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The Neuron- Up Close and Personal
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Neurons, the basic building block of the nervous system, are integral to the working of our human brains, as well as the brains of all other animals. If that is the case, why do animals have such varying levels and types of behavior? Why do humans seem to have greater "intellectual" abilities than squirrels? Is it at all related to amounts of neurons in the nervous system?? Perhaps some animals have less neurons than others? Perhaps some animals have less neural activity than others? It seems to make sense that, for example, a uni-cellular organism (an animal that has one cell) has less complex behaviors than, say, a human (who is multi-cellular). But, what about when comparing animals with similar amounts of cells, and even similar amounts of neurons? There is no SOLID evidence that can either support or refute the claim that behavioral complexity comes from amounts or activity of neurons. In other words, it is probable that the volume of nerve cells may be relatively irrelevant in a discussion of intelligence.
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