MARY ASGILLMARY ASGILL

Brain Health

Brain Brain FactsFacts – – Dimensions & Dimensions & SizesSizesAverage 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 Brain FactsFacts - Composition - 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. 750-1000ml 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 Brain FactsFacts - Times - 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, 40-110 seconds.

During early pregnancy the rate of neuron growth is 250,000 neurons a minute.

Other Brain Other Brain FactsFacts 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.

89.06 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 QuestionsCentral QuestionsWhat 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?How Does the Brain Work?

Brain HealthBrain HealthMary Asgill

Why Brain Health?Why Brain Health?My motherMy studentsMyself 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?

TheoriesTheoriesSocial learning theoryConsistency theory