One of the most mysterious and complex systems in our body is the nervous system. The central nervous system integrates all other systems and parts of the human body into one functional mechanism.
1. The nervous system is a complex structure of nerves that transmit signals throughout the body for coordination. It acts as electrical wiring in our body.
2. Rumors that our brain works at only 10% are a myth. In reality, the brain works at 100%. At any point in time, the human brain uses all its resources to exercise control over other systems of the body, to provide processes of memorization, thinking, and awareness.
3. The human body contains 43 pairs of nerves that connect our nervous system with all the organs of our body, 12 pairs of nerves are connected to the brain and the rest to the spinal cord.
4. There are an incredible number of nerve cells in our body, more than the stars in the Milky Way.
5. By age 20, we begin to lose neurons to the process of aging and by age 75, nearly 1/10 of the neurons die out from your original neuron count. However, it does not mean you would lose 10% of your intelligence. With the remaining neurons, they form new connections to make up for the lost neurons.
6. If you lace up all the neurons contained in the body of an adult, in a single chain, its length will be about 965 km. The brain alone contains about one hundred billion neurons and more than thirteen million are in the spinal cord.
7. Nerves in our body can be vulnerable to both physical damage and damage through diseases. Damage to nerves can cause great pain, loss of feeling, or loss of muscle control.
8. About 20% of the world’s population have various kinds of problems with the functioning of the nervous system. Fortunately, in most cases they are not too serious.
9. The five senses: taste, hearing, smell, touch and vision are directly interconnected with the nervous system.
10. The cells that are part of the nervous system are the largest in the human body.
11. The child in the womb loses almost half of the nerve cells before birth, but a newborn baby’s brain grows about three times its size in the first year.
12. Our nervous system can transmit nerve impulses at speeds of up to 268 miles per hour.
