How Much Does an Adult's Brain Weigh?

He Adult brain weight Human oscillates between 1000 and 2000 grams, being the average between 1300 and 1400 grams.

It is a great weight in relation to the weight of the whole body. It represents a much larger relative weight compared to animals of similar weights, such as the ostrich or the lion, whose brains weigh 10 to 20 times less.

Adult brain

Its composition is:

  • 78% water
  • 10% fat
  • 8% protein

The main physical characteristic of the brain are its folds or convolutions.

This is part of the Cerebral cortex , The outer covering of the brain.

These folds allow to increase the brain surface; If it were extended it would occupy an unfolded page of a newspaper.

Brain Within the human being is well protected: cerebrospinal fluid , Which is within the subarachnoid space.

Are the species with the largest brain size smarter?

If you compare the brains of some species, you will realize that those with higher brain capacities have higher cognitive abilities.

For example, the brains of mammals - such as primates or felines - are larger than those of insectivores and have higher cognitive abilities.

However, this relationship is not always so. For example, the brains of cows are larger than that of any species of monkey, but they are not so intelligent.

The 4 Biggest Myths About the Human Brain

A much more obvious comparison is that of the human brain and that of the elephant.

The brain of the elephant weighs on average 4700 grams in comparison with the 1400 of the human being.

Also, the brain of the sperm whale weighs 7800 grams.

Evidently neither sperm whales nor elephants are cognitively superior to humans.

Is the human brain the largest in relation to the body?

Neither.

Although this belief continues to exist since Aristotle's time, it is erroneous and there is data to corroborate it.

It is true that compared to an elephant the brain-body radius of the human is huge (1/40 of the human versus 1/560 of the elephant).

However, it is equal to that of the mouse (1/40) and smaller than that of some birds (1/12).

Other curiosities about the brain

  • The human brain needs 20% of the body's oxygen
  • Has approximately 86 billion neurons
  • Brain needs 20% of brain irrigation
  • The brain receives 36 liters of blood every hour, 891 liters per day.
  • The brain needs 8-12 glasses of water for proper function.
  • If the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, consciousness is lost in a few seconds.
  • The cerebellum is the brain area that weighs the most, assuming up to 85% of the weight.

Read here More than 50 curiosities about the brain.

Average weight in other animals

  • Adult human - 1300 - 1400 grams
  • Human newborn - 350-400 grams
  • Sperm Whale - 7800 grams
  • Fin whale - 6930 grams
  • Orca - 5620 grams
  • Elephant - 4783 grams
  • Yubarta - 4675 grams
  • Gray whale - 4317 grams
  • Boreal Whale - 2738 grams
  • Pilot whale 2670 grams
  • Bottlenose dolphin - 1500-1600 grams
  • Walrus - 1020 grams
  • Homo erectus - 850-1000 grams
  • Camel - 762 grams
  • Giraffe - 680 grams
  • Hippo - 582 grams
  • Leopard Seal - 542 grams
  • Horse - 532 grams
  • Polar Bear - 498 grams
  • Gorilla - 465-540 grams
  • Cow - 425 - 458 grams
  • Chimpanzee - 420 grams
  • Orangutan - 370 grams
  • Manatee - 360 grams
  • Tiger - 263 grams
  • Leon - 240 grams
  • Grizzly Bear - 234 grams
  • Pork - 180 grams
  • Jaguar - 157 grams
  • Sheep - 140 grams
  • Mono rhesus - 90-97 grams
  • Pork anteater - 72 grams
  • Dog - 72 grams
  • White shark - 34 grams
  • Cat - 30 grams
  • Rabbit - 10-13 grams
  • Alligator -8.4 grams
  • Didélfidos - 6 grams
  • Hamster - 1.4 grams

References

  1. Blinkov, S.M. Glezer, I.I. The Human Brain in Figures and Tables. A Quantitative Handbook, New York: Plenum Press, 1968.
  2. Demski, L.S. And Northcutt, R.G. The brain and cranial nerves of the white shark: an evolutionary perspective. In Great White Sharks. The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias , San Diego: Academic Press, 1996.
  3. Nieuwenhuys, R., Ten Donkelaar, H.J. And Nicholson, C. The Central Nervous System of Vertebrates. Vol. 3 , Berlin: Springer, 1998.
  4. Berta, A., et al. Marine Mammals. Evolutionary Biology , San Diego: Academic Press, 1999.
  5. Mink, J.W., Blumenschine, R.J. And Adams, D.B. Ratio of central nervous system to body metabolism in vertebrates: its constancy and functional basis. Am. J. Physiology , 241: R203-R212, 1981.
  6. Rehkamper, G., Frahm, H.D. And Zilles, K. Quantitative development of brain and brain structures in birds (Galliformes and Passeriforms) compared to that in mammals (Insectivores and Primates). Brain Beh. Evol. , 37: 125-143, 1991.
  7. Ridgway, S.H. And Harrison, S., Handbook of Marine Mammals, Vol. 3 , London: Academic Press, 1985.
  8. Shoshani, J., Kupsky, W.J. And Marchant, G.H., Elephant brain. Part I: Gross morphology functions, comparative anatomy, and evolution, Brain Res. Bulletin , 70: 124-157, 2006.
  9. Image source.


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