Characteristic number of neurons in the brain

Value 1e+11 unitless
Organism Human Homo sapiens
Reference link
Primary Source Pakkenberg B, Gundersen HJ, Mortensen EL, Lauritzen MJ, Jeune B, Regeur L, West MJ, Schwartz TW. [The normal brain: a new knowledge in different fields] Ugeskr Laeger. 1997 Feb 3 159(6):723-7.PubMed ID9045457
Method In a quantitative analysis of human cortex using the optical dissector, Pakkenberg and Gundersen (1997) have shown that the number of neocortical neurons ranges from 15 to 31 billion and averages about 21 billion. Other forebrain structures—primarily the hippocampal region, basal ganglia, and thalamus—are likely to contain an additional 5–8 billion neurons. Total neuron number in humans therefore probably averages 95–100 billion.
Comments See also R.W. Williams and K. Herrup, Ann. Review Neuroscience, 11:423-453, 1988. See BNID 106322
Entered by Daniel Ramot
ID 100690