By [http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Carol_Chuang/545843]Carol
Chuang
The human brain is an extremely complex organ. Despite
rapid scientific progress, the knowledge about how the brain works in still
evolving.
The brain contains about 100 billion neurons, which are
highly specialized nerve cells responsible for communicating information
throughout the body. For each neuron, there are roughly anywhere from 1,000 to
10,000 synapses. A synapse is the connection between neurons that permits a
neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron. Hormones and
neurotransmitters are examples of chemical signals.
The old adage of humans only using 10% of our brain is
not true. Every part of the brain has a known function. Humans continue to make
new neurons throughout life in response to mental activity. When you learn
something new, your brain undergoes physical changes. The brain keeps growing
in the frontal and temporal lobes well into middle-age, which can be associated
with better emotional development and wisdom.
