Dispelling Myths About the Brain: 8 Facts About Our Most Important Organ

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While researchers are uncovering secrets about howthe brainworks every day, there are many things about the brain that medical science can confirm as fact. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of myths and misconceptions about the inner workings of the brain that a lot of people believe.

We’re going to unpack some of those false beliefs or “facts” and get to the truth of the matter.

We Don’t Just Use 10% of Our Brains

Have you ever heard that we just use 10% of our brains? It’s an oft-cited statistic, but constant repetition does not make it accurate. People often use this inaccurate stat to imply that the mind is capable of much greater things, such as dramatically increased intelligence, psychic abilities, or even telekinesis.

If the10% numberwere true, brain damage would be far less likely—after all, we would only have to worry about that tiny 10% of our brains being injured.

The fact is that damage to even a small area of the brain can result in profound consequences for both cognition and functioning.Brain imaging technologies have also demonstrated that the entire brain shows levels of activity, even during sleep.

Brain Damage Isn’t Always Permanent

A person’s ability to recover from brain damage depends upon the severity and the location of the injury. For example, a blow to the head during a football game might lead to a concussion. While the injury can be quite serious, most people can recover when given time to heal. A severe stroke, on the other hand, can result in damage that can very well be permanent.

However, it is important to remember that the human brain has an impressive amount ofplasticity. Even following a serious brain event, such as a stroke, it is possible for the brain to partially or fully heal itself over time and form new connections.

People Aren’t Fully Right- or Left-Brained

While experts do recognize that there is lateralization of brain function (that is, certain types of tasks and thinking tend to be more associated with a particular region of the brain), no one is fully right-brained or left-brained.

In fact, we tend to do better at tasks when we engage the entire brain, even for things that are typically associated with a certain area of the brain.

Humans Don’t Have the Biggest Brains

The human brain is quite large in proportion to human body size, but humans don’t have the largest brains of any organism. Howbig is the human brain? How does it compare to other species?

The average adult brain weighs about 3 pounds and measures about 15 centimeters in length.The largest animal brain belongs to that of a sperm whale, weighing in at a whopping 18 pounds! Another large-brained animal is the elephant, with an average brain size of around 11 pounds (5 kilograms).

But what about relative brain size in proportion to body size? Though the proportion of the human brain to the human body is larger than many animals, the notion that it’s the largest is also inaccurate. Surprisingly, one animal with a larger brain-to-body weight ratio than humans is the shrew, with a brain that makes up about 10% of its body mass.

New Brain Cells May Form Throughout Life

Traditional wisdom has long suggested that adults only have so many brain cells and that we never form new ones. Once these cells are lost, are they gone for good? Experts have uncovered evidence that the human adult brain does indeed form new cells throughout life, even during old age.

The process of forming new brain cells is known asneurogenesis, and researchers have found that it happens in at least one important region of the brain called thehippocampus.

It’s worth noting, however, that research on this topic is mixed, and some neuroscientists don’t consider this a proven theory, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Alcohol Can Affect Your Brain Cells

Partly related to the misconception that we never grow newneuronsis the idea that drinking alcohol can lead to cell death in the brain. Drink too much or too often, some people might warn, and you’ll lose precious brain cells that you can never get back. Could drinking alcohol really kill brain cells?

Researchers don’t believe thatalcohol use actually kills brain cells, though evidence does suggest that it can inhibit new cell growth.Additionally, long-term use can have a significant impact on brain functioning.

There Are About 85 Billion Neurons in the Human Brain

An often-cited statistic is that there are 100 billion neurons in the human brain. This number has been repeated so often and for so long that no one is completely sure where it originated. In 2009, however, one researcher decided to count neurons in adult brains and found that the number was just a bit off the mark.

Based on this research, it appears that the human brain contains closer to 85 billion neurons. So while 100 billion is a few billion too high, 85 billion is still nothing to sneeze at.

Using Learning Styles Isn’t Necessarily Effective

While it’s an appealing concept, there’s little research to suggest that learning based on your preferred style actually has any impact on learning outcomes. One large-scale study found no evidence to support the use of learning style assessment instruments.

Keep in Mind

There is still a lot that we don’t know about how the brain works, but there is a lot that we do know. Learning more about how the brain works can help you better understand some of the factors that may affect your mental health.

Brain Exercises to Strengthen Your Mind

9 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. Modified April 24, 2020.Parent, A; Carpenter MB (1995). “Ch. 1”.Carpenter’s Human Neuroanatomy. Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-683-06752-1.Herculano-Houzel S, Avelino de Souza K, Neves K, Porfirio J, Messeder D, Mattos Feijo L, et al.The elephant brain in numbers.Front Neuroanat. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnana.2014.00046Ming GL, Song H.Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain: Significant answers and significant questions.Neuron. 2011;70(4):687-702. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.05.001National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Brain basics: The life and death of a neuron. Modified December 16, 2019.Department of Health and Human Services.Alcohol’s damaging effect on the brain. October 2004.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol and the brain.Herculano-Houzel S.The human brain in numbers: A linearly scaled-up primate brain.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2009;3(31). doi:10.3389/neuro.09.031.2009Pashler H, Mcdaniel M, Rohrer D, Bjork R.Learning styles: Concepts and evidence.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2008;9(3):105-19. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. Modified April 24, 2020.Parent, A; Carpenter MB (1995). “Ch. 1”.Carpenter’s Human Neuroanatomy. Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-683-06752-1.Herculano-Houzel S, Avelino de Souza K, Neves K, Porfirio J, Messeder D, Mattos Feijo L, et al.The elephant brain in numbers.Front Neuroanat. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnana.2014.00046Ming GL, Song H.Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain: Significant answers and significant questions.Neuron. 2011;70(4):687-702. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.05.001National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Brain basics: The life and death of a neuron. Modified December 16, 2019.Department of Health and Human Services.Alcohol’s damaging effect on the brain. October 2004.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol and the brain.Herculano-Houzel S.The human brain in numbers: A linearly scaled-up primate brain.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2009;3(31). doi:10.3389/neuro.09.031.2009Pashler H, Mcdaniel M, Rohrer D, Bjork R.Learning styles: Concepts and evidence.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2008;9(3):105-19. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. Modified April 24, 2020.Parent, A; Carpenter MB (1995). “Ch. 1”.Carpenter’s Human Neuroanatomy. Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-683-06752-1.Herculano-Houzel S, Avelino de Souza K, Neves K, Porfirio J, Messeder D, Mattos Feijo L, et al.The elephant brain in numbers.Front Neuroanat. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnana.2014.00046Ming GL, Song H.Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain: Significant answers and significant questions.Neuron. 2011;70(4):687-702. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.05.001National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Brain basics: The life and death of a neuron. Modified December 16, 2019.Department of Health and Human Services.Alcohol’s damaging effect on the brain. October 2004.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol and the brain.Herculano-Houzel S.The human brain in numbers: A linearly scaled-up primate brain.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2009;3(31). doi:10.3389/neuro.09.031.2009Pashler H, Mcdaniel M, Rohrer D, Bjork R.Learning styles: Concepts and evidence.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2008;9(3):105-19. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. Modified April 24, 2020.

Parent, A; Carpenter MB (1995). “Ch. 1”.Carpenter’s Human Neuroanatomy. Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-683-06752-1.

Herculano-Houzel S, Avelino de Souza K, Neves K, Porfirio J, Messeder D, Mattos Feijo L, et al.The elephant brain in numbers.Front Neuroanat. 2014;8. doi:10.3389/fnana.2014.00046

Ming GL, Song H.Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain: Significant answers and significant questions.Neuron. 2011;70(4):687-702. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.05.001

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Brain basics: The life and death of a neuron. Modified December 16, 2019.

Department of Health and Human Services.Alcohol’s damaging effect on the brain. October 2004.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol and the brain.

Herculano-Houzel S.The human brain in numbers: A linearly scaled-up primate brain.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2009;3(31). doi:10.3389/neuro.09.031.2009

Pashler H, Mcdaniel M, Rohrer D, Bjork R.Learning styles: Concepts and evidence.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2008;9(3):105-19. doi:10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x

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