Answers to Brain Quiz

1) The job of the brain is to keep the whole body in an optimal state relative to the environment, in order to maximize the chances of survival.  The brain does this by registering stimuli from the rest of the body and the outside world. As the brain interprets this information, it generates experiences - sights, sounds, emotions, and thoughts.  But it's primary function is to produce changes in the body.

2) The brain weighs 3 pounds.

3) The brain consumes 400 calories a day.

4) The most important thing you can do to keep your brain healthy is aerobic exercise.  Gentle aerobic exercise, such as rapid walking, has been shown to increase the formation of new cells in an area of the brain that is important to memory and learning.

5) Visual processing is 25% of your brain power.

6) True.  Concentration and attention control are necessary for memory and learning.

7) Your brain uses 20% of the total oxygen in your body.

8) The brain can survive for 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen, but will suffer permanent brain damage with 5 to 10 minutes of no oxygen.

9) The average number of thoughts that humans experience each day is 12,000-50,000 according to the National Science Foundation.

10) True.  Every time you recall a memory or have a new thought, you are creating a new connection in your brain.