The Big, Bad Brain Quiz

The long-held myth that people only use 10 percent of the brain couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, we use just about all parts of the brain, and most areas are active all of the time.

In terms of the brain, size doesn't matter. The average human brain weighs roughly 3 pounds or 1.3 kilograms, whereas a sperm whale brain runs about 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms). So, it appears that the size of the physical body has more to do with determining brain size than intellectual capability.

Lack of thiamine causes Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and alcoholics are often lacking in thiamine, a very important B vitamin. So although alcohol abuse doesn't directly cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, it can play a role.

Although the right hemisphere has long been touted as the creative epicenter of the brain, recent evidence indicates that is all hogwash. In fact, math, reading, creativity and many other once-pigeonholed pursuits actually use both sides.

The hypothalamus wears a lot of hats, but its primary function is to keep the body in a happily stable state, known as homeostasis. So if you get hungry it pings you to eat; if you're thirsty it tells you to drink, etc. It also regulates energy and so on.

The hippocampus, which resides in the temporal lobe, plays a tremendous role in storing long-term memories. Since Alzheimer's causes shrinking of that area of the brain, memories are therefore affected.

The amygdala is the emotional epicenter of the brain, while the occipital lobe manages visual processing and the parietal lobe is key for navigation and spatial orientation.

For such a petite nickname, the cerebellum has a big job, as it's responsible for making muscle groups work together to achieve coordination and balance.

Body size affects how convoluted/wrinkled the brain is. Small animals tend to have smoother brains, whereas humans and large mammals have brains that are more wrinkly.

Eighty-five percent of a human brain's weight is in the cerebrum, which is in charge of functions like speech, memory, the senses, emotions and communication. It is split into four sections called lobes (frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital.)