Brainpower Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
About the Brain

Do you think you know a little bit about the brain and how it works? Take this brainpower quiz, and see how much you really know.

1. How much of a person's blood supply does the average brain use?
A) 5%
B) 20%
C) 50%

2. The cerebellum is needed to:
A) Regulate body temperature
B) Recognize faces
C) Maintain posture.

3. The number of neurons in the average brain is closest to:
A) 100 million
B) One billion
C) 100 billion

4. What percentage of the oxygen you take in is used by your brain?
A) 20%
B) 5%
C) 50%

5. True or False:
Intelligence quotient (IQ) is determined at birth or in early childhood, and can't be increased later in life.

6. What animal has the largest brain in relation to body size?
A) An elephant
B) A human
C) A cat.

7. Number of neocortical neurons lost each day:
A) 8,500
B) 85,000
C) 1,000,000

8. Albert Einstein's brain was:
A) Larger than the average human brain
B) Smaller than average
C) About average.

9. True or False:
The number of neurons in the brain is set by early childhood, and declines throughout life.

10. The number of miles of blood vessels in the brain is:
A) 10 miles
B) 1,000 miles
C) 100,000 miles.

Here are the solutions to the Brainpower Quiz:

1. The answer is B. About 20% of your blood is pumped to your brain. It needs it to keep up with the heavy metabolic demands of its neurons.

2. The answer is C. The cerebellum, sometimes called the "little brain", is found at the lower back of the brain. It weighs approximately 150 grams. It is needed to maintain posture, to walk, and to perform any coordinated movements.

3. The answer is C, 100 billion.

4. The answer is A. Your brain needs a continuous supply of oxygen. A 10-minute loss of oxygen will normally cause significant neural damage.

5. False. There are many examples of people increasing their intelligence later in life, and many ways to do so.

6. The answer is B. An elephant's brain is about six times as large as a human brain, and a cat's brain weighs about one ounce. However, in relation to body size, humans have the largest brain of all the animals, averaging about 2% of body weight.

7. The answer is B, 85,000. For the good news, see the answer to number 9.

8. The answer is B. Because he was smaller than average, Albert Einstein's brain was most likely smaller than average. Brain size is generally proportional to body size in humans. Fortunately, brainpower is not.

9. False. The brain continues to produce new neurons throughout our lives, and it does so in response to stimulation (mental exercise). Referred to as brain plasticity or neuro-plasticity, this is one of the most encouraging of these brain facts.

10. The answer is C There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain.

If you got six or more correct on this brainpower quiz, you know more about the brain than the average person.

Copyright Steve Gillman. Visit http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com for more information.