Words

Yesterday I got to thinking about words.  In particular ammonia, since I was writing that particular one on my grocery list.  And I wondered when I first learned this word, how to spell it, and how I continue to remember how to spell it all these many years.

And what about all the other words I know?  Do I have an even bigger "Big
Book/Encyclopedia/Thesaurus" mushed together inside tiny little cranium than those books on my office shelves?  Wow there's a mind boggling pondering, to make my 'headie-ache'.

Uh-oh...here it comes...more junk for you to completely forget tomorrow...or, who knows, maybe some of it will get mushed together in your cranium like I'm sure it will mine.

I was going to delve into the study of words but found that boring, it's full of big, three and four syllable words, that got me so confused, I gave up on having that as today's blog; instead I've decided to tell you some wonderful 'brain facts' that help us to have our very own, individual "Big Book/Encyclopedia/Thesaurus" right inside our heads.

So, here for your entertainment and enjoyment are some facts I picked up from the HW Neurological Institute, LLC.

First our brains weigh about 3 pounds and make up about 2% of our total body weight.  (Which is a lot less than dragging around a back-pack full of Big Books/
Encyclopedias/ Thersaursus'.) 

It has about 100 billion neutrons, and each neutron has between 1,000 to 10,000 synapses.  (Which is maybe why I sometimes think I can hear buzzing, popping, sizzling sounds coming from inside my head when I think hard.)

There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your brain. Which supply the oxygen necessary to keep it alive and functioning properly.

75% of our brain is water.

60% of our brain is fat. 

These last two facts 'splane' a lot.  (Perhaps I should add sloshing to the sounds I hear inside my head and no wonder I can't lose weight, what with all that fat squeezed in there.)

Your brain recognizes your touch, so you cannot tickle yourself.
Stress alters brain cells and functions.
Dreaming requires more brain activity than any waking function.
Music increases brain organization.
You have an average of 70,000 thoughts per day.
Your brain creates 10-23 watts of electricity.  (Perhaps actually accounting for the buzzing, popping, sizzling sounds coming from inside my head when I think hard.)
You do use your entire brain, not just the 10% as often rumored.

Of all these facts I think the one I like the most is the fact I do use my entire brain.  Although not always to my best benefit, because I sometimes leave my coffee mugs in my microwave, and for the life of me I cannot even remember what I had for dinner yesterday.  What are my neurons doing when I really need them?

However, what I appreciate most of all about my brain is that I can remember words like ammonia are stored there, that I know how to spell it, what it means, and how to use the word in connection with other words to make a sentence. 

Ah, words.  Without them, we would not be able to communicate.  I would not be able to converse with you, this page would be blank.  Thank you little three pound brain for all the wonderful words. Thank you.