Body Facts: Nervous System
- The brain uses about 20% of our energy, although it only makes up about 2% of our body weight.
- It is estimated that there are between 100 billion to 1 trillion nerve cells in the brain.
- It’s not the number of brain cells but the connections between them (synapses) that account for the brain capacity. Each brain cell has established about 10,000 synapses to other brain cells.
- Contrary to earlier findings, brain cells are capable of renewing themselves.
- If some parts of the brain are damaged due to a stroke, other areas of the brain may take over the lost functions, if trained properly.
- The brain and spinal cord are surrounded and protected by cerebrospinal fluid.
Facts courtesy of BODY WORLDS.
Image: Gunther von Hagens, Institute for Plastination, Heidelberg, Germany, www.bodyworlds.com.
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- Daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Museum Location
- Getting Here
- Happening Now
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Animal Inside Out
A stunning look inside the animal kingdom from the creators of BODY WORLDS.
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Space Junk
A visually stunning exploration of our planet's perilous ring of orbiting debris.
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Air Racers
Ride along as elite pilots fight for position, wingtip-to-wingtip, in the fastest motor sport.
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- Coming Soon
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Jr. Science Cafés: Paws, Claws and Science!
Join us for hands-on projects, student discussions, live science experiences and more!
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Building a Century of Progress
Revisit the memorable architectural and visual design of Chicago's 1933 World's Fair.
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Exploring the White City
Tim Samuelson and Lisa M. Snyder present a virtual tour of the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
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