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Facts
noun/ fakt/
facts, plural
1. A thing that is indisputably the case
- she lacks political experience—a fact that becomes clear when she appears in public
- a body of fact
2. Used in discussing the significance of something that is the case
- the real problem facing them is the fact that their funds are being cut
3. A piece of information used as evidence or as part of a report or news article
4. The truth about events as opposed to interpretation
- there was a question of fact as to whether they had received the letter
So you’ve arrived at the Fact Zone – there must be things facts about the brain you want to know, so if you don’t find the facts you are looking for here, use the contact form to let us know what you want to know. But here’s some to keep you going...
Interesting Facts About the Brain
What is the Brain?
Looking After Your Brain
What Does the Brain Do?
Interesting Facts About the Brain
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Do you know that your brain has around 100 billion nerve cells?
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It also has 1,000 billion other cells, which cover the nerve cells and the parts of the nerve cells which form the links between one cell and another, feed them and keep them healthy.
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Your brain keeps on growing until you are about 20 years old. By then the brain has made lots of links which it no longer needs so it is able to shed any unwanted connections and still have billions of brain cells left to cope with whatever you may want to do. You can still make new connections even when you are 100 years old, so get Grandma going on the computer - she may not learn as fast as you but she can do it!
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The front of the human brain is larger than any other animal's, even the dinosaur's!
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The left side of your brain is usually better at problem solving, maths and writing.
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The right side of the brain is creative and helps you to be good at art or music.
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The brain stores all sorts of things in the memory including facts and figures and all the smells, tastes and things you have seen, heard or touched.
What is the Brain?
The brain is the control centre for your body and it sits in your skull at the top of your spinal cord. The brain has three main parts:
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The cerebellum which is divided in two parts -the left and right hemispheres
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The brain stem, that controls a lot of ‘automatic’ actions of your body such as breathing and heartbeat and links the brain to the rest of your body through the spinal cord
Your brain is wrapped in 3 layers of tissues and floats in a special shock-proof fluid to stop it from getting bumped on the inside of your skull as you move around.
Looking After Your Brain
Although your brain is protected inside your skull it can still get damaged if your head hits or bumps something hard.
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Always wear a helmet if you are riding a bike, scooter or skateboard
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Always wear a helmet when you are horseriding
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Always wear a seatbelt when travelling in a car or any other motor vehicle
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Never dive into water unless you know how deep it is
Apart from making sure you don’t injure your brain, you also need to look after your brain by:
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Eating healthy food like fish and fresh fruit and vegetables
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Exercising your brain by learning new things and doing crossword puzzles, brushing your teeth or hair with the other hand – right if you’re left handed and left if you’re right handed
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Drinking plenty of water to hydrate your brain
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Getting plenty of sleep
What Does the Brain Do?
Your brain is more powerful and complex and clever that any computer ever built. It constantly deals with hundreds of messages from the outside world and from your body at the same time as telling your body what to do. It gets messages from all your senses:
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Seeing
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Hearing
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Tasting
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Smelling
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Touching
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Moving
The messages travel from nerve cells all over your body to your brain.
Cranial nerves carry messages to and from ears, eyes, nose, throat, tongue and skin on your face and scalp.
The spinal cord carries messages to and from the arms, legs and trunk of the body.
Sensory nerves collect the information and send it to
the brain along one network then motor nerves take
the brain orders back along another network
(like cars travelling along their own side the road).
