• Question: Why are there folds in the surface of the brain?

    Asked by danrumford to Cat, Daz, Holly, Johnson, Pamela on 21 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Darren Braddick

      Darren Braddick answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Hi Dan!

      Well the short answer is that folds in something increases it’s ‘surface area’. If you think of a ball and you choose to paint it, you use an amount of paint, let’s say x litres. You use x litres to paint this ball. If you then crush the ball into many pieces, and paint all of them, you use a much bigger amount of paint – more than x litres! The brains folds basically allow a bigger surface area.. And we know that the size of a brain is pretty much perfectly related to intelligence of a creature, these folds allow the human brain ENORMOUS potential. Also, they play some role in organisation, as the brain is not one big mixture but actually some very very defined areas with specific roles and locations!

      I hope this helps answer you

      Daz

    • Photo: Cat O'Connor

      Cat O'Connor answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Dang, Daz got there before me. Yup maximum surface area it is. This concept is really important in loads of areas of biology. Can you think of any other Dan? Perhaps in the human body? Perhaps something else that is really ‘twisty’?? 😀

      Cat

    • Photo: Pamela Lithgow

      Pamela Lithgow answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Yeap Daz is exactly right!! how much area do you think the surface of your brain has with all its folds?
      How much our brains our folded is part of why we are so intelligent, apparently elephants brains are not as folded so that is why although they are big they are not as “intelligent”.
      I hope that adds something
      Pam 🙂

Comments