles per hour.
- Sodium ions and potassium are necessary constituents to ensure proper functioning of the nervous system. Even Vitamin B is considered to be beneficial for it!
- There are 43 different pairs nerves which connect the central nervous system to every part of our body. Twelve of these nerve pairs are connected to the brain, while the remaining 31 are connected to the spinal cord, which is why it's so important to get your back checked out.
People also ask
What is 1 fun fact about the nervous system?
There are more nerve cells in the human brain than there are stars in the Milky Way. If we lined up all the neurons in our body it would be around 965 km long. There are 100 billion neurons in your brain alone. A newborn baby's brain almost triples in size during the course of its first year
How long is human nervous system?
The central nervous system is connected to every part of the body by 43 pairs of nerves. Twelve pairs go to and from the brain, with 31 pairs going from the spinal cord. There are nearly 45 miles of nerves running through our bodies.
What are the 3 importance of nervous system?
Movement, balance, and coordination. Sleep. Healing and rehabilitation. Stress and the body's responses to stress.
What are the 2 nervous systems?
The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. Nerves everywhere else in the body are part of the peripheral nervous system.
How thick is a nerve?
In the normal nerve, fibres ranging in diameter from 1 to 20μ, were present. These had axons with diameters from 0·5μ in the smallest, to about 15μ in the largest fibres. The 0·5μ axons had myelin sheaths about 0·5μ thick, while the largest axons had sheaths about 2·5μ thick.
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