The 9 Mysteries of the Brain!

Our brain, which the scientific world has spent years trying to unlock its secrets and continues to discover new properties of every day, remains the most mysterious and complex organ in our body, still full of unknowns. Prof. Dr. Geysu Karlıkaya explained 9 mysteries of the brain within the scope of Brain Awareness Week, 11-17 March, and provided important warnings and recommendations.

It Accounts for Only 2 Percent of Body Weight

The brain, which accounts for only 2 percent of body weight and weighs approximately 1,300-1,400 grams, is 69-85 percent water. Despite the space our brain occupies in our body, it consumes 20 percent of all our energy. However, there appears to be no direct correlation between brain size and intelligence. (Albert Einstein's brain weighed 1,230 grams). The human brain contains approximately 86 billion nerve cells and hundreds of trillions of connections between these cells. The density of these cells, their connections, and the number of brain folds are more important. The more folds there are, the better.

Brain Development Begins in the Womb

The period when our brain develops most rapidly is infancy! During pregnancy, depression and excessive stress in the mother negatively affect the baby's brain functions, while proper nutrition and meditation have positive effects. The brain's main connections are ready at birth, and after the development of nerve sheaths in the first 1-2 years, functions such as walking and speaking occur. Brain capacity peaks in the 20s, and from age 25 onwards, some parts of the brain begin to shrink; however, the brain continues to change throughout life, with new cells being added.

Shows Differences According to Gender

This difference begins before birth and remains true through old age. The female brain and male brain are different from each other. The brain weight in males is approximately 100 grams heavier than in females. Besides weight, there are also functional differences. For example, women have superior memory and social recognition skills, and language abilities, while men have more developed motor (movement) and spatial perception properties.

Our Brain Works According to What We Do

Different regions of our brain have different tasks, and different areas of our brain work depending on what we do. For example; during a physical activity, the movement centers of our brain work predominantly, while when speaking, the speech center becomes more active, and when reading something, the visual center becomes more active. However, communication between different centers continues almost constantly. Thanks to new imaging techniques, it is possible to observe which areas of the brain are active while performing a task, and we can observe that different centers in the brain can activate and communicate with each other even for a single task. When any problem occurs, this division of labor can change and the brain can reorganize and continue its function.

It Does Not Feel Pain or Ache

Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Geysu Karlıkaya: "Our brain tissue does not feel pain. Although a headache seems to originate from the brain, the pain actually comes from pain-sensitive structures such as blood vessels and nerves around the brain."

Regular Exercise Strengthens Memory

Physical exercise develops not only the heart and body muscles but also the brain. The brain's memory center can grow within a few months with regular exercise, and a similar effect can be seen during regular mental activity. Learning a new language, learning to play a musical instrument. For this positive effect to occur, the language probably does not need to be learned; working is enough.

Healthy Nutrition Has Positive Effects

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables and predominantly using olive oil have positive effects on many brain functions including memory.

Quality Sleep Strengthens Memory

Healthy sleep is one of the factors necessary for a strong memory. Learning difficulties and memory problems can be seen in people who sleep less or sleep poorly. Sleep also performs a cleaning function in the brain. In Alzheimer's patients, amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain is removed from the brain during sleep.

Excessive GPS Use Negatively Affects the Brain

Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Geysu Karlıkaya continues as follows: "In studies conducted on London taxi drivers, certain regions of the hippocampus, which is considered the brain's memory center, were observed to develop more than in other professions. (To become a taxi driver in London, 25,000 streets need to be learned.) With GPS use, it is better not to use it on the way back, even if GPS is used on the first visit to a new place, to prevent shrinkage in the same areas."