Nervous System - 10 fun facts

The brain is _____ at work when you’re sleeping.

• hard

• not really

• not

The brain’s structure is constantly changing as we learn. New neuronal connections are made which increases the _____ of the brain.

• firmness

• density

• softness

The fastest signal transmission in the body occurs in the alpha motor neurons within the spinal cord. They transmit a signal at _____ miles per hour. The slowest signal transmission is within the skin at 1 mile per hour.

• 527

• 374

• 268

We lose neurons as we age, starting at around 20 years old in humans. _____ of our neurons are gone by the time we turn 75.

• 1/5

• 1/10

• 1/7

Males and females have different brain compositions. Males have more _____ matter, while females have more _____ matter.

• white, grey

• grey, white

As we age, our brain shrinks by about _____ grams every year due to the loss of neurons.

• 1–2

• 3–5

• 4–6

The longest nerve in the body is the _____ nerve. It runs from the spinal cord to the toes on each side of the body.

•      a vagus

• median

• sciatic

The bowel is controlled by a separate part of the nervous system known as the _____ nervous system. It regulates digestion and bowel movements.

• enteric

• mesenteric

• peritoneal

The brain has approximately _____ neurons. In contrast, the spinal cord only has roughly 13.5 million neurons throughout its length.

• 100 trillion

• 100 billion

• 100 million

The brain uses more of the body’s energy than the rest of the organs, using over _____ of the energy reserves in the body.

• 15%

• 20%

• 30%