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IQ and Synapse Variations

Proteus
in Biology

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What is the variation in number of synapses in the human cortex, and what is the relation between this number and IQ?

The human brain has around 10 billion neurons, each neuron is connected to other neurons through around 10,000 synapses. So I would guess the human brain has about 100 trillion synapses.

 

There is no real relation between IQ and synapses they would not really be comparable. A person's IQ is determined by a paper pen/question answer/problem solving test. A test like that does not necessarily discern the amount of synapses in the brain.

 

IE) A person with autism or severe cerebral palsy might have just as many synapses as the average person, but the average person would most likely out-perform them on an IQ test.

 

Furthermore thoughts/ideas/understanding is caused by the firing off of neuro-transmitters between neurons through synapses. Its not like synapses are created when you figure something out.

 

Check out these links:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuron

http://www.mind.ilstu.edu/curriculum/neurons_intro/neurons_intro.php

Edited by toastywombel

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