![A Picture of the human brain](https://www.factsjustforkids.com/wp-content/uploads/illustration-of-a-human-brain.png)
- Organ Name: Brain
- Organ Location: Within the skull bones of the head
- Organ System: Central Nervous and Neuroimmune systems
- Organ Purpose: Controls all body processes
- Organ Weight: Between 2.6 and 3.1 pounds
- Organ Length: 6.5 inches (average)
23 Brain Facts for Kids
- The human brain is the main component of the human nervous system.
- The human brain is mostly made of blood vessels, glial cells, nerve cells (neurons), neural stem cells (NSCs).
- The human brain controls almost all the functions of the human body, including thoughts, memories and emotions.
- The human brain is in and protected by the human skull (cranium), suspended in a fluid called cerebrospinal fluid.
- The human brain uses around 20% of the energy produced by your body.
- The human brain continues to grow from birth up to the age of 18.
- The average weight of an adult human brain is between 2.6 and 3.1 pounds or about 2% of total body weight.
- It’s estimated that the human brain has 86 billion neuron cells and 85 billion non-neuron cells.
- The human brain has two different cerebral hemispheres.
- The two cerebral hemispheres of the human brain are the right hemisphere and left hemisphere.
- The right and left hemispheres of the human brain are redundant and there are many brain functions that can happen in both hemispheres.
- The left hemisphere of the human brain controls the right side of your body and is connected to the nerves on the left side of both your eyes.
- The right hemisphere of the human brain controls the left side of your body and is connected to the nerves on the right side of both your eyes.
- The human brain has four lobes, and they are the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and the temporal lobe.
- The frontal lobe is responsible for some very important cognitive skills, like judgement, problem-solving and emotions.
- The parietal lobe is responsible for sensory information, like interpreting words and sounds.
- The occipital lobe is responsible for interpreting input from the retina and understanding color, movement and light.
- The temporal lobe is responsible for things like memory, organization and hearing.
- The human brain is quite large (over three times as large) compared to other mammals of similar size.
- In 2007, the World Health Organization estimated that 6.8 million people die annually due to neurological disorders.
- An example of some neurological disorders is Alzheimer disease, brain tumors, CTE, dementias, head trauma, multiple scleroses, Parkinson’s disease and a stroke.
- Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain disease common in people with repetitive brain trauma, like athletes and military veterans.
- The human brain is very complex and scientists are still learning about this mysterious and powerful organ.
Pictures of the Human Brain
![An illustration of the brain in a human head](https://www.factsjustforkids.com/wp-content/uploads/the-brain-in-the-human-body.png)
An illustration of the brain inside the human head.Credit: NSF
![An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) of the human brain](https://www.factsjustforkids.com/wp-content/uploads/a-mri-of-the-human-brain.png)
An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) of the human brain.Credit: Mehau Kulyk / SPL
![A image comparing the brain size of humans to primates](https://www.factsjustforkids.com/wp-content/uploads/human-brain-compared-to-primates.png)
A image comparing the brain size of humans to primates.Credit: J.L. Alatorre Warren / UZH
Additional Resources on the Human Brain
- The Basics of the Human Brain – Read about the basics of the human brain on the National Institutes of Health.
- The Human Brain Anatomy and Function – Visit the Visible Body website to learn about the anatomy of the brain.
- The Structure and Function of the Brain – Discover the function and structure of the human brain on the Northeastern University website.
- Human Brain – Wikipdia – Find more cool facts about the human brain on the Wikipedia website.