2007-06-16 12:57:05 · 15 answers · asked by Seth H 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
About 10%.
2007-06-16 12:59:53 · answer #1 · answered by Green-Eyed Gal 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
All of it, or it would be smaller. The brain is a very heavy energy user. If parts of it were not being used, humans without those parts would have had a selective advantage over others in times of famine, and would have had more offspring etc. The brain would have evolved to be smaller. It hasn't, simply because we use all of it, just not all at the same time.
2007-06-16 13:05:10 · answer #2 · answered by Labsci 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
All of it. 10% is a popularized factoid that is incorrect, probably in reference to how much of certain regions of the brain may appear to be active at a given moment (how many neurons are firing). If 90% of your brain wasn't being used, then that's an incredible waste of a) space and b) energy for your body and that would provide no survival gain for large brains and would not have been naturally selected.
2007-06-16 14:33:34 · answer #3 · answered by vicariousobserver 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
100%
On average.
As stated in the wikipedia article:
"Although folklore would have it that about 90% of the human brain is dormant, this has proven scientifically unfounded. The fact that ~10% of neurons in the brain fire at any one time is a possible source of this misconception. (If a large percentage of the neurons were to fire at the same time, the result would be a Tonic-clonic seizure.)"
2007-06-16 13:00:13 · answer #4 · answered by Diavola 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A large amount of our brains are used to direct signals throughout our bodies, but only a fraction of our brains are used to comprehend, recognize and learn things outside of ourselves.
with only 10% of your brain being used do u really think the zillions of cells u are made up of function properly? that whole 10% nonsense, is just that, nonsense.
2007-06-16 13:12:58 · answer #5 · answered by Fish 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
this is absolutely false. humans as all animals use their entire brain. each brain part is responsible for commanding a different part of the body or act. the 10% rule is a total urban legend.
2007-06-16 13:04:50 · answer #6 · answered by nhm414 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is a very difficult question to address. Your brain is functioning at
so many levels at any given time that to access exactly what parts and how
much is being used is not feasible. In addition, many of the cells of the
brain are for protective purposes and not related to function of the
nervous system. This is why some people claim that the brain uses only a
fraction of its mass when in fact the parts not being used are not designed
to be used.
2007-06-16 13:01:05 · answer #7 · answered by namratha s 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It has been scientifically proved that on the average, a human only uses about 10% of their brain.
2007-06-16 13:03:15 · answer #8 · answered by babydoll29710 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋
10% of the brain is used
2007-06-16 13:00:05 · answer #9 · answered by gizmo2 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
100%. You couldn't walk or talk or breathe if you only used 10% that myth refers to the fact that many people don't live up to their potential.
2007-06-16 13:02:05 · answer #10 · answered by R J 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋